Background characteristics and future plans of average and above average Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General test takers are described for the various racial and ethnic groups. Characteristics included: (1) percentage of females; (2) undergraduate college major and grades; (3) intended field of graduate study; (4) graduate degree objective; (5) year of receipt of baccalaureate degree; (6) location of high school; (7) family socioeconomic background; (8) citizenship status; and (9) language spoken in the home. Distribution of these characteristics is given in tables for students classified according to level of GRE verbal, quantitative, or analytic scores in intervals of 50 points. High parental socioeconomic indicators were associated with higher GRE scores, although a substantial proportion of high-scoring students came from homes where the father had less than a high school education. Patterns of financial need and timing in taking the GRE are discussed, along with racial and ethnic differences in choice of major. Fifty-eight tables present the information. (Contains 32 references.) (SLD)