At Creighton Univesity, a Jesuit university in Nebraska, freshmen defined as at risk academically were required to participate in a student success program, the Master Student Course (MAST). The MAST program was designed to help these at-risk students develop college-level study and thinking skills and to provide an opportunity for examination of motivation and goals. The focus of the program was on time management, effective reading, effective note taking, library orientation and use skills, test preparation, and test taking strategies. In the 4 years since the program began, data have been collected on: (1) 89 students randomly selected from the 1989 and 1990 freshman classes; (2) the MAST-Pass group of 82 at-risk students from 1989 and 1990 freshman classes who passed the MAST course; (3) the MAST-Fail group of 28 at-risk students who failed or withdrew from the MAST program; and (4) 66 at-risk students who were eligible for MAST but who did not participate. Groups who took the MAST course were compared with those who did not on dimensions of previous academic performance, ability level, subsequent retention level, and subsequent academic performance. The findings revealed that MAST-Pass students had statistically significantly better academic performance during the semester the course was offered, compared to their previous semester, and compared to other groups who did not take or successfully complete the course. (NB)