THE "PROJECT TALENT" FOLLOWUP STUDIES WERE CONCERNED WITH VARIOUS ASPECTS OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN YOUTH, CONSISTING PRIMARILY OF THE EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL PLANS AND DECISIONS WHICH ONE MAKES DURING HIGH SCHOOL AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING HIGH SCHOOL. RELATIONSHIPS WERE SOUGHT BETWEEN TRAITS EXHIBITED BY STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND THEIR SUBSEQUENT VOCATIONAL BEHAVIOR. IN 1960 A PROBABILITY SAMPLE WAS DRAWN FROM 400,000 STUDENTS IN GRADES 9 THROUGH 12, REPRESENTING APPROXIMATELY 5 PERCENT OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES. EACH OF THESE STUDENTS WAS ADMINISTERED A BATTERY OF TESTS DESIGNED TO MEASURE APTITUDES AND ABILITY, INTERESTS AND TEMPERAMENT, STUDENT ACTIVITIES, HOME BACKGROUND, AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. THE IMMEDIATE PROJECT WAS CONCERNED WITH FOLLOWUP STUDIES OF THIS ORIGINAL SAMPLE UNDERTAKEN WHEN EACH GRADE WAS 1 YEAR OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL AND STAGGERED SO THAT EACH OF THE FOUR GRADES WAS FOLLOWED UP IN A SEPARATE YEAR. EACH GRADE RECEIVED SEVERAL WAVES OF A MAILED QUESTIONNAIRE, SPACED ABOUT 1 MONTH APART. PUNCHED CARDS WERE USED TO PROCESS THE RETURNED QUESTIONNAIRES. A SAMPLE OF NONRESPONDENTS WAS THEN DRAWN (USUALLY 5 PERCENT) AND SOUGHT OUT THROUGH FIELD SURVEYS. DATA GATHERED FROM THESE PERSONS MADE IT POSSIBLE TO ESTIMATE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TOTAL NONRESPONDENT POPULATION AND COMBINE THEM WITH THOSE OF RESPONDENTS. THE COLLECTED DATA REVEALED FACTS WITH RESPECT TO WHAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WERE DOING AND THINKING IN THEIR FIRST YEAR OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL INVOLVING THEIR SCHOOLS, JOBS, MARRIAGES, AMBITIONS, AND FRUSTRATIONS. WITH RESPECT TO FURTHER RESEARCH, 5-, 10-, AND 20-YEAR FOLLOWUP STUDIES WITH THIS SAME POPULATION WERE ALSO PLANNED AS SUPPLEMENTARY PROGRAMS. (JH)