College student population trends are analyzed and charted, including first-time freshmen as a percentage of all undergraduates, total student applications, mean total applicants by institution type, percentage of applicants accepted by institution type, percentage of accepted student enrolling by institution type, high school grades, and faculty…

Describes a study to identify sociodemographic, academic, and attitudinal variables that differentiate between male and female and White and Hispanic community college students with different levels of academic preparation enrolled in mathematics and science courses. (DMM)

Examined perceptions of high school seniors, parents, and high school counselors concerning factors influencing college choice. Although students' and parents' expectations were highly correlated, counselors' opinions varied significantly. Implications for college marketing are discussed. (TE)

Assesses differences in academic and athletic motivation levels among white and black student-athletes, and probes two possible causal variables for graduation rates by examining postgraduate expectations of student-athletes and aspects of their social, cultural, and personal orientations. Survey responses from 327 college athletes reveal…

The relative participation of high ability male and female college students as natural science majors and attrition of these students from the sciences to other majors were studied at a highly selective, comprehensive research university. Of concern were the following major fields: biology, microbiology, biophysics, premedicine, astronomy,…

Describes a study that compares successful and unsuccessful underprepared students using selected input, environmental, and output variables. Indicates that successful underprepared students completed developmental coursework in English and reading early in their college careers. Contains 17 references. (JDI)

A NEW YORK CITY PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY DISADVANTAGED YOUTH WITH UNDISCOVERED COLLEGE POTENTIAL AT THE END OF NINTH GRADE, TO IMPROVE THEIR MOTIVATION AND ACHIEVEMENT IN SCHOOL WORK, TO DEVELOP THEIR EXPECTATIONS FOR COLLEGE ENTRANCE, AND TO IMPROVE THEIR CHANCES FOR SUCCESS IN COLLEGE, IS DESCRIBED. DURING THE SPRING OF 1965, 579 DISADVANTAGED BOYS…

A study of 543 South African university freshmen examined testing issues in relation to use of English as a first or second language. Results suggest multiple-choice tests yield higher grades than essay tests for both native and nonnative speakers, performance on essay questions varies depending on type of question, and open-ended tutorial…

A study was undertaken at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) to examine 4- and 5-year success rates for students who needed and completed college preparatory instruction (CPI) and compare them to rates for students not requiring such instruction. Students were deemed successful if they graduated or achieved a grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 or…

This paper briefly reviews the literature on the common factors in effective college student retention programs, then presents a study assessing the impact of the institution's mission effectiveness as distinct from other determinants of student retention. The assessment of retention predictors and the effects of the school's mission were…

In recent years the American College Test (ACT) score decline has been largely due to the changed pool of test-takers if the limited data studied here have applicability to the national scene. Data from state testing programs and the National Assessment of Educational Progress were used to determine who takes the test and how well prepared they…

National survey file data on college freshmen aspiring to be lawyers were compared to all others in the classes entering college in 1969 and 1981. Students aspiring to be lawyers differed substantially from others in family background, academic preparation, college selectivity, college major, political orientation and interest, and goal…

In this paper, a companion piece to "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools" (ED544382), the authors analyze small high school spending in three urban districts--Baltimore City, Boston, and Chicago--to understand whether it is higher than in larger schools; if it is, why it is different; and the policy…

This paper reports the results of an empirical study on the role of finances on college persistence. A quantitative causal model, that relied on several theoretical frameworks, was tested via structural equation modelling for categorical data that incorporated constructs from the financial aid literature as well as the persistence literature. The…

The study compared perceptions of high school and college faculty regarding the characteristics and preparatory needs of secondary learning disabled (LD) students. The analysis was based on a survey of 288 high school teachers (246 regular and 42 special education) and 82 college teachers. Separate factor analyses identified three academic factors…