Presented at the AP Annual Conference (APAC) in Las Vegas, NV in July 2013. This analysis takes a close look at first-generation Advanced Placement® (AP®) test takers to better understand the needs and challenges they face on their path to college. The analysis focuses on college-bound AP test takers who also took the SAT and examines a variety of…

This guide is intended to aid high school students in their educational planning. Colleges and universities state their policies in granting college credit for successful completion of Advanced Placement (AP) examinations in high school. The guide also represents certification of these policies to the Department of Education and to the Minnesota…

A survey of 235 current and prospective British university students investigated the role of housing options (dormitory type, room type, density, facilities and features, services, costs) in student choice of university. Specific factors were ranked by preference. Results indicate significant differences between perceived ideals and choices made…

What does research tell about how private colleges can thrive in the future? What has changed in recent years to make it easier or more difficult for small colleges to attract students? What trends or insights can aid private colleges? This article provides a snapshot of the needs and desires of the college-bound student, as well as a longitudinal…

This study analyzed the admissions materials sent by four major Midwestern research universities to each of four hypothetical prospective students (first- through fourth-year high school students). The material was analyzed on the basis of timeliness, personalization, pricing, image, and segmentation. (MDM)

A reanalysis of American College Testing Program data found systematic relationships between student ability, family income, and college choice set characteristics for a general college-bound sample (n=6930) but not for students (n=254) who had applied for financial aid. Implications are drawn for using financial aid to increase student choice of…

A study of 740 first-year university students found a strong positive correlation between students' college choice, subsequent expectations of the institution, and intent to stay at or leave the university. It is suggested that processes occurring before matriculation are as significant as the college social and academic environment or external…

Examines two studies (n=18, n=103) of high school students' approaches to college choice, using a "brand elimination" approach to consumer decision making and analyzing each stage of the student decision process. A salient finding was that different sources of information are important to the student at different stages of college selection. (MSE)

A study investigated the variables associated with high school students' sensitivity to tuition in the college-choice process, interaction of tuition and student aid, relationship of family and student characteristics to this sensitivity, and the roles of student perceptions and student institutional connections in price sensitivity. Subjects were…

Higher education administrators often wonder if the information they receive from the low response rates to surveys of non-matriculating applicants accurately reflects the entire population of these non-matriculants. These questions are exacerbated by evidence that response bias does exist. This paper describes how St. Mary's College in Notre…

A survey investigated the importance of 22 institutional attributes to 1,574 potential students of a university business school. Effects of student variables (public vs. private high schools, class rank, suburban vs. rural high schools, gender) were also considered. Factor analysis is found useful for research on college choice. (MSE)

The effect that winning a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 national championship in football or men's basketball may have upon the quantity and quality of undergraduate admissions applications received by institutions was examined. Between 1979 and 1992, 11 institutions won the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament with two…

This report examines how students, especially those with high abilities, choose a college based on information from four areas: (1) published research comparing various schools' subjects as well as some unpublished comparative data from various sources; (2) young adult fiction that deals with issues related to college choice; (3) media accounts of…

During the 1982-83 academic year, Brookdale Community College (BCC) conducted a survey of high school students in Monmouth County to gather information concerning students' educational goals, degree plans, college choice, knowledge about BCC, and personal characteristics. Of the 24 high schools receiving questionnaires, 19 distributed and…

For many individuals, opportunities for higher education in America are unknown. To meet the long-existing demand for guidance in this area, this volume instructs professionals in all facets of college advising. It shows advisers (school-based counselors, teachers, administrators, and independent counselors) how to motivate and prepare students to…