For students who decide to enroll in college after high school graduation, there are numerous factors to consider when searching for potential matches and choosing from the available options. Ten recent high school graduates who participated in self-selected, ability-grouped, advanced academic courses in high school were interviewed at the end of…

This data byte explores students' open-ended responses about how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted them academically. Students commented on the impact to their opportunities for taking the ACT® test; issues of time related to taking the test, preparing for the test, and college admissions deadlines; and the greater demands being placed on them…

We investigate the efficacy of text messaging campaigns to remind students about and support them with key steps in the college search, application, selection and transition process. First, in collaboration with the College Board and uAspire, both national non-profit organizations, we implemented text-message based outreach and advising to…

Every year a considerable number of high school graduates in Russia choose to pursue a career in medicine and apply to medical universities. However, the level of preliminary training of applicants is often insufficient to enrol in the preferred study programme. Private tutoring is often considered as a means to close the gap between the generally…

In both the stacks of research compiled by education think tanks and in the conversations had around the dining room table by families of aspiring college students, one stumbling block to college enrollment predictably crops up--financial aid. The topics range from avoiding endless, crushing debt to options for part-time jobs. But often the focus…

Using data from the High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS:09), this study examines the experience of college acceptance and rejection among white and Asian American students applying to four-year postsecondary institutions. The results suggest that Asian male students in particular face higher rejection rates relative to whites with similar…

This guide is the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) commitment to principled conduct among professionals who support students in the college transition process from secondary school to postsecondary education and in the transfer process between postsecondary institutions. College counseling and admission professionals…

The current study investigated patterns of growth in academic achievement trajectories among American high school students (N = 12,314) that were obtained from a nationally representative, public-use dataset (the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009) in relation to key demographic information (i.e., gender, grade level, socioeconomic status…

Different uses of the ACT Assessment emphasize different intervals on its 1-36 score scale. Its use by colleges for applicant selection and course placement emphasize the middle and upper intervals of its score scale, and these uses have been extensively validated (ACT, 2019a). Its uses by school districts and state departments of education to…

Financial aid has helped millions of students pay for their education beyond high school. This document provides information about federal and Minnesota financial aid programs, including the following sections: (1) How do I apply for financial aid?; (2) Five basic steps to apply for financial aid; (3) What types of financial aid are available?;…

This study examined the role of a state need-based financial aid policy in Latina/o high school students' meaning making of postsecondary access. Utilizing narrative research, the analytical focus on the meaning making uncovered patterns of individual agency in the journeys of eight Latina/o high school students who were recent enrollees in the…

This study examines how an urban, California high school supports undocumented students' college access and the challenges the school and students encounter. Employing case study methodology, school observations and interviews with 14 undocumented students and 13 educators were conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the processes involved in…

Past decades witnessed increasing background checks via social media conducted by postsecondary education institutions' admission offices and human resources departments for many companies. As the most active users, adolescents may be tempted to share their personal lives on social media without fully understanding the long-term consequences. The…

In this dissertation, I use data from Chile to study the determinants of schooling trajectories. Chapters 1 and 2 focus on higher education, Chapter 3 on secondary education, and Chapter 4 on teachers. Chapter 1 explores the role of a socio-emotional ability, self-efficacy, in understanding why students with comparable qualifications transit…

This research report is a preliminary assessment of college advising needs in nine target school districts surrounding the Houston Independent School District: "Pasadena," "Galena Park," "Sheldon," "Humble," "Aldine," "Cypress-Fairbanks," "Spring Branch," "Alief," and…