As the first decade of the twenty-first century draws to a close and the baby boomlet ends, America's 4,000-odd colleges and universities will once again be foced to deal with a declinging number of secondary-school graduates. Some institutions will become smaller, some will close, new student markets will develop, and students who might have selected college X in the past will select college Y instead. This volume brings into focus many of the key issues American institutions of higher education will face in the next decade as they encounter demographic changes much like those they confronted when the baby boom ended in the 1980s. Will private industries continue to try and reap financial benefits from the desire of both families and institutions for status? Is the notion of meeting the full demonstrated financial need of most admitted students gone forever? Is need-blind admission at independent colleges a thing of the past? Will the marketplace value of the SAT and ACT continue to slip? Will the goal of creating a diverse student body run into further legal challenges and roadblocks? These and other contemporary issues in new student enrollment are presented by a group of leading professionals who thoughtfully explore topics of special and passionate interest to them -- and to everyone, teachers and administrators alike, in America's colleges and universities. This is the 118th volume of the Jossey-Bass quarterly report series New Directions for Student Services, always an indispensable resource for vice presidents of student affairs, deans of students, student counselors, and other student services professionals.

Table of Contents:
EDITORS? NOTES (Thomas Crady, James Sumner). 1. Why and How Socioeconomic Factors Should Be Used in Selective College Admissions (Philip Ballinger) This chapter describes the socioeconomic factors pressing for consideration in selective college admissions policies and processes. It outlines the problems associated with applying traditional admission selection criteria and how doing so may exclude students coming from a low-socioeconomic background. 2. Identifying a Diverse Student Body: Selective College Admissions and Alternative Approaches (Deborah Bial, Alba Rodriguez) This chapter explores alternative solutions for selective institutions of higher education so that they can reach beyond their traditional admissions measures and the historically narrow definition of merit. The authors present several strategies for assessing admission of unrepresented applicants who may be overlooked using traditional assessment criteria. 3. The Future of Financial Aid Leveraging (James Day) This chapter identifies challenges facing colleges engaged in leveraging financial aid and presents four strategies that institutions might employ in the future to maintain financial viability in an increasingly competitive market. 4. Merit Aid: The Practice of Giving Money to Those Who Do Not Need It (Raymond Brown) This chapter examines some of the salient features of merit-based student financial aid. The author discusses how scholarships have evolved over time into merit-based awarding and how merit awards are being used for a multitude of purposes. 5. Consequences of the Widening Gap Between Reality and Policy in Opportunity for Higher Education (Thomas Mortenson) This chapter introduces the concepts of the human capital economy and the changing demography of the United States; it explores federal, state, and institutional policy choices relative to them. It points out consistent failures to address the imperatives of these concepts on the part of the federal government. 6. The Role of Standardized Tests in College Admissions: Test-Optional Admissions (Steven Syverson) This chapter examines developments in using standardized tests in the college admission process. 7. Confronting the Commercialization of College Admissions Leadership Opportunities (Lloyd Thacker) This essay speaks to higher education?s potential responses to challenges faced in the admissions process. 8. Annotated Bibliography (Gaurav Gupta) This chapter offers the reader an annotated bibliography of current issues facing admission and financial aid officers. This section outlines additional readings that supplement the articles in this monograph. INDEX