University admissions policies have been subject to scrutiny and change over the last several years and have reflected, in turn, the point of view of the institution, society, and the student. This research report discusses the period of the sixties when the poles of merit versus equal opportunity shaped the admissions debate along with questions of the appropriate admissions strategy to accommodate an open door approach. The seventies, a period of decreased enrollment, is discussed in light of the demand for new strategies that have arisen to attract students to institutions. Legal issues that pose problems of constitutionality in matters of quotas and reverse discrimination are outlined. (JMF)