This annual reference book presents descriptions of the approximately 350 colleges and universities with the highest proportion of incoming freshmen who come from the high-achieving group. The 1993-1994 edition describes 359 "leading colleges." An opening section discusses the guide's criteria for a competitive college, gives suggestions for…

Surveys of admitted students (N=309) at the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) were conducted in order to obtain admitted applicants' views of the functioning of the Admission Office and to assess differences in responses of certain subgroups of applicants. The four classification variables defining the subgroups were: acceptance status…

The extent to which personal and academic factors are important in college admission decisions was studied in 1978, based on data on 25,000 applicants to 9 colleges (Colgate University, Williams College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Kenyon College, Kalamazoo College, Occidental College, Hartwick College, University of Richmond, and Bucknell…

Selectivity is criticized as an index of college quality. Standardized college entrance examination scores can at best reflect college quality, it is proposed. In addition, using them as a measure of college quality assumes, perhaps erroneously, that the college admits only the highest-scoring applicants. Further reasons are these: (1) SAT scores…

A 12-step plan for investigating colleges and making college choices is presented for college applicants. In addition to information on selective college admissions, the 12 chapters cover the following steps: knowing admission requirements and procedures, determining the student's strengths, following a demanding curriculum, taking advantage of…

The Joint First-Stage Achievement Test (JFAT) is a new unified college entrance examination developed in Japan. This report presents the statistical results of the JFAT and the applicants' behavior change which appeared through the first six years of administration from 1979 to 1984. Three major features of the JFAT are described: (1) jointly made…

Approaches to developing a successful marketing program for universities that is fair to both students and the academic integrity of the institution are considered. A comprehensive marketing plan includes market research, positioning, strategy formulation; recruitment/admission, communications, curriculum evaluation, retention, and evaluation.…

The college selection process used by high school students was studied and a paradigm that describes the process was developed, based on marketing theory concerning consumer behavior. Primarily college freshmen and high school seniors were interviewed, and a few high school juniors and upper-level college students were surveyed to determine…

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…

This national survey of college and university enrollment management practices examines how current technology is being used to make enrollment management more efficient and cost-effective. The report finds that more enrollment managers use advanced tracking, research, and analysis systems to determine the most effective outreach methods; they…

The processes of choosing a college and being accepted by a college are analyzed, based on data on nearly 23,000 seniors from more than 1,300 high schools from the National Longitudinal Study of the Class of 1972. Econometric modeling and descriptive statistics are provided on: student behavior in selecting a college, choosing school/nonschool…

A study of the transition of students to higher education in Victoria, Australia, is reported based on data supplied by the Victorian Universities Admissions Committee (VUAC), a mail survey of 1,300 applicants in 1980, and a series of extended interviews with a small number of applicants. A basic causal model for enrollment decisions (college…

This report is an amalgamation of data from four separate sources. The first source is NACAC's annual Counseling Trends Survey, conducted in May 2004. The purpose of this survey is to poll counselors in high schools to discover trends in their work responsibilities, particularly regarding college counseling, and to assess trends that affect…

Analysis of data from two national longitudinal studies focused on college application behaviors of different racial ethnic groups. Results show significant group differences in preparation behaviors, in number of colleges applied to, and in attendance at first-choice institution. Institutions are urged to evaluate the potential effects of policy…