A growing body of research examines the effects of state affirmative action bans on domestic minority students' application and admission rates. This study expands previous research, considering how Texas's implementation of a race-neutral percent plan influenced admission opportunities for two understudied groups: foreign students and in-state…

In this article, the author reports on an annual survey on foreign applications to American graduate schools performed by the Council of Graduate Schools. The results suggests that while American graduate schools have continued to attract an increasing number of applications from international students, the rate of increase appears to be slowing.…

The media communicates the existence of two distinct types of college applicants: the frenzied, overachieving, anxious student who applies to many institutions, and the underprepared, less advantaged student whose parents are not at all familiar with the application process. The purpose of this study is to more realistically describe distinct…

This study presents the results of a survey of FAFSA applicants aimed at learning why some students delay their FAFSA application to the weeks and months just prior to college enrollment. The assumption is that an early FAFSA filer is more likely to receive a better financial aid package and might be more likely to succeed and persist in college…

Universities are not immune to the effects of the slumping economy, yet many of them are reporting their highest application and enrollment rates ever, as hard times compel people to look for new ways to increase their skills. Students' efforts to improve their job prospects, along with colleges' marketing efforts, have, indeed, translated to…

The purpose of this qualitative study is to analyze and understand what information students seek from a college's Web site during their college search. Often, college Web sites fail either to offer students an interactive dialogue or to involve them in the communicative process, negatively affecting students' college search. Undergraduate…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce a case study that identifies the practical issues and implications of employer engagement through course design, delivery and employee commitment in a higher education course delivered in the financial services sector. Design/methodology/approach: Using a case study the paper draws on the course…

When it comes to education from K-12 and into the college years, the literature is replete with stories of the accomplishments of youngsters and adults with any number of disabilities who surpassed the expectations of their families and teachers. Similarly, there are an increasing number of examples of young men and women with a range of…

This paper discusses what federal student aid is and how to apply for it. It also provides a list of federal student aid programs for 2011-12. Federal student aid comes from the federal government--specifically, the U.S. Department of Education. It's money that helps a student pay for education expenses at a postsecondary school (e.g., college,…

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is completed by students annually to determine eligibility for federal student financial aid. This report describes FAFSA completion outcomes for Austin Independent School District (AISD) seniors in 2010.

The Texas legislature passed the Top 10% Law in 1996 guaranteeing automatic admission to any Texas public college or university for seniors who graduate in the top decile of their high school class. Using data on a representative sample of seniors (N = 12,029) enrolled in 96 Texas public high schools, we examine whether and how this law affects…

Over the past two decades, college admissions has become a prime-time preoccupation. Most people know at least something about the process, especially if they have a teenager in high school and a college guide on their coffee table. Nonetheless, widespread public misconceptions persist about admissions requirements, the selection process, and the…

Applying to college used to be a fairly straightforward undertaking: Students applied to a few colleges that met their academic needs, and the institutions responded by admitting the most-worthy candidates. But that seemingly benign process is a distant memory. In its place is a swirling cauldron of angst and anxiety, especially for the families…

The purpose of this ex post facto investigation was to determine the characteristics of and need for developmental education in the college applicant pool in 2006. Demographic data and COMPASS placement test results were gathered for the 1,079 applicants in 2006 who had complete records. These data were considered in the aggregate and in subsets…

Wake Forest University will no longer require applicants to submit standardized test scores, the university announced last week. The move makes Wake Forest, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, one of the most prominent institutions with a "test optional" admissions policy. The university's decision reveals the increasing complexity of the…