This report describes the characteristics of eligible Job Corps applicants and compares their characteristics with those of the broader national population of disadvantaged youths. To be eligible for the program, Job Corps applicants must satisfy 11 specific criteria designed to ensure that the youths enrolled need and can benefit from additional education and training, come from debilitating environments that impair prospects for successful training in the home community, and are free of serious medical or behavioral problems. Using data from the study¿s baseline interview, the report presents the characteristics and recent experiences of eligible applicants at the point when they were determined to be eligible for Job Corps.