This study examined how tracking, among a number of other background and school experience variables, affects students' predisposition to pursue a college education. It hypothesized that background characteristics and experiences affect secondary school track placement, that tracking significantly impacts students' postsecondary plans, and that…

This guide for college-bound black students begins with essays written by black professional educators on themes identified by black college students. The essays describe students' experiences from the junior or senior year in high school through the first year in college, and include: "Making Sure You Have the 'Right Stuff'" (Kermit R.…

This paper discusses the key role of information in helping minority group parents and students gain access to postsecondary education and offers a descriptive framework for understanding information needs and availability. The framework is a taxonomy of the kinds and types of information needed by students and parents in order for the student to…

This paper explains the process used to validate the construct validity of the Factors Influencing Pursuit of Higher Education Questionnaire. This questionnaire is a literature-based, researcher-developed instrument which gathers information on the factors thought to affect a person's decision to pursue higher education. The questionnaire includes…

The study examined the ways in which status cultures and organizational environments influence high school students' college decision-making. Interviews were conducted with 12 white female high school seniors from four northern California high schools (a low socio-economic status(SES)/low organization public school, a low-SES/high organization…

In 1991, a survey was sent to a random sample of University of Oregon (UO) students who had attended Lane Community College (LCC) between winter 1988 and spring 1990. The purpose of the survey was to investigate the perceptions and opinions of former LCC students concerning their community college and transfer experiences. Major findings, based on…

Eleven papers on theory and research in higher education have the following titles and authors: "Strategy and Effectiveness in Systems of Higher Education" (Ellen Earle Chaffee); "Responsibilty Without Authority: The Impossible Job of the College President" (Robert Birnbaum); "Trouble in the Land: The Paradigm Revolution in the Academic…

An academic characteristics profile database for freshmen at the Pennsylvania State University is briefly described. The database was constructed through the Freshman Testing, Counseling, and Advising Program (FTCAP), which is designed to assist new freshmen in evaluating their educational plans by providing them, prior to initial registration, a…

A directory of 87 scholarships and financial assistance programs available to migrant high school students provides general information about the programs and gives contacts for applications. An introduction discusses types of financial assistance, how to apply for financial aid, college costs, and examples of scholarships awarded to migrant…

Detailed information and recommendations are offered for helping students through each step of the admissions process, from planning for college to enrolling and selecting courses. The handbook is designed for college admissions officers, student services professionals, registrars, and secondary school counselors and administrators. The 32…

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…

Forecasting models for maximizing postsecondary futures and applications of the model are considered. The forecasting of broad human futures has many parallels to human futures in the field of medical prognosis. The concept of "exasperated negative" is used to refer to the suppression of critical information about a negative future with…

Factors that affect college students' choice of studies and implications for colleges and universities that are competing for the declining numbers of students were assessed. A student-selection process model, derived from the innovation-decision model, provides some insights into the choice process and indicates the likely limitations of the…

Data gathered from nearly 95 percent of America's higher education institutions report on unusual characteristics, innovative programs, and other features of the colleges for the year of 1979 unless specified as fall 1980. All information is given in list form. The word "colleges" is used to mean all undergraduate degree-granting institutions.…

The factors influencing attendance at Brandon University, Manitoba, Canada, by 1978 high school graduates were studied. Students who had participated in the Post-Secondary Demand and Enrollment Survey of November 1977 and had selected Brandon University as their first choice institution, and randomly selected students who had applied and been…