For-profit college-admissions counseling and college-preparation companies are expanding, and existing test-preparation centers are planning to begin offering admissions-counseling services. One company envisions a national chain. Some educators welcome the trend, while others feel the commercial enterprises may take an inappropriate approach to…

Reports data showing declining male undergraduate enrollment and offers two possible explanations: that women are better prepared, psychologically and academically, for college, and/or that men are more opportunistic and are taking jobs that pay well without a college degree. Suggestions for reversing this trend include countering the…

Colleges and universities face an annual challenge to distribute housing to students. Initial student numbers usually exceed housing potential, but no-shows and early departures often even the numbers in the first few weeks of the year. Complicating factors include families' increasing ability to pay for dormitory housing, better campus housing…

Selective colleges and universities are trying to lure top students by offering more aid to low- and middle-income families. This "need-conscious" policy has been practiced at some institutions for years. The policy is affecting some schools' enrollment patterns. Parents appear to be learning that negotiation is a key factor in obtaining the…

College faculty have been concerned about grade inflation for years, particularly at selective colleges, but the few recent attempts to remedy the problem have met with resistance or proved ineffective. Institutions feel pressure to grade as others do, and have abandoned efforts to develop stricter policy. In addition, teachers who do distribute…

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…

Once regarded as a by-product for colleges and universities, continuing-education programs now provide needed revenues. Adult students now account for half of all college enrollments. Many full-time faculty are dismissive of adult-education classes, often taught by adjunct professors, but the programs are gaining respect among administrations.…

Applicants to highly selective private colleges are down substantially nationwide. Flagship public universities are experiencing a drop in minority applicants, particularly in Texas and California, where use of race as a factor in admissions has been under attack. It is suggested that parents of minority students perceive the institutions are not…

Several elite private colleges have announced additional financial aid sources for middle class students, because enrollment patterns suggested previous policies attracted proportionately more low- and high-income than middle-income students. One college feels the new policy encourages families to save for college. Critics say the institutions are…

In little more than a generation, veterinary medical schools have gone from enrolling a token number of women to having a higher proportion of women than men in some cases. Developments in drugs to control large animals, relatively low pay for veterinarians, and options for part-time employment have served to change the balance of sexes in the…

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…

Increasingly, four-year college students are taking additional courses at nearby two-year colleges, for a variety of reasons: to reduce costs, to sample technical education, for scheduling purposes, for smaller classes, and for less difficult courses. In some cases, the four-year college may contract with the two-year college to provide remedial…

Over 500 of the 60,000 students at Northern Virginia Community College already have doctorates, but are seeking job-specific training. Some are enhancing current skills and some are changing careers for personal or economic reasons. Proliferation of high-technology companies in the area has influenced this trend. About 15% of the college's…