Over the past several decades, affirmative action has become a widely-debated issue in higher education. According to research, race-sensitive admissions policies engender significant advantages for students of all racial backgrounds, yet critics claim that these benefits are matched by significant costs--particularly in terms of minority student…

Community colleges are increasingly using the Internet for admissions and financial aid applications. The use of online processes has serious implications for students with disabilities, such as visual and learning problems, who may encounter difficulties with the Web sites if they are not designed in an accessible and usable way. A survey of…

Against the backdrop of today's increasingly multicultural society, are America's elite colleges admitting and successfully educating a diverse student body? "No Longer Separate, Not Yet Equal" pulls back the curtain on the selective college experience and takes a rigorous and comprehensive look at how race and social class impact each stage--from…

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…

In this article, the author describes how she helped low-income high-school seniors draft application essays to selective colleges and ponders about an ethical quandary that has troubled her throughout the process. Directing a college-access program, the author stresses writing skills, a crucial component of success in college and a key to gaining…

Despite the continuing accumulation of knowledge of the factors influencing participation in post-secondary education, there are still gaps in our understanding. For example, very little is known regarding how perceptions of costs and benefits are implicated in an individual's decision to pursue college or university studies, and whether certain…

The movement of students between postsecondary institutions is becoming increasingly common and has created a need for greater emphasis on postsecondary education (PSE) pathways. This report outlines the available data on postsecondary student mobility within Ontario, with a focus on mobility between Ontario's colleges and universities. For…

Surveyed 81 member colleges to compare acceptance rates for users of the Common Application and institutional applications. Results indicated that a significant number of applicants use the Common Application. Common Applications are accepted at a slightly lower rate, although experiences vary widely among colleges. (JAC)

Describes how a growing number of colleges are using on-site "instant" admissions programs to let applicants know in person whether they have been accepted. (EV)

When it comes to getting into college, admissions experts differ on the value of summer jobs compared with that of academic programs, unpaid internships, foreign travel, or other activities designed to look good on a college application. This article presents some views from these experts regarding the value of students' summer jobs. They believe,…

This paper investigates the main determinants of applying to in-state public colleges and universities. I use data from over 500,000 SAT and ACT test takers to examine the roles of college quality and tuition in the college selection decision. I take advantage of the interstate variation in quality and tuition at the public flagship universities…

This document presents case studies from the qualitative study [see ED500519], each of which highlights a student who struggled at a different point in the postsecondary planning process. These case studies draw on a longitudinal, qualitative study of 105 CPS students in three high schools. They are based on five student interviews conducted…

This report summarizes results from the 2007-2008 program evaluation of Project ADVANCE in the Austin Independent School District.

By definition, adolescence begins with the onset of puberty (often starting earlier now) and ends when adult responsibilities are assumed (often starting later). This is a very long period of enormous change and rapid growth, physically, socially, sexually, cognitively, emotionally, motivationally, and morally. Adolescents are moving from…

As Dickinson College saw its annual applicant pool nearly double from 3,000 to almost 6,000 over the past decade, the student profile at the private liberal arts college not only grew academically stronger but more geographically, racially and ethnically diverse. At Dickinson and hundreds of U.S. colleges and universities, this recent growth in…