This guide was prepared to inform students in Tacoma (Washington) public schools about the college admissions process. It notes that colleges have different selection criteria and discusses differences between community colleges and four-year colleges and between selection criteria in small, private colleges and large, public universities. A…

A collection of 50 essays from successful applications to various U.S. colleges is presented along with comments from admissions officers. It is noted that "right" and "wrong" essays do not exist, and with a little creativity and effort, almost any topic can make for an effective and memorable college application essay. Every…

Thirty-five outstanding application essays selected by admissions officers from top law schools around the nation are presented along with advice on writing the essay and on the admission process. It is intended to inspire people applying to law school and relieve their anxiety over the essays, acting as a catalyst for the applicant's creativity.…

The purpose of the study was to compare college admission decisions concerning handicapped and nonhandicapped applicants with comparable Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores and high school grades (HSG). The study focused on 1,539 handicapped students who applied to 121 institutions that participated in the College Entrance Examination Board's…

Findings of a 1973 study by the University of Arizona College of Medicine Admissions Review Committee (established by the Arizona Legislature) are summarized in an excerpt from a 1972 report and in a letter and memo. The committee reviewed the admission policies and practices of the College of Medicine for 2 years by a random study of 50 percent…

Given the parameters of the Bakke decision, institutions must now attempt to balance conventional admissions criteria with a careful assessment of disadvantagement among both minority and majority applicants. (Author/LBH)

Questionnaires and interviews were used to study the selection of initial teacher training applicants at Scotland's 7 colleges of education, which handled 5,455 applications for 1,657 positions in 1982. Results showed diversity of selection approaches, uncertainty of purpose among selectors, and reliance on a short interview for assessing…

Trends in college entrance standards and student characteristics are analyzed and the relationship of applicant patterns to institution type are discussed. It is proposed that while the decisions being made in college admissions are affecting higher education, they are also remaking and reflecting changing American society. (MSE)

The question of whether or not the increase in law school minority enrollment is satisfactory is addressed. It is suggested that a recommitment to affirmative action is necessary to improve the percentage of minority law students, and that institutions must be willing to take a chance on the generally successful "high risk" applicants. (MSE)

It was learned through a special nontraditional adult student matriculation program in five British cities that only about half of the adult students' inquiries are followed up. Lack of confidence, financial problems, and personal circumstances deterred some, while others chose institutions and courses with simpler entry requirements. (MSE)

Although high school art classes stress creativity, abstracting, analytical and evaluative skills, personal motivation, caring, and commitment to one one's own work, college admissions policies tend to undervalue them. To improve the quality of education, college admissions policies should take art as seriously as other "academic" subjects. (JBM)

This statement presents the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights' position on higher education percentage plans. The One Florida Plan bans the consideration of race and gender in university admissions, guaranteeing state university admissions to high school seniors in the top 20 percent of their class, regardless of test scores. Texas' Ten Percent Plan…

Medical school admissions committees are expected to select physicians with specific attributes such as intelligence, altruism, dutifulness, and compassion. Besides basing these attributes on the best professional judgment of the physicians and medical school faculty, there has been little quantitative research to determine the psychological…

A follow-up study of applicants denied admission for graduate and professional training at the University of South Carolina, College of Social Work, is described including method, findings, interpretation, and recommendation. The rejections/career-counseling interview is seen to be a useful service for both the applicant and program involved. (MLW)

This study of the role of medical school admissions committees as it relates to the mental health of applicants focuses on the composition of the committees and policies for applicants with former mental health problems. The impact of federal legislation regarding the handicapped on admissions procedures is discussed. (Author/JMD)