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Less privileged students disproportionately aim low with their university applications and often fail to apply to the institutions that match their academic qualifications. Little attention, however, has been directed toward the converse phenomenon, that of aiming high. These kinds of applications are commonly called 'reaches,' meaning an applicant's credentials fall slightly below the institution's range for the average first-year student. Using nationally representative survey data from the United States, this study examines whether social background predicts the likelihood of applying to reach institutions and assesses the consequences for disparities in enrollments. We find a strong relationship between students' socioeconomic background and their likelihood of applying to reach institutions, even after controlling for a range of academic and non-academic characteristics. Further, there is a substantial pay-off to applying to reach institutions, revealing the degree to which these class-based choices at the application stage contribute to the social stratification of higher education.

Vietnam has a strong public postsecondary education sector that has only recently begun to experience growth in nonpublic institutions. I investigate how the growth of nonpublic institutions may be related to stratification in Vietnam. I find that these institutions are more likely to serve more advantaged students from South Vietnam. Students pay higher costs to attend them; however, they choose more lucrative fields, perhaps as a way to ensure good returns to this investment. This research suggests that as the private sector in Vietnam expands, the influence of family background and region of residence on postsecondary attendance may grow. (Contains 3 tables and 1 footnote.)

This research contributes to discussions about social inequality in school choices in two ways. First, educational choices include the multitude of options families may consider, including choosing a home in a particular area and home-schooling. Decision-making is considered not at a single point in time, but over children's educational careers. Second, this research explores school choices across school district boundaries to include school choices in suburban and rural, as well as urban districts. I use data from a random sample of families with school-aged children living in the Philadelphia Metropolitan area (including some counties in New Jersey) and other counties throughout Pennsylvania to explore the options that families consider for their children's schooling. The data paint a picture of two constellations of families: those who are white, suburban, and middle-income (who primarily select schools based on their neighborhoods and residences), and those composed of lower-income and urban families of color (who rely more on non-neighborhood school options). The differences between these predispositions toward choice suggest that the expanded school choice policies of urban school districts will have little influence on overall school inequality because of the tendency of white, suburban middle-class families to choose public schools in their relatively privileged, suburban neighborhoods. (Contains 2 tables and 1 note.)

Curricula in U.S. colleges and universities have historically evolved around two ideal types: arts and science fields (A&S), and vocational fields. Using the National Educational Longitudinal Study, 1992-1994, we find that high socioeconomic status (SES) students are more likely to choose A&S fields than are low-SES students. The Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study, 1993-1997, shows that vocational majors are employed at higher paying jobs than are A&S majors 4 years after college graduation, while arts and science majors are more likely to enroll in graduate school during these years. We conclude that these distinct educational trajectories reinforce the relationship between parents' and their children's social class. (Contains 6 tables and 14 endnotes.)

Reexamines the issue of parental education level on educational enrollments beyond college. Extends the literature by disaggregating graduate programs by type. Finds that the role of parental education is largely indirect, working primarily through the characteristics of a student's undergraduate institution, academic performance, educational expectations, and career values. (CAJ)

Explores three factors that may explain why certain Asian-American groups have higher educational expectations than White groups: (1) favorable socioeconomic characteristics, (2) demonstrated academic ability, and (3) high parental expectations. Indicates that parental expectations explain a large portion of children's high expectations for all Asian-American groups. (DSK)

In a 1990 census sample of 7,808 biracial children with one Asian parent, 38.8% were identified as Asian, indicating that racial identification of these children is highly optional. Children's identification as Asian was related to awareness of cultural heritage (assimilation factors, parent educational level), as well as factors unique to various ethnic groups. Contains 39 references. (SV)

This article examines the socioeconomic and demographic correlates that are associated with whether biracial children with an Asian parent are racially identified with their Asian parent or with their non-Asian parent. With data extracted from the 5-percent Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) of the 1990 census, we take into account explanatory variables at three levels: the child's characteristics, the parents' characteristics, and the locale's racial composition. Our results indicate that the racial identification of biracial children with an Asian parent is to a large extent an arbitrary option within today's prevailing racial classification scheme. We find empirical evidence in support of the theoretical proposition that both assimilation and awareness of Asian heritage affect the racial identification of biracial children with an Asian parent., Asian Americans are the fastest-growing minority in the United States, and most of their growth is attributed to immigrants and their children (Barringer, Gardner & Levin 1993; Kitano & Daniels [...]