The first of two articles on the psychological dimensions of the school-to-college transition looks at the rising anxiety of high school seniors applying to and selecting colleges, at the importance of rituals in the transition process, the stress of decision-making about the future, and the changes occurring during the senior year in high school.…

Analyzes interstate migration patterns of New England's college students, including patterns unique to each state and movement to states outside the region. Discusses factors affecting migration. Includes data on migration of freshmen to and from New England, net student migration to other states, and New England institutions and other…

Commonly held misconceptions about what a college must do or provide to recruit and retain minority groups students are discussed, including ideas about program design, course offerings, student aid, minority faculty members, and support services. (MSE)

Data from an annual national survey of first-year college students are summarized and tabulated. Data include probable majors, demographic characteristics, extracurricular activities, reasons for their college choice, means of financing college, and political, social, racial, and educational attitudes. (MSE)

Saskatchewan French immersion high school graduates were asked what influence that experience had on career/college choice, maintenance and/or improvement of French skills, self-assessment of French capabilities, assessment of and suggestions for the program, leisure time use of French, and placement of their own children in the program. Results…

This study found that the postsecondary education experience (junior college, community college, 4-year college/university, military, or private training) chosen by 225 young adults with learning disabilities was related to use of community resources; community mobility; participation in vocational education while in high school; autonomy; peer…

Examined the perceptions of 70 urban and suburban African-American students regarding the influences on their decision making to participate or not participate in higher education. Findings show the importance of racial and cultural considerations and highlight the need for studying students' perceptions. (SLD)

The limited research available and the observations and experiences of college admissions officers suggest that college guidebooks and ratings have a small to negligible impact on the college choices of most students. However, many families buy the guides, and their publication is likely to continue. It is important that institutions provide…

This study applied probability models in a four-year case study at a selective liberal arts college. The study found that, while admissions decisions matched institutional goals for student characteristics, discrepancies between acceptance and enrollment decisions frustrated the institution's efforts to achieve diversity and highlighted the…

The college selection process is a learning experience and a stressful time. One high achieving student describes being recruited by colleges with the promise of scholarships. She recounts the process of choosing the right school, realizing along the way that her college years could not only determine her occupation, but where she might live, and…

The English educational system is still being organized along social-class lines. Working classes have historically been "found out" in education--discovered to be inferior and less cultured and clever than middle classes. Findings from studies on higher education choice, secondary school transitions, and primary assessments underline…

Among the principal assumptions that have governed enrollment management in community colleges for the past two decades is that the community college sector serves a distinctly older population than do other sectors of the post-secondary system. When the noted community college researcher, Arthur Cohen of the University of California-Los Angeles,…

This paper was developed to help counselors of students with learning disabilities plan for college, by answering common student questions and providing sources of additional information. Sections of the paper discuss: (1) developing self knowledge (using compensatory learning strategies, knowing one's own strengths and weaknesses, and practicing…

The DATAWave is a weekly publication of the Assessment Resource Office of Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU). Its purpose is to inform the campus community and broader constituencies about assessment issues and practice at ENMU. The issues of this first volume cover the following assessment topics: (1) introduction to the newsletter and report…

This paper offers advice to high school students with learning disabilities and their parents regarding choice of a college and personal preparation for college. Three levels of college support programs are described: minimal (in which general academic support services and developmental classes are available); moderate (in which the program for…