In the minds of most people, the best colleges are those that are the most selective. The purpose of this document is to discover if students at more selective institutions have or take greater advantage of learning opportunities. Two independent datasets were used to research this idea. The first is the National Study of Student Learning (NSSL),…

Students from low-income families are greatly underrepresented at selective colleges and universities in the United States. In an attempt to increase applications from low-income students, some institutions have developed programs involving increased recruitment of and more attractive financial aid packages for students from low-income families.…

A recent lawsuit claims that Georgia's three historically black public colleges (Albany State, Fort Valley State, Savannah State) remain in second-class status and calls on the institutions to admit more whites and offer preferential admissions to students based on socioeconomics, not race. The lawyer also requests that black enrollment at…

The Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) documents dimensions of quality in legal education and provides information about law student participation in effective educational activities that law schools and other organizations can use to improve student learning. This paper presents select findings from the 2007 survey administration,…

This exploratory study investigated claims regarding the impact of more selective admission standards on the characteristics of students entering teacher education at Michigan State University (MSU). The quota system at MSU, set in 1986, restricts the number of candidates admitted to the program in a given academic term. Comparisons were made…

Results showed the Scholastic Aptitude Test-verbal section, the Scholastic Aptitude Test-mathematics section, the rank in class, and annual income were not effective predictors of college graduation, withdrawal or academic dismissal status. Future research should investigate the interaction of both antecedent and intervening variables. (Author)

A major new project, sponsored jointly by the College Board and ETS, which aims to clarify which personal qualities can best supplement academic measures to predict a student's success in college, is reported. Three types of studies that will be undertaken are admissions studies, validity/retention studies and assessment studies. (Author/MLW)

We reviewed the literature on "noncognitive" predictors-specifically, personality as it pertains to graduate education. The review is divided into 3 sections. In the first section, we reviewed measures typically used in studies of graduate school outcomes, such as attrition and time to degree. We also reviewed which student qualities faculty and…

Outlook is the monthly newsletter for the Council for American Private Education (CAPE). Each issue contains information relating to private education such as: new legislation and regulations, the most recent research, court rulings, national trends, federal initiatives, private school news briefs, and more. This issue contains the following…

Entry level characteristics of teacher candidates who satisfied higher program admission standards at Michigan State University were compared with those of candidates who did not. The central question of the study was, "Has the introduction of the quota system altered the profile of entering teacher candidates in three general areas: (1)…

Coleman, Hoffer and Kilgore's claims regarding the effects of Catholic schools on cognitive achievement have evoked much controversy. Critics have argued that the cross-sectional testing data Coleman et al. used could not distinguish differential sector effectiveness from selection effects, i.e., that Catholic schools enroll students of superior…

Analyzes multiple selection criteria for teacher preparation programs in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia and relates them to institutional factors such as student enrollment and funding sources. Suggests that smaller colleges and universities are more concerned with selection criteria, especially the use of…

A South African study explored predictors of success among 18 educationally disadvantaged and 8 advantaged students in a University of Witwatersrand developmental studies program. Results showed academic success was considerably less predictable among disadvantaged students. Universally-used admission criteria were not predictive for either group;…

Objective: To identify those factors that influence freshmen application to Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)-accredited undergraduate ATEPs having a secondary admissions process. (All undergraduate ATEPs are now accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)). Design and…

This paper examines the role played by the adoption of a stringent admissions policy in the rapid transition of a large, open-door, senior college located in a metropolitan area in the South into an institution with elitist aspirations. The discussion focuses on the impact admission policy had on institutional characteristics and its effect on the…