Regardless of the setting, prospective students should put their best foot forward when they talk with admissions officers. Many college admissions programs refer to the campus encounter as an "information session" and tend to be less formal, but the students are well-advised to be prepared to promote themselves. (MLW)

Discusses issues in counseling college-bound gay and lesbian students in their college-choice process. Reports on surveys showing that college choice is often influenced by gay students' sexual orientation. Suggests that counselors steer such students away from campuses that condone exclusivity in social life and student activities. Identifies…

The only form of marketing important to an admissions department, direct marketing, whose principal vehicle is direct mail, is identified as an organized method for sharing and distributing information to prospective students. Target audiences, marketing administration, and effective mailings are discussed. (MLW)

To determine how to mail information to prospective students identified through the College Board's Student Search Service, Xavier University researched three hypotheses: August and December are good mailing times; the easier it is for students to respond, the higher the response rate; the easier it is to respond, the lower the final enrollment…

Discusses the increasing pressures on educators from parents who are obsessively concerned with their children's high school grades, application to, and acceptance by desired institutions of higher education and the resulting student anxiety and cynicism on school and college campuses. Urges college admissions officers to focus on the "best fit"…

At their best, counselors should show students that to make decisions about college choice is to take charge of their lives. When students have been able to come to grips with their values, strengths, deficiencies and priorities, they are in a position to develop criteria to use in decision making. (MLW)

The importance of the counselor report (also known as the principal or secondary school report) in admissions at a selective college is discussed. Those attributes associated with high counselor ratings, and whether the admissions committee agreed with the counselor's assessment, were examined. Data from Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges were used.…

It is more important than ever that high school counselors and independent education consultants complement one another to meet the needs of the students they serve. While they have the same objectives and professional standards, the independent consultant can offer a more individualized approach and brings more resources to the postsecondary…

Describes the most helpful counselor relationship with the college bound student during the frustrating admissions procedure. (IR)

The director of the College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) Program for 15 years describes what the program looks like today, why its growth has been steady, and how it has changed. Scholastic Aptitude Test score ranges and Achievement Test Score ranges among AP candidates and college-bound seniors are compared. (Author/MLW)

Evidence from a Rochester, New York study of high school and college students suggests that, for major student segments, higher education can be a negative product. Students may attend college to get away from family, procrastinate from job-seeking, locate a spouse, or meet higher job and salary requirements. Marketing implications are discussed.…

Students generally are not able to obtain quantitative information about the colleges to which they hope to apply. (IR)

Ways to overcome the unusual problems facing the students in our overseas dependents schools who seek admission to American collleges. (IR)