The Office of Education's Talent Search program is designed to: (a) identify needy youths with exceptional potential and encourage them to complete secondary school and undertake further education; (b) publicize student financial aid; and (c) encourage dropouts of demonstrated aptitude to reenter educational programs. The Talent Search program study provides descriptive data on its scope, nature, and operations, the educational background and training of key project staff, the general characteristics of its clientele, and the services provided to that clientele; it was not designed to evaluate the success or national impact of Talent Search. Information was collected by review of records, questionnaire and interview responses, and on-site observations. A comprehensive introductory chapter precedes four chapters which present the procedures and findings of each of four of the data collection methods (site visits, project director questionnaire, counselor questionnaire, and advisory chairperson questionnaire); the following three chapters present descriptions of program clients and clients' status beginning postsecondary education, and analyses of cost and of staffing patterns. The major findings are summarized in the final chapter under 10 topical headings, and the previous chapters' interpretive analyses are consolidated into an overall statement of conclusions. The document is extensively illustrated with data tables. (AJ)