This article examines why numbers have declined in French science universities. It shows that the main causes of this decline are the growth in student numbers between 1985 and 1995 and the changes that this brought about in the educational and social composition of the student population. Since the mid-1990s, increasingly fewer French students…

Race-conscious affirmative action in higher education survived a close challenge in 2003 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that race was a valid academic admission criteria in the "Grutter v. Bollinger" case. Two years later, a number of "pipeline" programs to help under-represented minorities gain admission to and complete graduate school have…

This paper details the impact of New Labour's neo-liberal social and educational policies on disadvantaged groups in the district of Thanet. It notes that the post-welfare policy responses to social and educational problems reinforce both the disadvantages of deprived groups and the gradient of popularity among secondary schools within the…

The study analyzed data on 10,000 students with disabilities who took the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) between 1979 and 1983. It also examined college admissions policies toward such youth in terms of academic performance, minority status, parental income, and other characteristics. Major findings included the following: (1) the SAT performance…

The development and current status of "special-action" admissions at the undergraduate level are considered for the University of California and California State University, and recommendations are offered for strengthening the special-action admissions process. Special-action admissions provides some flexibility in admitting students…

Using recent theory and research on individual differences, learning, and instruction, this paper attempts to answer the following two questions: What criteria should be used to select students to receive services under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (1981) and what kinds of chapter 1 services should be provided to…

Heckman's correction for regression in selected samples for predictive validity studies was applied to a large data file on 7,984 law school applicants. Data included ethnic group, sex, socioeconomic status, undergraduate degree, school, scores on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), writing ability, undergraduate grade point average, and age.…

Information about the mature student in tertiary institutions in Australia was obtained in a 1976 survey. Responses from 98 institutions provided information on whether there were special entry schemes or other methods of entry for mature aged applicants, the selection procedures, the number of mature aged entrants in 1976, and the courses in…

The Regents of the University of California v. Bakke case in the U.S. Supreme Court and background information on the previous cases in California are presented. Allan Bakke is a white male who applied to the Davis medical school in both 1973 and 1974 and was refused admission even though admission slots under the college's special admissions…

The author presents his view that the public has not been well informed about the limitations of college entrance examinations. Several educational trends are discussed: (1) since World War II, college admissions testing has underscored the classic American tension between egalitarianism and meritocracy; (2) more students have aspired to attend…

Using historical data on applications and admissions to medical school between 1929 and 1984, this study tested the hypothesis that medical school admissions committees discriminated against women. The findings suggest that, as far back as 1929, the low representation of women was primarily due to socialization-based occupational choice. (JDH)

Race-conscious affirmative action programs in higher education are subject to strict scrutiny, which is the highest standard of review used by the courts to evaluate a policy's constitutionality. The courts employ a two-part test, examining whether the policy serves a compelling governmental interest (the underlying goal of the policy must be…

In "Reclaiming the Game," William Bowen and Sarah Levin disentangle the admissions and academic experiences of recruited athletes, walk-on athletes, and other students. In a field overwhelmed by reliance on anecdotes, the factual findings are striking--and sobering. Anyone seriously concerned about higher education will find it hard to…

Although a number of large-scale studies have demonstrated an increase in predictive validity when SAT® scores are added to high school grades, this increment is often described in terms of a seemingly very small increase in explained variance. This may have led to the erroneous belief among test critics and others that students with low SAT…

Efforts to improve the reliability or prediction in dental school admissions by combining several preprofessional academic averages and selected nongraded personal attributes into a single admission index score are outlined. Use of the index is also proposed for use in monitoring less-qualified students' progress. (Author/MSE)