Research Report Detail
| Title | ||
|---|---|---|
| Improving the Odds: Factors that Increase the Likelihood of Four-Year College Attendance Among High School Seniors
Jacqueline E. King; | ||
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01/01/1996 The central purpose of this study was to identify factors that increase the likelihood that high school seniors will plan to attend a four-year college, paying particular attention to variables that are associated with college attendance by low-income students. Logistic regression was applied to data from three sources: a telephone interview of high school seniors who took the SAT I: Reasoning Test, a paper-and-pencil survey that students completed when they registered for the SAT, and the students' combined SAT scores. This study evaluated how effectively eight factors, or sets of variables, predicted whether these seniors planned to attend a four-year college or university. The eight factors were: personal background, high school characteristics, family expectations, personal expectations, high school course work, financial concerns, academic achievement, and college counseling. The findings of this study reinforced those in much of the literature. In addition, this study found two previously untested variables to be particularly important predictors. The number of years students spent taking college preparatory courses had a significant positive effect on the probability that they planned to attend a four-year college or university. The findings also suggested that counselors play a more important role than had previously been identified. |
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