Graduating seniors (N=667) in a large high school were surveyed concerning their college plans and understandings of costs. Costs were largely determinant of college plans for children of Spanish-speaking parents, but these students had the most unrealistic estimates of college tuition. Implications for counseling are discussed. (SLD)

A survey of 2,000 Western Australia high school seniors indicates that, although most are unlikely to qualify for university, most would prefer it to vocational training. Institutional preferences are linked to their own perceived level of academic achievement and overall image of the institution. Implications for university marketing are…

Data from the 1993-94 ACT Assessment and a follow-up were examined to see how many black and white students eventually enrolled in what had been their first-choice colleges. Results for 12,448 blacks and 125,298 whites indicate that initial choices by blacks are more liable to change. (SLD)

Many colleges address complex problems with a single "silver bullet" strategy. Because value shifts according to the consumer's situation or goal, private colleges should become more aware of their "situational value" and exploit it. This requires an understanding of how students choose colleges. In contrast, popular silver bullets target…

In the early 1960s, with the exception of students who attended Historically Black Colleges and Universities, relatively few students of color pursued a higher education in the United States. Today, however, about one in five U.S. college students is a minority (ACE and AAUP, 2000). Colleges and universities are grappling with issues related to…

This study examined the attitudes of junior and senior studio art majors toward their education and choice of school through analysis of questionnaires completed by 22 students, fieldnotes, and in-depth interviews with 6 students. Students were also questioned concerning what connection they saw between their matriculation and their expectations…

This study reports the findings of a high school student survey conducted by Spartanburg Technical College (STC) in South Carolina to determine its service area's needs. Respondents to the survey included 1,501 juniors from 14 high schools in Cherokee, Union, and Spartanburg counties. Students were queried as to what type of college they would…

This study examined the process of college choice focusing on the earlier stages of the college choice process among 4,923 high school students (3,110 students participated by returning completed surveys) involving 21 high schools in Indiana. The study attempted to: (1) construct a mid-range model representing the search phase of the college…

This annual reference book presents descriptions of the approximately 350 colleges and universities with the highest proportion of incoming freshmen who come from the high-achieving group. The 1993-1994 edition describes 359 "leading colleges." An opening section discusses the guide's criteria for a competitive college, gives suggestions for…

In response to rapidly escalating survey response requests from publishers of college guides and magazine rating features, institutional researchers at the University of California at Berkeley (UC Berkeley) developed a standard response form. In fact, the extensive research and level of detail that many surveys request require significant effort…

The transition process from high school to college is considered from the perspective of a high school practitioner. Educational, social/personal, and financial factors that influence student planning are discussed. It is suggested that the secondary school must begin as early as the freshman year to help plan the curriculum the student will…

A reliable and valid technique for measuring college participation rates is proposed, based on national data. The objective is to determine if factors other than state demographic factors systematically influence college attendance by state. Multiple regression equations are used to predict enrollments by using demographic variables such as…

In 1981, surveys were conducted of Maryland community college graduates and their employers to assess the effectiveness of the community college programs, the programs' relationship to job demands, and perceptions of the adequacy of community college preparation for employment. Surveys sent to the 7,120 students who graduated from a community…

Surveys of admitted students (N=309) at the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) were conducted in order to obtain admitted applicants' views of the functioning of the Admission Office and to assess differences in responses of certain subgroups of applicants. The four classification variables defining the subgroups were: acceptance status…

The effects of college choice on the educational experiences and attainments of female and male college entrants in 1972 were studied, using institutional data and results of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972. Attention was directed to: college control and level, average Scholastic Aptitude Test scores, percent of…