Freshmen in College: Who Will Stay, and Who Will Leave?

• In Event: Factors Influencing Retention in Postsecondary Education

Abstract

Many U.S. universities are concerned with student retention. The current study surveyed 237 first time college students at a Midwestern university to determine the extent to which socio-cognitive factors, such as high school GPA, ACT scores, first semester college GPA, college self-efficacy and perceptions of mentorship support influence freshmen’s intent to persist and academic success.
The study’s findings show that college self-efficacy and perceptions of mentorship were the strongest predictors for intentions to persist past the first college semester. High school GPA was the strongest predictor, but ACT scores, perceptions of mentorship and participation in Learning Communities also significantly predicted first semester college GPA. However, college self-efficacy was not a predictor of first semester college GPA

Authors

• Stefanie Theresia Baier, Wayne State University

• Barry Markman, Wayne State University

• Francesca Pernice-Duca, Wayne State University

• Stephen B. Hillman, Wayne State University

• Patricia Siple, Wayne State University