The dreaded personal essay used to be the toughest part of the college-admissions process for the applicant. These days it's admissions officers who fret about student writing--and not just because they fall asleep reading endless takes on "overcoming adversity." They've got weightier concerns--plagiarized essays, students who receive…

A former Dartmouth College (New Hampshire) admissions officer has written a book about the college admissions process at Ivy League and other selective colleges. She details factors in admissions decision making that contradict stated policies and admissions principles. Admissions professionals at Dartmouth and other colleges criticize the book as…

The proportion of Princeton University (New Jersey) freshmen who identify themselves as Jewish is half what it was in 1973, and the proportion of Jewish Princeton students overall is less than half that of Harvard University (Massachusetts) or Yale University (Connecticut). Some fault recruitment strategy changes; others believe fewer Jewish…

Reports that current trends, including development of World Wide Web sites for college-bound students and decreased emphasis on Scholastic Assessment Tests by state universities, threaten the College Board's predominant position. Notes priorities of the Board's new president includes development of its own web site. Questions are raised about the…

Companies specializing in college recruitment are building databases to predict the persistence and success rates of college applicants and to help design recruiting and admission strategies. The field began two decades ago, when admissions deans with good reputations began consulting. Many of these companies provide other services, such as…

Carleton College (Minnesota) no longer ignores a family's ability to pay in making admissions decisions, because in recent years, financial aid was consuming one-fifth of the college budget. The policy angers many parents and counselors. The policy has worked well for Carleton, allowing construction of new facilities. In general, faculty and…

Women are enrolling in college in greater numbers than men, but the imbalance is particularly acute at private liberal arts colleges. Administrators are concerned about implications for campus social life, athletic opportunities, and academic programs. Some colleges are trying new strategies to attract men. Critics are concerned about lowered…

Temple University (Pennsylvania), an urban institution, is seeking to raise academic standards and is aggressively recruiting suburban students, finding that local high schools are not of high quality. Some critics feel the institution is abandoning the black population and is recruiting white students who are more likely to be better prepared…