Applies a family process model to the linkage between early economic disadvantage and later enrollment in higher education. Using two waves of data on low-income youth, results found that the attitudes and behaviors of their parents, mostly mothers, mediate the impact of disadvantage on enrollment. (Contains 36 references and 3 tables.) (GCP)

Investigated the study experiences of a group of Scottish 17- and 18-year-olds from the beginning of their 3-month university access course to the end of their first semester at university. Themes from the data included: moving away from feelings of injustice and alienation; moving toward better study strategies, and support, relationships; and…

Examined how the fulfillment of college expectations affects students' social integration. Path analysis showed that the fulfillment of social expectations for college positively affects both social integration and subsequent institutional commitment; the greater the degree of these, the more likely students will re-enroll in the university. (EV)

Locus of control is fairly stable over time but does change as a result of natural events, such as the acquisition of college education. Previous research found this to be so in a study of the high school class of 1972. This investigation asked whether a model of stability and change in locus of control had changed since the benchmark study of the…

There are several factors that encourage at-risk students to finish high school and continue to pursue post-secondary education. Some school counseling programs have combined these factors in an attempt to foster a pro-college culture within their schools. Using qualitative methods, a study was conducted to assess school counselors' perspectives…

Florida's Bright Futures program is one of the nation's largest merit-based scholarship initiatives. This study used high school transcript and college enrollment data to examine the program's impact on high school course-taking patterns, school grades, college entrance exam scores, and rates of college attendance over time. The study indicates…

Using multilevel models, the authors tested the hypothesis that high schools, through their curricular policies, operate as mechanisms that help members of privileged groups to take better advantage of postsecondary opportunities. The analysis was based on a 7-year follow-up study of 44,666 Israeli students who graduated from 385 high schools in…

The paper explores the question of why young people go on from school to higher education in Australia, viewing the decision as a function of individual attributes and situational characteristics. A theory to explain young people's decisions is developed, proposing that young people choose to go because they find higher education to be both…

Developed and validated an instrument to assess high school students' attitudes toward college. Used the instrument to examine college attendance plans in a sample of disadvantaged students in two experiments. Results showed that students' attitudes toward college, as measured by the instrument, were manipulatable. (Author/BH)

Illustrates the use of discriminant analysis to identify the background factors among accepted applicants that best predict actual attendance. An illustration for MBA programs at the University of Hawaii showed the applicant's residence and tuition status were the best predictors. (JAC)

This study analyzed the extent to which differences in graduate employment can be explained by differences in where the graduates studied. In Europe and Japan there seem to be large cross-country and field differences in the importance, in terms of graduate employment, of the institution where the graduate studied. The study attempted to explain…

Concerned about the impact on physics programs, the American Institute of Physics conducted a small targeted survey in 2003 covering all physics graduate programs across the United States. Responses were received from 72% of all such departments, including 75% of the 185 programs that granted doctorates in physics and 64% of the programs' that…

Findings demonstrate that older people, just like any other segment of the population, have a wide variety of interests, not particularly determined by their age status. In fact, they have more freedom in selecting classes than do younger students because they take what is appealing. (Author)

Students were asked to indicate why they cut class. While instructors came in for their share of the blame, the students attributed a large percentage of their cuts to causes for which the teachers were not at all responsible. Many of the most frequently given reasons suggest a simple carefree attitude on the part of the student. (Author)

Analyzed the benefits that high school students and their parents expect from higher education in Korea. The majority of students expected a "diverse college experience," while the majority of parents expected "protection from socioeconomic disadvantages from not having higher education." Students' academic ability was an…