This study investigated how economically and sociologically underprivileged students readied themselves for college, highlighting factors affecting the lowest socioeconomic status (SES) students' chances to: secure college qualifications, graduate from high school, and apply to four-year institutions. Data from the 1998 National Educational…

This report examines the college aspirations and decisionmaking factors gathered from 53 interviews with Black, female, college-bound students, their parents, friends, college counselors, teachers, and school staff. The goal was to reveal how the students' lives and their access to postsecondary education have been framed and structured by the…

This qualitative study explored personal and program experiences that affect dissertation completion and non-completion to provide insights that might help students and faculty in their decision-making and advising. Interviews were conducted with 13 graduates and 9 "all-but-dissertation" (ABD) students regarding the traits they felt led…

Using data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program of students who were college freshmen in 1986 and responded to a follow-up survey in 1990, this study examined differences in degree aspirations and attainment between intercollegiate football or basketball players (N=158) and other intercollegiate athletes (N=801). Although there were…

This paper summarizes results of a survey examining educational attitudes, lifestyle, and aspirations of Hispanic students in south Texas. Many students live in impoverished, rural, unincorporated subdivisions called "colonias" that are growing around Laredo, Texas, and other border cities. An introduction to the Texas/Mexico border…

The study examined antecedents to high educational achievement of 42 selected Mexican Americans (university professors, third-year law students, and third- and fourth-year medical students) in 5 southwestern universities (4 in California and 1 in New Mexico). Two related considerations prompted the investigation: failure of many Mexican Americans…

The effects of three methods of evaluation (norm-referenced, regulated criterion-referenced, and negotiated criterion-referenced) on academic self-concept (ASC), test anxiety, and aspiration of success were studied for 73 college students (71 females and 2 males) from a large midwestern research university. Students were given a limited amount of…

The relationship of students' certainty about academic and career plans to student retention and persistence to graduation was investigated. The effect of race was also considered. In fall 1979 a survey was administered to 3,277 freshmen entering a major, public, research university. Respondents indicated reasons for choosing a college, their…

The postsecondary educational plans of black and white high school seniors in the class of 1972 were compared with those in the same racial classification in the class of 1980. Four planning categories were examined: vocational school, community college-vocational, community college-academic, and 4-year college or university. Data were extracted…

The background, career and educational aspirations, and attitudes of 148 female freshmen in the Arkansas Ozarks were studied to determine reasons for underachievement and lack of commitment among females of this region. Comparisons were also made to responses of 54 male students. All respondents were residents of 29 hill counties and attended…

The objective of this study is to examine factors influencing student achievement in Greece at the end of secondary schooling with special emphasis on the national examination, based on which selection in higher education is determined. The identification of these factors and their hierarchical contribution to achievement is investigated in a…

The responsiveness of higher education to changing market conditions was assessed in five studies. Two of the studies (information gap studies) were designed to determine the amount of information and interest in higher education held by male and female adults. Another study (community college survey) determined the extent to which community…

A causal model to explain student attrition was tested at a major midwestern land-grant university with a sample of 1,513 full-time, unmarried freshmen who were 21 years old or younger. The causal model was reduced from 23 to 10 variables: an intent variable, three attitudinal variables, and two each of organizational, personal, and environmental…

A questionnaire administered to 1979 incoming freshmen at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was used to assess the effects of educational maturity on college choice. Educational maturity is defined by the student's certainty about college major and career choice. Results show that strength of the major department is the most frequent…

This study seeks an answer to one broad question, "Do black children who attend racially desegregated schools, have educational aspirations and expectations which are significantly different (either higher or lower) from black children who attend racially segregated schools?" To facilitate this, the study not only examines the…