Surveyed 77 high school counselors and 61 college admissions officers to examine the use of wait lists. Discusses the counselor's role and provides recommendations for counselors and admissions officers to reduce student frustration and improve communication. Stresses the need for a national deadline for wait lists. (JAC)

In order for individualized review in college admissions to be fair, issues of consistency and reliability must be considered. There are a number of ways to assess interrater reliability, including calculating the composite reliability of readers, computing the proportion of times that readers make consistent ratings, and evaluating reader…

Examples of deceptive recruitment are highlighted in a review of questionable practices used to attract students both from within the United States and abroad. Major issues for action are identified as sacrificing quality for numbers, the hiring of marketing consultants, professional training of admissions directors, and federal regulation.…

University associate director of admission shares his theory on a better way to visualize an applicant's qualifications while quickly determining the applicants the university in particular should accept by individualizing the admission rating system. Discusses how to define the ideal applicant, establish an admission philosophy, prioritize rating…

Advice to college admissions officers is provided including recognition of individuals and responding to names, faces, interests, and personalities. Alert, personalized care and feeding will encourage the student's interest and can lead to an application and perhaps enrollment. (MLW)

The 19 chapters of this book on college admissions are divided into six sections on: (1) perspectives and history, (2) the admissions officer, (3) understanding enrollment management, (4) admissions tools, (5) admissions programs, and (6) perspectives on the twenty-first century. The papers are: "Perspectives on Educational Reform" (Donald…

Admissions officers devote substantial resources to high school visits and other recruiting events. Economic theory indicates that the best measure of effectiveness is marginal productivity. Subjects in this study were applicants to a large, Catholic, urban university and all students who participated in recruiting programs in fall 2002.…

Surveyed college admissions offices (N=236) to determine the current status and perceived usefulness of letters of recommendation. Results show 87% of respondents required or considered letters of recommendation. They were considered useful in revealing personal qualities, particularly of handicapped and minority applicants, which could offset…

There is a growing demand for admissions tutors in UK universities to use more rigorous and systematic decision-making methods in recruitment processes. A key barrier to achieving this goal is the lack of a coherent and definitive body of knowledge upon which such methods can be built. The yardstick used for the majority of applicants is A2-level…

A growing worry for college admissions officers: Will enough students show up to fill the dorms and pay the profs? (Editor)

Attempts to measure personal qualities in admissions are often inadequate because of poor understanding of the admissions process. Results of a major study illustrate the different objectives in admissions and how use of personal qualities might be improved. (Author)

While the recent growth of homeschooling in America may not be an overall threat to public education in America today, some school districts are reporting that they are experiencing declines in their enrollments, which ultimately means a revenue loss in their school districts (Hetzner, 2000; Vater, 2001). The U.S. homeschool population (K-12) is…

Advice about planning and preparing for campus visits and interviews is provided to college-bound students. The decision of whether or not to go for a campus visit and when to go is covered, along with planning and specific arrangements, such as contacting the admissions office. Also considered are what to look for on campus, how to read a college…

An informal study explored the dynamics of the task of writing college application essays, which urge self-revelation but are judged by omnipotent admissions committees. Four students in the top 17% of their class of 194 in a predominantly white suburban school completed think-aloud protocols as they drafted a response to an application question…

The differences between superficial promotional activities and effective marketing programs for law school admissions are examined, and the role of the admissions officer is discussed. (MSE)