Out-of-Class High School Experiences and Students' College Aspirations

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 33
  In Roundtable Session: Readiness, Fit, and Match: Implications for College Access

Abstract

This study considers whether participation in several out-of-class experiences in high school may influence the odds that a student will aspire to earn a Bachelor’s degree and whether these experiences, considered together, have a cumulative effect on students’ degree aspirations. Results suggest that participation in several experiences, including science-related school programs, extracurricular activities, taking a college class, searching the Internet or reading college guides, and talking to a school counselor about going to college increase the odds that a student will aspire to earn a Bachelor’s degree. Findings also suggest a positive, linear relationship as a student increases their participation in these experiences, where participation in four or more of the high school experiences examined significantly increases students’ college aspirations.

Author

• Teniell L. Trolian, University at Albany, State University of New York