Guidelines for the selection of students to undergraduate social work education programs are suggested in light of the growing recognition of the baccalaureate degree as the first professional degree in social work. The criteria for the selection of students to these programs has become more significant since their accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education in 1974. The history, implementation, and consequences of both open and selective admissions are examined. Four arguments in support of selective admissions policies for undergraduate social work programs are presented. It is suggested that selective admission is needed: (1) to maintain professional quality; (2) to provide an improved learning environment; (3) to facilitate career decisionmaking; and (4) to prevent an overflow of graduates for the limited number of job opportunities in the field. Guidelines for admissions policies, the admissions process, admissions standards, and admissions tools are detailed. The guidelines are based on the assumption that the opportune time to have a student officially declare a major is at the end of the sophomore year. It is suggested that selection at this point of a student's education would not interfere with the philosophy of open admissions to a university but does support the belief that a professional program has the right to protect its public by selecting those students best qualified to enter its ranks. (SF)