Do students respond to sticker prices or actual prices when applying to college? These costs differ for students eligible for financial aid. Students who do not understand this may not apply to some colleges because of the perceived high cost. We test for this form of "sticker shock" using College Board data on SAT scores sent, as a…

This paper quantifies the extent of student-college "academic undermatch," which occurs when a student's academic credentials permit them access to a college or university that is more selective than the postsecondary alternative they actually choose. Using a nationally representative dataset, we find that 41 percent of students…

Advocates uniformity in college applications--a centralized application system in which candidates would supply the required academic, personal, and financial information and a rank-ordered listing of their target universities or colleges. Target colleges would segmentially evaluate the applicant as a first-choice candidate until the applicant was…

Describes a procedure to empower college applicants to choose colleges realistically and avoid rejection. Suggests use of a scattergram model of admissions reality, relating Scholastic Aptitude Test Scores and Grade Point Averages to courses taken or omitted, extracurricular achievements, and other factors. (KS)

A survey was conducted of a sample of 716 well-qualified students who sent their American College Testing Program (ACT) scores to the University of Michigan but subsequently did not apply for admission. Telephone interviews resulted in 574 completed interviews, for an 80% response rate. The interview instrument elicited information regarding the…

Project 1000 is a program to help United States citizens or permanent residents of the United States of Hispanic ethnic origin to make application for graduate study in those fields and disciplines where the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) normally is used to help assess an applicant's admission potential (i.e., the arts and sciences generally…

File and survey data are used to determine the characteristics of students receiving college acceptances who decide to enroll full- or parttime rather than decline the admission offer. The objective was to distinguish between factors of eligibility for college and the personal and social factors affecting student self-selection for attendance.…

File and survey data are used to determine the characteristics of students receiving college acceptances who decide to enroll full- or part-time rather than decline the admission offer. The objective was to distinguish between factors of eligibility for college and the personal and social factors affecting student self-selection for attendance.…

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)

This paper asserts that for gifted students, college planning should be one step in a life development process that takes place between 7th and 12th grades. Characteristics of gifted students that affect their college planning include multipotentiality, sensitivity to competing expectations, uneven development, ownership of their abilities,…

This guide to college selection for learning disabled (LD) students was based on questionnaire responses received from 255 colleges, junior colleges, and universities in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. An initial chapter discusses decision making…

The inquiry pool represented by prospective college applicants who seek information from the institution and a marketing response that has been implemented at Boston College are considered. It is suggested that researchers may trace specific individuals from the inquiry stage through application to the final college choice. To benefit from an…

A guide to help families estimate college costs and their eligibility for financial aid is presented. Expenses for the 1980-81 academic year are listed for more than 3,200 two-year and four-year, public, private, and proprietary institutions. The guide also outlines the types of aid available and how to apply to federal, state, local, and private…

Guidelines for students from foreign countries who are considering entering a college or university in the United States and which will be useful to colleges and universities that have foreign applicants are presented. General information about postsecondary education in the United States and steps in the application process are addressed along…