This qualitative study delves into understanding how filial piety and bicultural identity factors contribute to why Southeast Asian American (SEAA) students transition in and out of a limited enrollment (or selective) major choice in Nursing. The National Center for Education Statistics reported that more than 80% of students at 4-year…

This dissertation investigates the role of ethnic-racial identity in the college choice and first-year experience of Black and Latinx students attending a highly selective, large, public R1 in the Midwest. My research questions are guided by Camille Wilson's (formerly Cooper) Positioned School Choice (2007) and Critical Race Theory through Yosso's…

The National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools (NCSSS) is an organization comprised of member high schools from across the country, some of which are residential schools in which students from across the state apply to gain admittance to advanced academic science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. Underrepresentation of…

Many institutions have turned to individualized holistic review to make admissions decisions, which is meant to take a comprehensive view of the quantitative and qualitative elements that comprise a single application. Prior research shows holistic review lacks a common definition and the gap between theory and practice has not been thoroughly…

Higher education in the United States has evolved to expand its reach to various diverse student populations. The student cohort in higher education that has seen exponential growth over the past few decades at elite liberal arts colleges are students who served in the military. Veteran students can contribute greatly to communities of elite…

A number of studies have examined the impact of changes in price on students' enrollment decisions at the undergraduate level, but little is known about the price responsiveness of graduate and professional students. This dissertation utilizes difference-in-differences and regression-discontinuity methods to analyze student-level data for admitted…

In recent years, attention to the number of students struggling to meet basic needs such as food and housing has grown, and services such as food pantries, emergency grants, and assistance accessing public benefits have become increasingly common on college campuses. However, much is still unknown about why colleges and universities are adopting…

College access programs have been created to provide students of color opportunities to attend college. The Posse Foundation selects promising urban high school students to attend highly selective colleges and universities across the country. College success is dependent on a variety of factors, two of which are successful social and academic…

Fraternal organizations have existed on campus since the founding of Phi Beta Kappa in 1776 (Baird, 1991; DeSantis, 2007; "Phi Beta Kappa," n.d.; Thelin, 2011; Torbenson, 2005, 2009). Empirical evidence shows that membership brings added value to an undergraduate student experience (Biddix et al., 2014; G. D. Kuh & Lyons, 1990).…

This study was conducted to determine which admission criteria are most commonly utilized in selecting students into sonography programs, and whether a relationship exists between admission criteria and academic success in sonography education. All program directors from CAAHEP-accredited or CAAHEP-accreditation seeking sonography programs were…

Academic advising can teach students how to engage with post-secondary curricula and connect curricular engagement to career exploration and lifelong learning. However, academic advising is both a one-on-one activity and a systemic enterprise, and institutions should thoroughly communicate the benefits and functions of advising on official…

The purpose of this quantitative dissertation in practice was to explore the academic achievement of students of low socioeconomic status attending the District of Columbia's traditional and selective public high schools, as measured by the annual Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) standardized test scores. The…

The undergraduate major change or declaration process can be cumbersome for students who find themselves in unknown territories when making decisions or seeking help during this transition. One of the most challenging groups of students to assist through this transition are those who are denied access to their intended program of study. These…

Leaders in the U.S. Army have recently emphasized that there is a gap between the skills required for strategic leaders and those required to succeed at the entry (tactical) and intermediate (operational) levels of the organization. The problem is compounded by the fact that elevation to senior leadership positions only occurs following…

Lackluster BA completion rates have made it clear that improving postsecondary outcomes in the U.S. is not simply a matter of raising college enrollment rates. In addition to increasing the number of people who attend college, it is also important to increase the number of people who graduate. Over the years, scholars have identified many factors…