THE FAMILIAR "TYPING" OF STUDENTS AS COLLEGE PREPARATORY OR NONCOLLEGE PREPARATORY IS NO LONGER ADEQUATE IN EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT. AS THE RANGE OF POST-HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY BECOMES HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED AND FORMAL EDUCATION STANDS BETWEEN MAN AND HIS JOB, THE CHOICE OF AN EDUCATIONAL PATTERN IS A VOCATIONAL CHOICE, AND A COMMITMENT TO THE LENGTH OF TIME NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE PATTERN BECOMES A VOCATIONAL COMMITMENT. BECAUSE THE PRESENT DICHOTOMOUS TYPING DOES NOT ADEQUATELY REFLECT BOTH THE PATTERN AND THE COMMITMENT, A STUDENT TYPOLOGY IS PROPOSED WHICH IS BASED ON THE RECOGNITION OF FOUR POST-HIGH SCHOOL PREPARATORY PATTERNS--(1) UNIVERSITY AND 4-YEAR COLLEGE (INCLUDING 2-YEAR COLLEGE TRANSFER PROGRAMS), (2) JUNIOR COLLEGE AND EQUIVALENT TECHNICAL SCHOOL, (3) VOCATIONAL SCHOOL AND EQUIVALENT JOB SCHOOLS, AND (4) MODIFIED HIGH SCHOOL TO INCLUDE SPECIALIZED TRAINING IN VOCATIONAL AREAS. THE JOB FAMILIES TOWARD WHICH THESE PATTERNS MAY LEAD MAY BE DESCRIBED AS PROFESSIONAL, TECHNICAL, VOCATIONAL, AND MANUAL. THE STUDENT, WITH GUIDANCE, MAKES HIS CHOICE IN GRADE 9, BUT THERE ARE AVENUES FOR CHANGE OF PATTERN AND COMMITMENT THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM AS THE STUDENT'S CHOICE IS HELD PARAMOUNT. PUPILS CAN BE ENCOURAGED TO SHIFT FROM ONE PATTERN TO ANOTHER AS MASTERY OF PHASED ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM MAKE SUCH MOVEMENT POSSIBLE. THUS, THEY MAY COMPLETE A VOCATIONAL PATTERN, ENTER A TECHNICAL CURRICULUM IN JUNIOR COLLEGE, AND TAKE A TRANSFER PROGRAM AND MATRICULATE IN A 4-YEAR COLLEGE. THIS DOCUMENT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE "JOURNAL OF HIGHER EDUCATION, VOLUME 40, NUMBER 6, OCTOBER 1965. (MM)