Recent research has increasingly been studying the long-lasting effects of secondary education structures and processes on higher education (HE) outcomes. While the influence of socioeconomic composition on higher education enrolment is established, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We posit that the composition effect partially runs…

Background: The transition of high school students to higher education can be an overwhelming experience which may impact on academic outcomes. Despite increases in access, course completion rates remain problematic in Chile. Students' expectations of higher education can play an important role in their decision-making, especially in terms of…

This study explores the college choice process and experiences of California Latinx students applying to selective, four-year institutions. The literature review reveals existing disparities in outcomes for California Latinx students attending open-access institutions, highlighting the potential for private, selective colleges to increase…

Research has shown that family structure changes negatively influence educational attainment, but they overlook qualitative distinctions in college choice, such as college selectivity. Yet, college choice research has largely focused on static measures of family structure, failing to account for year-to-year family structure changes that occur…

This article examines how sub-Saharan African families in the United States engage with high schools and the college-going process. Using qualitative methods and the concept of home-school dissonance, Chrystal A. George Mwangi shows how African immigrant families--one of the fastest-growing yet least-studied immigrant groups--develop educational…

The pandemic period of the past two years has altered many aspects of the high school and college experience for students. With more emphasis on hybrid and virtual experiences, how has this impacted the college search process for high school students? What do they value, what do they need to know, and what information have they seen? Ruffalo Noel…

This paper presents a model of college choice that suggests that students' choice of college can be related to perceived "capital conversion" benefits. The model was tested on an evenly distributed sample (n=22,109) of students; one group attending elite colleges (with average freshman Scholastic Assessment Test scores of 1200 or higher)…