This research study explored the perceived impact of the campus visit on the college search process and whether specific elements of the campus visit were perceived to have greater or lesser influence on individuals' college choices. The research sought to specifically address the questions: 1. What impact do matriculated undergraduate college…

This dissertation examines the post-college career choices of no-loan program alumni at Harvard College. Using a conceptual framework informed by elements of social cognitive career theory (Lent et al., 1994) and Perna's (2006) model of college choice, it identifies "what" careers alumni chose after college and "how" and…

Low-income students are underrepresented at selective colleges. Most evaluative criteria used by admissions officers are correlated with income, including test scores and performance in high school. Inspired in part by the current state of the use of testing in college admissions, this study examines how the quality of colleges attended by…

This qualitative case study examined the efficacy of one university's academic interventions in support of conditionally admitted (CA) students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective was to gain insights into how academic interventions changed for CA students and how the students used academic interventions during COVID-19 at one four-year…

There is a nursing shortage in the United States which has become even more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite qualified applicants, thousands of students are turned away from educational programs each year as programs reach capacity limits. The rejection may have social, psychological, and economic consequences for the student.…

In this dissertation, I examined the experiences of QuestBridge Scholars attending three different elite universities that enroll more students from the top income quintile than from the lowest three income quintiles combined. The universities attended by participants in this study are among the few that are both need-blind and that fully meet…

Postsecondary institutions, especially selective ones, use standardized tests such as SAT and ACT as important indicators to measure applicants' academic abilities. However, many studies have found that the test scores correlate to applicants' racial/ethnic backgrounds. Selective institutions work hard to secure their diverse classes. Hence, more…

Career services professionals and academic advisors support students as they pursue their goals. Yet, scholars know little about the lived experiences of students placed into alternative degree programs after they fail to secure admission or are rescinded from a selective or regulated professional program such as nursing, teaching, or social work.…

This study sought to understand the student perceptions of parallel academic degree planning for the competitive entry undergraduate Nursing program at a case study university. Parallel degree planning is a relatively new term of alternative curricular planning. The qualitative study includes nine students and their experiences in planning for…

In a world where decisions are increasingly scrutinized to ensure fairness across legally protected groups, it is critical to apply such scrutiny in a manner that is consistent with the law. This dissertation attempts to reconcile the legal definition and empirical measurement of disparate impact, one of two forms of discrimination recognized by…

The Federal Work-Study (FWS) program provides over $1 billion dollars annually in taxpayer-funded financial assistance to a unique population of at-risk, economically-disadvantaged U.S. college students with limited options for employment-related development. Research on the effects of FWS participation, especially professional development, is…

The discrepancies in college enrollment based on a student's socioeconomic background challenges the upward mobility of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Jesuit colleges and universities, guided by Catholic Social Teaching and their own focus on social justice, are uniquely positioned to facilitate the social mobility of the…

This study aimed to understand the transition experiences of first-generation Latinx undergraduate students and their families from high school to a highly selective private university after participating in a college access program. Additionally, this study sought to understand the different forms of cultural capital that may have supported the…

Amidst increased enrollment, economic recession, and state budget cuts to postsecondary education over the past two decades, two and four-year colleges and universities have employed a multitude of different approaches to managing resource allocation. At the crux of this issue is the internal struggle each institution faces: improving the level of…

"My Presence is a Disruption for Good" is a qualitative research study that explored the experiences of critically minded, first-generation higher education administrators and their work supporting first-generation college students enrolled at highly selective institutions. As the number of first-generation college students enrolled at…