African American College Choice Processes in a Post-209 Era

• In Event: African American Students Navigating California Higher Education Post–Proposition 209

Abstract

This paper reflects a mixed-method analysis of online survey data among African American student applicants to the UC system for Fall 2015 (n=6286) and individual interviews (n=60) conducted in Summer 2015 among students who declined an offer to a UC campus.
Data from the 2014 UC San Diego CIRP survey (n=42) of students who declined enrollment offers, African American respondents cited the following reasons for not choosing this particular campus.
• 77% accepted to another school
• 39.6%-too far from home
• 25%- too far from home
• 18.8%- lack of cultural diversity
These percentages are commensurate with respondents from other racial groups (White, Asian American, Filipino, Latino, Mexican American, Native American). Interestingly, African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans did not cite “prestige” or “school reputation” as a reason for declining the invitation to UC San Diego, whereas other groups cited this factor.

Survey data from the Project EXCEL provides a more nuanced probe into the factors related to high-achieving African American students’ postsecondary choices. Demographic information pertaining to students’ familial backgrounds and levels of community engagement provide the researchers with the opportunity to inform the field of education research about the ways in which social, gender, and economic influence African American choices. Initial analyses show that African American student choices strongly reflect financial considerations, school reputations and affiliations, and early college planning.

Individual interview data on African American Students that were admitted to a UC campus but opted to attend a different institution enables the research team to better understand the full array of factors influencing their college decision process. Participants were asked about several aspects of the college choice process, including specific factors such as available financial aid, institutions reputation, location, academic programs, and campus climate, to better understand the priority factors that have the greatest influence on African American student college choice.

Findings from this study, in addition to filling a void in the higher education literature on African American college choice and public systems, are critical for policy makers and institutional agents from selective universities as they can allow universities to better serve and attract high achieving African Americans to campus.

Authors

• Frances Contreras, University of California - San Diego

• Thandeka K. Chapman, University of California - San Diego

• Eddie Comeaux, University of California - Riverside

• Gloria M. Rodriguez, University of California - Davis

• Eligio Martinez, University of California - San Diego