Students coming into college lack the basic non-cognitive skills necessary for success in higher education. As a result, many students struggle in their early courses. Most college admissions focus on cognitive measures such as high school grade point averages (GPA) and high-stakes exams; however, these factors alone are not the sole predictors of student success. By studying when students develop these non-cognitive skills, schools can narrow the perception gap in student preparedness and increase overall first-year student performance. This study was a quasi-experimental, quantitative design to examine the academic performance of college students in their first year who received non-cognitive skills training before starting college with those who received it during their freshman seminar program at a private Midwest faith-based liberal arts university, using the results from the Noel Levitz College Student Inventory[C] (CSI) as an indicator of non-cognitive skills training in comparison to first-year student performance as measured by GPA, credits attempted versus earned, and retention. By comparing GPA, credits attempted versus earned, and retention of students who self-reported high on the CSI in non-cognitive skill areas with those who self-reported as low to determine the impact of a first-year experience course, the results showed that non-cognitive skills impact student success as measured by GPA, retention, and credits attempted versus earned. Moreover, while the study did not show any conclusive results between the students with non-cognitive skills training before college and those who received it during their first semester, it still showed an impact overall and further supports what other studies have also found (Anderson et al., 2020). Developing non-cognitive skills, at any point, can better prepare students for the rigor of college. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]