The Complexities of College for All

Abstract

When 89% of high school graduates plan BA degrees, and low-achieving seniors who plan degrees have 80% failure rates, raising already high plans may be a poor strategy for improving college success. Using data on 7th-10th grade students, Domina et al. argue that higher plans are associated with success and suggest that my study of high school seniors is wrong. While their findings may indicate that MA plans are beneficial (although 7th-10th graders who know about MA degrees may be unusual), their research does not speak to my findings about seniors, whose plans are already very high. Contrary to Domina et al., I contend that effort may be reduced by poor articulation and information (not by high plans). I am pessimistic about poor articulation, not a “college for all ethos.” I have shown that many seniors have high plans but poor information, and this leads to predictable failures in college. Further raising those plans may improve 7th-10th grade efforts, but will not improve seniors’ college success.