Freshmen persistence rates continue to decline as transitioning college freshmen tend to be experiencing an increase in stress levels, crisis issues, and academic concerns. Educational institutions need to take the opportunity to by assisting high school students and transitioning students address their unrealistic expectations of what their college experience will be like. The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the transition for students from high school to college to determine if expectations met their actual experiences. They study also investigated the extent to which demographic characteristics. Additionally, the influencers (college officials, high school officials, family, friends, and media) of transitioning students' expectations was explored. After a thorough review of the literature, research questions for this quantitative study were created to explore the perceptions that incoming college freshmen have about their higher education experience will be like compared to the reality of their experiences. Five questions guided this study: 1.To what extent do incoming freshmen have unrealistic expectations of their higher education experience? 2.What sources contribute to freshmen students' unrealistic expectations about college experiences? 3.To what extent does the difference between expectations and actual experience affect the satisfaction of freshmen students? 4.To what extent does a relationship exist between college freshmen's background characteristics and student expectations for college and their satisfaction with their college experience? 5.To what extent does a relationship exist between college freshmen's background characteristics and perceived sources that contribute to unrealistic expectations with their college experience? The methodology of this study was an anonymous online survey through SurveyMonkey. The survey yielded a return of 266 respondents (29%) with 236 completed. Surveys. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, means, and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (Cronbach's alpha, Spearman's rho, Chi-Square, ANOVA, and Bonferroni's test) were used to analyze the data. This research study found that 12% of transitioning participants to have a mismatch of expectations for college and their college experience. Transitioning student participants from suburban high schools most often indicated their expectations did not match their experiences. Thirty-seven percent of transitioning participants were neither satisfied/unsatisfied or unsatisfied with their college experience. The study also found that the college group of influencers had the greatest influence across the demographic characteristics with the media being the smallest influencer group. Based on participants' gender, there were no significant differences for the four influencer groups. Based on the findings, recommendations were made that focus on professional practices and future research. Recommendations for practice include the institution of transition program support, such as bridge-type programs that address the expectations transitioning students have about what college will be like. Another recommendation is open dialogue with high school students that prepares them for what to expect in college. Ideally, a partnership would be formed between high school influencers and college influencers, so that students ae equipped to adapt and navigate their new environments. This includes influencers educating students on their new autonomy, responsibilities, and academic experiences. It is recommended that college personnel review this study for useful information to enhance recruitment and retentive initiatives. Program modifications could reduce mismatches of expectations and research, which would lead to increased student persistence. It is also recommended that parents, guardians, siblings, and friends educate themselves on the current college experience, so that they may utilize their relationships with their transitioning students to communicate regarding new responsibilities and changes in social and academic dynamics. Recommendations for research include conducting follow-up surveys to better identify gaps and compare to the data already received. Additional recommendations include conducting a qualitative or mixed methods study, so that in-depth understanding of the topic and details can be garnered. An improved survey delivery method that would capture an increased response rate is also recommended. A longitudinal study after the course of several years that was conducted at integral points in time would be beneficial. It is recommended that researchers further explore transitioning students' participation in clubs and activities with the hopes of providing insight into satisfaction levels of college experiences. The final recommendation is that survey questions be modify to include such items as student skills, academic skills, and social skills, so that additional cross-tabulation analytics can be conducted to focus on an array of issues that transitional student face. Overall, there is a need to cultivate college transition programs while students are still enrolled in high school. If we help student set realistic expectations about what their college experience will be like, persistence levels will increase. In order to prevent attrition and decrease the need for a multitude of costly student resources once students are at college, assessment and modification of student service practices are appropriate. 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