EMPHASIS IN THIS CONFERENCE WAS ON THE MARGINAL OR LOW-ACHIEVING STUDENTS ADMITTED TO OPEN-DOOR COLLEGES. THE FIRST SPEAKER DISCUSSED THE ACHIEVEMENT POTENTIAL OF THE MARGINALLY PREPARED, SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS, WITH STRESS ON THE EFFECTS OF SOCIOECONOMIC AND FAMILY FACTORS ON THE MOTIVATION OF SUCH STUDENTS. PROBLEMS OF REMEDIAL AND…

The purpose of this study was to answer the basic question: What is the gap between published articles on black admissions and actual practices in the schools? Eighty-seven (90 percent sample) large, primarily white institutions returned questionnaires concerning their admissions policies for black students. Results indicated that very few blacks…

This document is an English-language abstract (approximately 1,500 words) of a series of research papers on the selection of college and university students. One paper compared the scores gained by three different types of entrants to six universities attracting applicants of high quality. It was found that a candidate has almost no chance of…

A retrospective study of the quantitative and qualitative variables that were the best predictors of successful completion of a bachelor's degree in physical therapy supports continued use of qualitative measures such as interviews and does not support certain traditional quantitative variables. (MSE)

A study of applicants, matriculating students, and transfer students of the University of Adelaide (Australia) Faculty of Law examines applicant and student characteristics and performance in specific law school courses. Other factors such as performance in elective subjects, sex differences, withdrawal from school, and socioeducational background…

Twenty highly selective colleges were surveyed to discover the effect on admissibility of a hypothetical high school senior taking a vocational course during the senior year instead of a second advanced placement course. While none would admit the vocational course participant, most would admit his dual-AP-course counterpart. (MSE)

The Irish and Dutch practices concerning advanced standing are described from the viewpoints of institutions, accreditation agencies, equivalence systems, and government bodies. They are discussed in the context of the United Kingdom's current practices and of the future of European higher education in general. (MSE)

Implementation of an institutionally based student testing program offers the college an excellent opportunity to better understand its diverse student population providing valuable information for curriculum management and policy formation and enhancing the students' chances for success. (MSE)

A study of the reliability of Australia's standardized Higher School Certificate as a predictor of freshman performance found it to be biased with respect to the type of secondary school attended, but not the father's occupational status or the student's country of birth. (MSE)

Concerns of a researcher in a Belgian university regarding the trend toward policy implementation dominated by short- and medium-term budgetary considerations are outlined. The university system's heterogeneous, compartmentalized nature and potential are noted, along with the relationship to the government and the real danger of break-up of the…

This legal document presents the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in the case brought against the University of Michigan's use of racial preferences in undergraduate admissions. In Gratz et al. v. Bollinger et al., the Court held that while race is one of a number of factors that can be considered in undergraduate admissions, the automatic…

Large socioeconomic and ethnic disparities exist in college admissions. This paper demonstrates that by systematically accounting for the effect of socioeconomic circumstance on pre-college achievement, colleges can substantially reduce these disparities. A conceptual model distinguishes students' realized achievement from their underlying ability…

This study examined the extent to which racial and ethnic preferences were used in the admissions policies of Maryland's four-year public colleges and universities. Ten institutions provided data on in-state enrollees (race, sex, and SAT scores). Data analysis indicated that white in-state enrollees on average had substantially higher SAT scores…

This study reviews admissions policies at Oklahoma state colleges and universities to ensure that implementation of admission standards is consistent with the policy's intent and to document the impact of policy on student success. The report covers the period fall 1989 (the year prior to the phase-in of higher admission standards) to fall 1998.…

In more than 90 percent of the American colleges the prevailing method of transfer from secondary school is by certification, based on the pupil's record in secondary school. In the large majority of cases a record of graduation from an accredited secondary school is required of every student admitted to college. When it is considered that in…