In This Issue

Journal of College Admission, Spring 2004 by Smith, Sarah E

As you are reading this, high school seniors are excitedly tearing into acceptance envelops that will shape not only their futures, but who they are. That feeling of elation is one you make possible through careful counsel and analysis.

After all the envelopes are open, campus presentation plays a significant role in influencing a student's final college choice. Marketing departments expend great effort to draw in new students, but Rob Glass, in our Open Forum, "Marketing Your Institution Effectively: A Parent's Perspective," reveals a frequently overlooked dynamic, the parent's role.

Moving from college tours to college life, Catherine Sayers Hunter sketches the perfect character to be her son's brusque, yet devoted, resident advisor. The author describes how "One-Shot Betty" would ideally nurture her freshmen brood in our On the Lighter Side, "College Madam."

In our cover story, Ellen Rydell Altermatt and Minha Esther Kim fight the misconception that females aren't as proficient as males in math college-entrance exams. Find out why this gap arises and what the admission world can do to bridge it in "Can Anxiety Explain Sex Differences in College Entrance Exam Scores?"

From exams to high school quality, colleges are always seeking new and better ways to calculate student success in an effort to avoid wasting resources. In our second feature, "How to Make Better College Admission Decisions: Considering High School Quality and Other Factors," authors MoYin S. Tarn and Uday Sukhatme follow a group of students from their first year through their fourth, fifth or sixth, comparing predictors with actual outcome.

Admission offices still know little about home school students' odds of college success, though home school students frequently surpass their public school peers on national tests. Dr. Paul Jones and Dr. Gene Gloeckner compare home and traditional school students' chances in our third feature, "First-Year College Performance: A Study of Home School Graduates and Traditional School Graduates?

All institutions need a key admission player to clarify purpose, develop character and draw in students. In our last feature, "Defining the Enrollment Manager: Visionary, Facilitator and Collaborator," Gregory Stewart collects data from various schools to explain the role of a college or university's enrollment manager.

At the end of the journal, we again address parents' roles as co-purchasers in their children's futures. Palmer Muntz reviews Millennials Go to College, a discussion of the needs of the next wave of students and their parents, while Mike Mills reviews Do and Should Financial Aid Packages Affect Students' College Choices?, a discussion of students' and parents' responses to financial aid offers.

Sadly, as students open their envelopes, parents get a sinking feeling that this is the beginning of the end. Laura Jeanne Hammond imparts how parents and children must be patient and flexible during this metamorphosis, closing the Journal, with our Last Word, "Empty Nesting."

At this time of year, remember to stop, take a breath, and be proud of your profession! To learn more about the Journal of College Admission, visit http://www. nacac.com/newsjournal.html.

Sarah H. Smith

journal Editor