Presented at the AP Annual Conference (APAC) in Las Vegas, NV in July 2013. This analysis takes a close look at first-generation Advanced Placement® (AP®) test takers to better understand the needs and challenges they face on their path to college. The analysis focuses on college-bound AP test takers who also took the SAT and examines a variety of…

This paper presents a theoretical discussion of how students make educational behavior decisions including attending a given institution, transferring, or dropping out. The theory is seen to apply to students of all ages and both sexes with implications for all areas of postsecondary education. The theory holds that educational decisions are based…

Compared development of postsecondary education plans of African American and White ninth graders, vs variables of the Hossler/Gallagher Three Phase Model of College Choice. Subjects were from 2,930 households with students attending 21 Indiana high schools. Results indicate the variables were more predictive for Whites than African Americans, and…

An evaluation was done of a precollege intervention program that aimed at introducing ninth graders to the idea of going to college, and to challenge them to think about and make a commitment to attending college. The program brought 450 mostly Black and Hispanic ninth graders from an inner-city school district to visit a mid-sized rural…