This paper presents a model of college choice that suggests that students' choice of college can be related to perceived "capital conversion" benefits. The model was tested on an evenly distributed sample (n=22,109) of students; one group attending elite colleges (with average freshman Scholastic Assessment Test scores of 1200 or higher)…

The central purpose of this study was to identify factors that increase the likelihood that high school seniors will plan to attend a four-year college, paying particular attention to variables that are associated with college attendance by low-income students. Logistic regression was applied to data from three sources: telephone interviews with…

This working paper reviews World Bank project experience in gender issues within higher education over the last two decades. The study's objectives were to: (1) assess the attention given by the Bank has given to gender issues in postsecondary education; (2) examine policies to increase women's access to postsecondary education; and (3)…

This report presents a summary of the 1989-90 results of the Survey of Earned Doctorates conducted each year since 1958. Organized into three sections, the report first presents an analysis of trends in the numbers of doctorate recipients including data with regard to fields, gender, citizenship status, time-to-degree, and post-graduation plans…

A survey of Alaska high school seniors was conducted in fall 1982 to determine students' opinions of their overall high school experience, their need for additional assistance in selected academic and career planning areas, general demographic information, their plans after high school graduation, and specific postsecondary plans. A total of 3,505…

A 1980 needs assessment survey of women students at the University of California, Davis, was undertaken. The 327 women respondents (41 percent response rate) were undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students. In addition to collecting information about female respondents, including marital status, number of children, career plans, and…

The effects of school factors on occupational attainment of black students were studied based on data from the 1972 National Longitudinal Study (NLS) and its 1980 followup and the 1980 High School and Beyond (HSB) study and its 1982 followup. The sample sizes were as follows: 319 NLS females, 167 NLS males, 324 HSB females, and 259 HSB males.…

This report discusses the results of a survey of the characteristics and the social and academic experiences of black undergraduates at eight predominantly white and regionally diverse State college campuses. The majority of the students sampled were freshmen. Major findings are that: (1) black undergraduates did not report markedly unpleasant or…

To understand how to best motivate the Mexican American student, one must look not only to the factors considered relevant to achievement in mainstream Anglo American society, but also to specific problems faced by this minority group. Language barriers, cultural differences, economic background, and family attitudes combine to affect the…

Adjustments, achievements, and aspirations of black undergraduates attending the University of Michigan were studied with a focus on characteristics correlating highly with black student continuance and successful matriculation. Questionnaire responses from 229 black undergraduates at the Ann Arbor campus provided information on: family…

A model of student attrition was synthesized from psychological, sociological, and educational sources, and contains six sets of variables: background, organizational, personal, environmental, attitudinal, and intent to leave. The model was tested with 1,909 full-time and unmarried university freshmen at a major midwestern university. The sample…

A survey of high school seniors was conducted in Alaska to provide a profile of Alaskan seniors and their postsecondary plans. A written questionnaire, consisting of 17 questions, was sent to all public secondary schools identified as having a twelfth grade and to all senior correspondence students. Responses represented 47 of the 51 districts,…

A comparative analysis of enrollment influences in four countries is presented. From the enrollment histories of the 1970's in Belgium, France, Japan, and the United States several generalizations are drawn: (1) while demographic growth in young people produced difficult labor market conditions at all levels of educational preparation, college…

Information on 1980 Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores and characteristics of Maryland college-bound seniors, along with trends for 1974-80, are considered. Numbers of Maryland high school graduates taking the test, the race and sex of test-takers, SAT scores for Maryland and the United States for 1972-80, and the Maryland mean score on the SAT…

In an investigation of Australia's declining rate of college bound students, a social psychological model of academic attainment (linking students' social origins to school experiences, perceptions of others' support, self-assessment, and high schools seniors' aspirations and grades) is applied to the processes used by students in adjusting to…