Although the mail survey has been widely criticized as a viable research methodology, it remains the most feasible approach for retrieving data from large, widely-dispersed populations. This paper suggests that there exists a readily accessible body of pragmatic recommendations which, if adhered to throughout the instrument design and data collection phases, may dramatically increase response rates where mail surveys are employed. The paper employs a content analysis of three recent studies of diverse higher education topics. Each achieved a high rate of return from dissimilar respondent groups located in divergent geographical locations. (Author)