Twenty-five graduates of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf were interviewed concerning their mainstream and residential school experiences. Respondents had an average age of 27 at the time of the interviews. Topics of discussion included classroom experiences, social interactions with other students, and participation in extracurricular activities. The 12 mainstreamed students described obstacles to their academic success, strategies used to overcome those obstacles, and the impact of their efforts in terms of extensive time devoted to school work and feelings of social isolation. The 13 residential program students indicated that they were not entirely satisfied with the quality of the education they received, but seemed to enjoy a greater sense of participation, camaraderie, and interaction with peers than did respondents from the mainstream. In general, the selection of one program over another involved "trading" academic opportunity for social growth. In addition, both mainstream and residential schools played a critical role in implementing a "hidden curriculum" in which students learn about what it means to be deaf in a hearing world. (JDD)