This study was designed to explore how secondary school counselors affect the entrance of African American students into higher education based on counselor beliefs. Minimizing and understanding barriers to postsecondary access is critical in closing the achievement gap for underrepresented African American students. Gaps in enrollment is often…

This study investigates how universities can increase the effectiveness of the search process by featuring in their advertisements expert and celebrity endorsers who attended the institution. How can universities gain the attention of prospective students using the star power of experts and celebrities? Experts and celebrities promoting a…

Research indicates social media is highly influential on college choice. Some studies indicate the possibility of social media increasing access and helping support transition to college. To understand the effects or influence social media may have on college choice, access, and transition, this research study asked students how they used social…

"Find the Fit" advising increased the number and selectivity of colleges applied to by disadvantaged students in a federal college access program. "Find the Fit" includes customized information about college going and costs, text messaging of key application and financial aid deadlines, and related advisor training. These…

To evaluate how Advanced Placement courses affect college-going, we randomly assigned the offer of enrollment into an AP science course to over 1,800 students in 23 schools that had not previously offered the course. We find no substantial AP course effects on students' plans to enroll in college or on their college entrance exam scores. Yet AP…

Digital engagement is the most important strategy for engaging Generation Z, but what are the right solutions and strategies to maximize engagement with this crucial target market? Which approaches align with the expectations of the students colleges are trying to reach? And more importantly, how can a college make its institution's unique brand…

Hispanic high school graduates have lower college completion rates than academically similar white students. As Hispanic students have been theorized to be more constrained in the college search and selection process, one potential policy lever is to increase the set of colleges to which these students apply and attend. In this paper, we…

A synopsis of students course taking and the type of diploma chosen by high school students, also known as their Individualized Learning Plans (ILP), provides a holistic view of student's preparation in high school, and serves as a reliable indicator of their college and career readiness. While ILPs are mandated in over 30 states, limited work has…

An initial measure of success for any higher education enrollment or marketing effort is engagement. And, while students and parents may be engaged with several prospective schools, stronger engagement with your institution may affect their final choice. With the value of engagement in mind, the "2017 E-Expectations Trend Report"…

Where students go to college, not just whether they go, may be important to their educational and career success. Yet half of high school students from disadvantaged families "undermatch"--they do not enroll in college at all or not at the most selective college they could. The U.S. Department of Education tested a set of promising,…

Many college-intending students find themselves dealing with the undermatch and summer melt phenomena. Undermatch refers to the situation where academically-successful high-school graduates choose not to go to any college or to go to a local community college not commensurate with their academic achievements. Summer melt describes how students may…

"Bottom Line" provides intensive advising for low-income high school students, most of whom are the first in their family to go to college. The advising is designed to help students apply for college and financial aid and select a high-quality, affordable institution. For students who attend one of "Bottom Line's" target…

This "2016 E-Expectations Trend Report" examines the differences in how college-bound students used the digital tools at their disposal from the spring of their junior year to the fall and spring of their senior year. This report contains results from three web surveys: (1) May 2015 survey: 1,526 class of 2016 juniors (spring juniors);…

Baccalaureate degree completion is essential for future development as a nation. Latinxs are the largest minority group in the country and by 2050 nearly one out of every three individuals will be of Latinx descent. While Latinx enrollment may increase, the proportion completing college is not comparable. This study explored the pre-college…

This paper analyses the determinants of national student mobility under the unified system of admission in Russia and evaluates the barriers which still limit educational mobility. It is argued that even with the Unified State Examination (USE) and the decreased transaction costs of applying to universities, student interregional national mobility…