In 1984, a study was conducted to assess the degree to which the goals of the National Hispanic Scholar Awards Program were being met. The purposes of the study were to: (1) describe the pool of applicants in 1983-84, the program's first year, and compare Hispanic Scholars (winners) with Hispanic Honorable Mentions (awardees) and Semifinalists who did not receive an award; (2) examine the characteristics of high-achieving Hispanic students; and (3) isolate the factors associated with success in college. Data on 1,297 of the 1,479 students eligible to apply for the awards program from the Student Descriptive Questionnaire (SDQ), were used. In addition, a 12-page student survey was sent to all 750 program applicants to collect information on the applicants' academic and educational background, English language use, and experiences during the freshman year in college. Five hundred and thirty-one applicants responded. In 1983-84 eligibility for participation in the awards program was limited to Mexican American and Puerto Ricans since these were the only two categories used on the PSAT/NMSQT to identify students as Hispanic. High achieving Hispanics received good academic preparation in high school, had GPAs and SAT scores substantially above the mean for either White or Hispanic SAT-takers, and were well integrated into their high schools. These students attended selective four-year colleges and lived on campus. Most majored in physical science and related areas. During their freshman year, these students encountered few problems, performed well academically, and were active in extracurricular activities. Suggestions to expand the opportunities for success in higher education to the majority of Hispanics who do not possess the characteristics or experiences of the sample group are given. This document contains 50 references and 74 tables. Appendices include a comparison of mainland and commonwealth Puerto Ricans, the selection process for the National Hispanic Scholar Awards Program, and the student questionnaire used in the study. (ALL)