THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS INVESTIGATION WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE ARE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES IN SELECTED PARENTAL BACKGROUND FACTORS BETWEEN SCHOLASTICALLY TALENTED HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES WHO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION IN DEGREE-GRANTING INSTITUTIONS AND THOSE WHO DO NOT. THERE WERE TWO RELATED PROBLEMS--(1) TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF STABILITY OF THE POST-HIGH SCHOOL PLANS OF THESE SCHOLASTICALLY TALENTED YOUTH, AND (2) TO REPORT ON THE SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES IN WHICH THEY WERE ENGAGED IN THE FALL OF 1957. DATA USED FOR THE STUDY WERE OBTAINED BY A STATEWIDE SURVEY OF 3,500 HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS CONCERNING PLANS BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL AND FAMILY BACKGROUND. A SPECIAL ANALYSIS OF 5,500 SENIORS WAS USED AS A LATER SAMPLING. A SURVEY OF THEIR PARENTS DETERMINED WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND FURNISHED ADDITIONAL FAMILY BACKGROUND INFORMATION. THE CONCLUSIONS AFTER ANALYSIS OF DATA WERE THAT THE EDUCATION LEVEL ATTAINED BY PARENTS, OCCUPATION OF FATHER, ECONOMIC STATUS, FINANCIAL HELP FROM PARENTS, AND PARENTAL ENCOURAGEMENT WERE SIMILAR IN BOTH THE STUDENTS WHO WENT ON TO HIGHER EDUCATION AND THOSE WHO DID NOT. THERE WAS A HIGH DEGREE OF STABILITY BETWEEN THE VARIOUS PLANS OF THE GROUP EXPRESSED IN THE SPRING AND THE REALIZATION OF THE PLANS. (GC)