Talent Search, which began operating in 1967, is one of the oldest of the federal programs designed to complement and encourage participation in the federal aid program for postsecondary education. At the time this report was prepared, 360 Talent Search projects throughout the country served about 320,000 participants. This report presents descriptive information on program implementation from Phase I of the ongoing National Evaluation of Talent Search. It is the first national study of the program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) since the early 1970s and the first to include the possibility of a rigorous study of the program?s effects on participants. Phase II, currently underway, will use project, state, and federal administrative records to compare outcomes for recent participants and a similar group of nonparticipants in up to five states. The National Evaluation is a response to congressional direction to evaluate the federal TRIO programs. After a detailed introduction, this report provides a historical review of Talent Search, including program growth and legislative and regulatory changes, to put the current program in the context of its initiation and development over time. The remainder of the report presents a profile of Talent Search at the end of the 1990s. Appended are: (1) A Focused Look at Three Types of Services--Providing Academic Assistance, Using Technology, and Serving Middle School Students; (2) What Happens When Talent Search Projects Shut Down?; (3) Additional Information on Talent Search Services and Activities; and (4) National Information on the Educational Opportunity Centers Program. (Contains 49 tables and 24 figures.)