The American Council on Education, in cooperation with University Research Corporation, has undertaken a major research program involving the City University of New York's (CUNY) open admissions experience. The information presented in this paper is based on: (1) intensive interviews with Open Admissions freshmen; (2) data obtained from Student Information Forms completed by all CUNY freshmen; and (3) national figures abstracted from the ACE publication "National Norms for Entering College Freshmen-Fall 1970." The discussion focuses on the key characteristics in terms of type of high school diploma obtained, political preferences, residency, parental income, highest degree planned, and highest parental education, of (1) white, black, and Puerto Rican Open Admissions freshmen; (2) white, black, and Puerto Rican CUNY freshmen; and (3) students nationally. In addition, the different opinions of white, black, and Puerto Rican CUNY freshmen are discussed on: (1) the desirability of the Open Admissions (OA) policy; (2) OA's effect on CUNY's reputation; (3) using the same standards in awarding degrees; (4) employment of minority teachers; (5) the lowering of academic standards; (6) the need for separate colleges for educationally disadvantaged youth; (7) the effect of OA on encouraging or discouraging students to attend CUNY; and (8) the effect of OA on the students' own plans to attend CUNY. (AF)