Mechanisms of Matriculation: School Counseling Resources and College Going for Latino Men

Abstract

This study extends prior work on the college-going efforts of Latino boys and adolescents (Latinos) by examining the extent to which meeting with a school counselor is related to their college-going aspirations and whether they apply to and ultimately matriculate to college. The study utilizes social capital and social reproduction theories to hypothesize about school counselors’ role in Latinos’ postsecondary matriculation. Utilizing data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, we used logistic regression to test the hypotheses that contact with a school counselor is related to an increased likelihood of intent to matriculate, application to 4-year institutions, and enrollment in college. We found that Latinos were just as likely as their White counterparts to aspire to college and just as likely to enroll if they applied. Moreover, those odds were not related to having visited a school counselor in ninth or 11th grade. We also found that Latinos who met with a school counselor in ninth grade were significantly less likely to apply to a 4-year institution while those who met with a counselor in 11th grade were significantly more likely to apply. We discuss the implications of our findings in light of existing research and make recommendations for future research and practice.