In the 18 years since the founding of the University of California, Santa Cruz, America's youth have turned from long hair to pin-striped careerism. UCSC made the transition with the help of an image overhaul emphasizing its mix of idealistic educational philosophy and rigorous undergraduate courses. (MLW)

College tuition is frequently compared, in press and politics, to the US median family income. That is, however, a highly misleading benchmark since schools with need-based financial aid rarely charge students from median income families the reported sticker price. Working from the financial aid records of individual students at twenty-eight…

Medical schools must use selection methods that validly measure applicants' noncognitive qualities, but primary-care (PC) schools have a particular need. This study correlated entering students' personality and values scores with their professed interest in PC. 93 medical students completed instruments assessing personality (16PF & PSP), values,…

With only a small number of their students coming from families with the lowest incomes (10% from the bottom two family income quintiles), the nation's most selective private colleges and universities need to know why. Two ready ideological answers are (1) that low-income high-ability students are being excluded in order to favor the children of…

The undergraduate liberal arts program is assumed to promote sophistication in thinking. At the same time, certain levels of cognitive ability are assumed to be present in students accepted into selective undergraduate colleges. Beginning in the fall of 1991, a long-term research study was undertaken at a small residential liberal arts college…

Within comparatively recent years, the trained nurse has become an important and constant helper of the physician, not only in public and private hospitals, but also in the home, taking the place of untrained watchers who, however willing, can render only an ineffective service. This work of nursing has rapidly advanced to the position of a…

Based on the assumption that dental schools need to consider applicants with diverse backgrounds, a study was undertaken of the relationship between undergraduate majors and performance in dental school. Liberal arts majors performed as well in dental school and as well or better on licensing examinations as science majors. (Author/MSE)

A discussion on the tension between university organizational interests and individual student interests with respect to the use of admissions tests is presented. Responsibilities of colleges and professional schools toward an increasingly pluralistic society are examined, and the need for more research on evaluating human competencies is urged.…

The increasingly heavy load of detailed extraneous National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education Standards has had little effect on improving the quality of teacher preparation programs. In place of the present mass of standards, four standards are proposed. These alternative standards focus on adequate financial support, selective…

Rather than seeing the "self-selection" factor in private school enrollment as a flaw in Coleman's study, the author views this element of private choice and commitment to learning as the key to effective education and discipline. One of three theme articles: "Reflections on the 1981 Coleman study."(SJL)

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…

In a review of the court decision and opinions in the Allan Bakke medical school admissions case, reasons are found for further proceedings on the issue and to dispute counsel's claim of having produced all available information. Available from Southern University School of Law, Southern Branch Post Office, Baton Rouge, LA 70813. (MSE)

A Johns Hopkins School of Medicine symposium on Women Physicians in Contemporary Society is summarized. Although a growing number of women are entering the profession, they are particularly vulnerable to the competing pressures of career, marriage, and child care. (JMF)

Analyzed national data (the Schools and Staffing Survey of the National Center for Education Statistics) on teachers' entrance examination scores and college selectivity. Findings show substantial disparities by school poverty level and draw attention to the gap in academic skills among teachers in different settings. (SLD)

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;…