Education: Second Chance for College

The country's two college-placement centers got ready this week for high school seniors who were not accepted by May 1 for the college of their choice. The centers are:

¶ College Admissions Center, Glenbrook High School, 2300 Shermer Road, Northbrook, Ill.

¶ College Admissions Assistance Center, 535 East 80th St., New York 21, N.Y. Students fill out a form, send a non-refundable $10 registration fee, and their school transcript to the centers, which pass along the forms and transcripts to colleges with unfilled freshman classes.

The colleges then get in touch with those they want. Of last year's 1,772 registrants at the Northbrook center, 98.4% heard from at least one college. Of 926 registrants at the Manhattan center, 78% enrolled in college.

Last week independent preparatory schools set up a similar clearing house, called the Secondary Schools Admission Center at Suffield Academy, Suffield, Conn., to put applicants for grades seven and up in touch with schools that still have room in September classes. The service is free to students who take exams of the Secondary School Admission Test Board, costs $1 registration fee for others.

Students send a school transcript and test scores; member schools (about 700) will reply if they care to and have room.