The value of a college degree continues to rise. A bachelor's degree in particular provides unrivaled economic and health benefits not just for the individual earning the degree, but for the entire state. Therefore, it is not surprising to see growing demand for a college education coupled with growing eligibility for California's public…

Do "no excuses" charter high schools merely help students succeed on standardized tests? Are their students more likely to succeed after they leave school behind? Is it test prep, or true learning? Little prior research is available on this question. Although there is a robust positive correlation between test performance and college…

This paper explores the process of transnational institutional matching between elite institutions in Singapore and Great Britain, and the role of state-sponsored scholarships in enabling this process as political and administrative elites are selected and groomed. Using data gathered from in-depth interviews conducted with Singaporean…

The prospect of a well-paying job for a worker without a college education has significantly dimmed in the past three decades, in the wake of sweeping changes in the U.S. economy and labor market. The effects of these changes are particularly devastating for young people from disadvantaged urban communities. In response to this issue, the SEED…

This paper quantifies the extent of student-college "academic undermatch," which occurs when a student's academic credentials permit them access to a college or university that is more selective than the postsecondary alternative they actually choose. Using a nationally representative dataset, we find that 41 percent of students…

Admissions selectivity, far from being restricted by open-door policies, is actually spiraling with everything else-both in terms of high academic scores and finances but, unlike other forms of inflation, it leads through shrinking candidate pools to nowhere. (Author)

Describes how the Gates Millennium Scholars program uses nontraditional criteria to award grants to low-income minority students. Profiles the first three recipients. (EV)

Addresses pressure placed upon college admission offices, arguing that admissions staff are evaluated, not by what they do or how well they do it, but by numbers: how many first-year students, transfer students, and minority students have enrolled; and how one year's enrollment compares to previous year's enrollment. Urges working toward practice…

The author contends that a system which provides the individual with multiple methods of financing his education to increase his educational options will find the system open, diversified and responsive. (Author)

The establishment of the Bard College Immediate Decision Plan (IDP) two years ago was a significant departure from the conventional admissions procedure. The IDP seeks to eliminate the artificial delay between application and acceptance to or rejection from college, and to make either decision a more meaningful event. (Author)

This report, the fourth in a series of ten, was prepared by the Steering Committee, the Study of Education at Stanford. The series, based on the concept that education should be a continuous process of discovery throughout life, sets forth recommendations for strengthening the academic enterprise at Stanford University. This booklet presents 5…

To improve and strengthen the process of interviewing at the School of Medical Sciences, University of Nevada, a project was initiated to summarize each interviewer's quantitative descriptions of applicants. The summarization focused on giving feedback regarding acceptance decisions to the interviewers, comparing interviewer ratings, and…

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

This book provides scholarship information for college bound students on how they can turn their talents and accomplishments into money for college via contests and competition. It notes that these scholarships, usually sponsored by associations and corporations, recognize student excellence in leadership, citizenship, science and engineering,…

Perspectives on secondary school preparation and college admissions, and specifically admissions to selective colleges, are provided. According to a 1977 Stanford University document (which is briefly summarized but not appended), there is considerable variation in the number of solid academic courses taken by high school students, and capable…