This original study followed up ten beneficiaries of a UK charity-led programme that supported disadvantaged students in applying to elite US universities. First interviewed in 2015 during their early university days in the United States, in our 2019 follow-up all participants had graduated. Six remained in the United States and four had returned…

This paper examines the critical transition from undergraduate to graduate biomedical education and focuses on Hispanic/Latinx students who participated in a biomedical undergraduate research program at a Hispanic-Serving Institution located on the US-Mexico border. We use the community cultural wealth (CCW) framework to analyze 13 qualitative…

According to the Higher Education Research Institute, 35 percent of first-time freshmen applied to seven or more colleges during the Fall 2016 admission cycle. More than 80 percent of first-time freshmen apply to at least three colleges each year. But more applications mean more essays for students. And more colleges seem to be requiring unique…

This study investigates how personality and individual experiences influence decision-making processes during the transition into Higher Education (HE). It offers insights into application choices, where applicants employ different quantitative hedging strategies against non-admission. These strategies are assessed by the number of applications…

In this study, the process of training music teachers working in primary, middle, and high schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Turkey is examined. Within this scope, Higher Education Programs related to Music Education, Pedagogical Formation Education Certificate Program (PFECP) and Student Profile/Quality of Music…

In this article, we discuss how class and migrant background intersect when students discuss their studies in general upper secondary education and their aspirations in university admission. We focus on the discussed social inequalities in student admission to one of the elite fields, medicine, in eight ethnographic interviews with students and…

Despite an increasingly competitive academic market, more and more people are seeking a PhD degree. While significant research focuses on skill attainment during PhD candidature and at PhD exit, we know little about the skills that might be present at PhD entry. We developed a data-driven taxonomy and conducted logistic regressions to analyse…

Increasing access to university for those currently under-represented is a UK government priority. Understanding the views of under-represented students can help direct widening participation activities. In recent years, a positive trend finds increasing numbers of Black students attending university, but it is not clear why White disadvantaged…

To address social inequality, many western governments have sought to pursue principles of 'widening participation' as a key policy response in higher education. Though originally intended to complement social justice policy agendas, alignment of education policies with broader neoliberal policy frameworks has led policymakers, such as those in…

Over the past two years, the Indiana affiliate's Government Relations Committee (GRC) has undergone a metamorphosis. As co-chair, the author has had the opportunity to witness the once largely inactive committee grow by 250 percent. The affiliate has embraced storytelling as an important advocacy tool. In this article, the author shares a couple…

The following qualitative case study uses secondary data from admitted student surveys to understand how women make decisions about college choice at one institution where men outnumber women in enrollment despite relatively even rates of application and acceptance. Findings suggest that women applicants noted affective factors related to…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to better understand the experiences faced by students during the application process for master's degree programs in speech-language pathology. Method: Data were collected through administering an online survey to 365 volunteers who had applied to master's degree programs in speech-language pathology. Survey…

The core theme of this article is the emerging tension between the egalitarian discourse that increases the general aspiration of people to become more educated and actual admission constraints. A desire to attend a university and not being allowed to (i.e. non-admittance) is a loss that can potentially result in an anomic condition. Anomie theory…

Holistic admissions practices require evaluating an applicant's credentials in light of the opportunities available in their high school context. High school grades, test scores, and course taking are clearly related to college grades, retention, and graduation. But does performance in high school context also relate to college success? Building a…

Purpose: The purpose of this tutorial is to introduce the interview as a complementary component to the holistic process for graduate admissions. To do so, procedural details of two master's degree programs in speech-language pathology are provided that successfully execute two different but effective interview methods for speech-language…