Examining Parental Influence on College Choice and Major of Homeschooled Pre- and Post-STEM Transfer Students

• In Event: 44.084 - Roundtable Session 18
  In Roundtable Session: 44.084-7 - How Student Engagement Mediates Student Success

Abstract

The current study fills the gap in literature on homeschooled students and their college choice. This study examined a sample of pre- and post-transfer students who were all declared STEM majors and analyzed their characteristics and the parental influence over their choice of college major. Participants who successfully transferred to a four-year institution tended to be White and had parents with advanced degrees in STEM fields. The students’ reasons for attending a community college rather than four-year institutions included low costs, dual enrollment option, and facilitating the transition from homeschool to college. It was discovered that the students who had successfully transferred had high degree aspirations, whereas, the pre-transfer students’ degree goals were not as narrowly defined.

Authors

• Veronica Lavenant Fematt, University of California - Santa Barbara

• Micaela Victoria Cesario Morgan, University of California - Santa Barbara