Today, the process of choosing a career for young adults is not a linear path, but instead a complex process influenced by a myriad of internal and external factors. At elite colleges, high prestige jobs are most appealing as students strive to occupy a position of power and resources and live up to their institution's reputation. In the current environment of high or uncertain unemployment, increased competition for jobs and increasingly rising college costs, the steps young adults take to determine goals and means can become confused. All too frequently, ambient university culture emphasizes the importance of finding a certain kind of job rather than thinking through where passions lie and which jobs might be most meaningful and well fitting over the long haul.

In this study, we explore the issues of career choice among a small group of Harvard seniors,identifying the factors that have the most significant influence on the decision-making process. Specifically, we interviewed 40 Harvard seniors about their college experiences, formative influences, and decision-making processes regarding career choices. Twenty-two females and 18 males participated, coming from a range of concentrations, though the most prevalent majors were English, History, and Social Studies. Students were recruited using list serves at residential houses and the Office of Career Services. Our primary focus was to identify why and how students make decisions about the careers they pursue. We also focused on why some students seem driven to take jobs in finance and consulting, while others pursue paths of public service.

Our findings suggest the presence of a "funnel effect." Though students enter college with a diverse set of interests, by senior year, most of them seem to focus on a narrow set of jobs. The culture at Harvard seems to be dominated by the pursuit of high earning, prestigious jobs, especially in the finance and consulting industries. Interestingly, there is a notable disconnect between students' proclaimed passions and interests and the jobs they pursue. According to the Office of Career Services at Harvard, only 22% of the student body accepts jobs in these industries (2011 OCS Student Report). Nonetheless, seniors feel pressured to enter into the fall recruiting cycle in order to procure a job that "lives up to their Harvard degree." Those who express interest in public service jobs appear to forge this path without the help of university structures, often networking and researching online to find out about potential opportunities. Many students feel that finding public service careers is a challenge at Harvard. Unlike the finance, consulting, technology and marketing sectors, few recruiters for public service jobs come to campus. Students appear to be "risk averse," a stance that ultimately seems to impact career choice upon graduation. Our results pinpoint factors that support and explain those students who make choices counter to the prevailing trends -- namely extracurricular activities, study abroad programs, and students' longstanding passions and beliefs.

Over the past 15 years, in New York City and across the country, expectations for high schools -- and high school students -- have changed dramatically. Increasingly, high schools are being asked not only to reduce dropout rates and boost graduation rates, but also to impart knowledge, skills, and experiences that will prepare students to succeed in college. Similarly, many post-secondary institutions are also under increased pressure, as policymakers and the public ask hard questions about low college completion rates. Public K-12 and post-secondary systems in many cities, including NYC, have started working together in largely unprecedented ways, attempting to create a more seamless and effective education "pipeline."

To inform these efforts, it is essential to know more about students' pathways into and through college. The Research Alliance has developed a unique dataset that tracks multiple cohorts of NYC students from 9thgrade through college. To do so, we combined high-school level data about NYC public school students with information from the National Student Clearinghouse. This briefsummarizes findings from the initial analyses conducted with this important new dataset. It describes recent patterns of college enrollment, persistence, and completion for NYC students, and begins to explore factors that may affect their college outcomes.

Boston Public School (BPS) leaders commissioned this study to examine patterns of enrollment, access, engagement, and performance of Black and Latino males from School Year 2009 to School Year 2012. This quantitative analysis constitutes Phase I of a larger study that will ultimately include qualitative case studies examining promising practices in BPS schools in which Black and Latino males perform well.

Considering the education-to-employment system as a highway with three critical intersections -- enrolling in postsecondary education, building skills, and finding a job -- this research has determined places where students take wrong turns or fall behind, and why. With increased data and innovative approaches, employers, educators, governments and youth can create a better system.

This research aims to capture the current state of teaching about philanthropy at European universities. It sets out to identify the countries, institutions and disciplines in which philanthropy education currently takes place, and the levels at which the subject is taught. In addition to mapping and surveying the teaching terrain, the research seeks to capture the perspectives of informed stakeholders, and to discuss some implications for the development of philanthropy education in Europe. The paper addresses the following questions:

1. What is the scale and scope of teaching about philanthropy at European universities today?
2. What are some of the perceptions of the rationale for philanthropy education and the barriers and opportunities for its growth and development?
3. What are some of the implications of the data for a) the future development of philanthropy education in Europe b) further research in this area

This research aims to capture the current state of teaching about philanthropy at European universities. It sets out to identify the countries, institutions and disciplines in which philanthropy education currently takes place, and the levels at which the subject is taught. In addition to mapping and surveying the teaching terrain, the research seeks to capture the perspectives of informed stakeholders, and to discuss some implications for the development of philanthropy education in Europe. The paper addresses the following questions:

1. What is the scale and scope of teaching about philanthropy at European universities today?
2. What are some of the perceptions of the rationale for philanthropy education and the barriers and opportunities for its growth and development?
3. What are some of the implications of the data for a) the future development of philanthropy education in Europe b) further research in this area