College Choice Research Articles

Top College Choices and Friendship Differences by Sexual Orientations

We examined aspects of LGBQ+ students’ college choice processes in this study. Specifically, friendship and top college selection measures from the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) showed differences among students who entered college in 2016 and 2017. Findings indicated queer students more likely attended their top choice, and lesbian, bisexual, queer, and questioning students are less likely to attend college with a friend.

Effects of Reduced Community College Tuition on College Choices and Degree Completion

Abstract Recent efforts to increase college access and completion concentrate on reducing tuition rates at community colleges, but researchers and policy makers alike have expressed concern that such reductions may not lead to long-term gains in college completion. In this paper, I use detailed data on students’ college enrollment and completion outcomes to study how community college tuition rates affect students’ outcomes across both public and private colleges. By exploiting spatial variation in tuition rates, I find that reducing tuition at a student's local community college by $1,000 increases enrollment at the college by 3.5 percentage points (18 percent) and reduces enrollment at non-local community colleges, for-profit institutions, and other private, vocationally focused colleges, by 1.9 percentage points (15 percent). This shift in enrollment choices increases students’ persistence in college, credit completion, and the probability that they transfer to and earn bachelor's degrees from four-year colleges.

Employment of university graduates participating in external academic mobility programs

The relevance of the study is determined by the need to understand the role of academic mobility of graduates of Kazakhstani universities in increasing their competitiveness in employment. This article is devoted to the analysis of the employment of university graduates who have had external academic mobility programs. The study of the role of academic mobility of graduates of Kazakhstani universities in the process of their further employment was carried out on the basis of an analysis of some research results conducted on the basis of the Center for the Bologna Process and Academic Mobility of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (СBP&AM) in 2012–2013, as well as the results of a survey of students in a number of Kazakhstani universities conducted by the authors on the basis of the South Kazakhstan University in 2020. The analysis of various factors and measures influencing the increase in the efficiency of academic mobility of university graduates is carried out. As a result of the questionnaire survey, it was found that the majority of university graduates who were trained under the program of academic mobility in foreign universities were able to find a job rather quickly. It is concluded that the lack of funding for tuition does not always contribute to the choice of a strong partner university by students for internship under the academic mobility program. As a result of the study, the authors made a proposal that universities need to strengthen their work to assist in employment on the basis of mutually beneficial partnerships with employers, as well as to ensure that the competencies acquired by students abroad meet the requirements of the labor market in Kazakhstan.

Educating the Elites: School Counselors as Education Nannies in Urban China

This study examines a new profession in China and those who inhabit it—admissions counselors who advise Chinese students on how to apply to colleges in the United States. This study was conducted in the international divisions of eight Chinese public high schools in five cities in China and aims to fill the void in our knowledge of the vital role of counselors in bridging the Chinese and American education systems, in a context of expanded college choice for the children of elites. The findings highlight the duality and dilemma of the positional advantages among elite parents in China in choosing international education while lacking the cultural capital to navigate the higher education system in the West. Elite parents transmit their dilemma and the associated anxieties to those positioned to help them—their counselors. Although the international education segment is still a small portion of the Chinese education system, it is part and parcel of neoliberal education reforms that are increasingly privatizing the education sector and emphasizing the service aspect of education administrators.

Using PLS-SEM algorithm for Choice of University in Vietnam

The paper tested the factors which influenced the choice of university. Survey data were gathered from 318 students studying at Ho Chi Minh City Industrial University, Vietnam. In the sense of education in Vietnam, the study model was suggested from the university choice studies. We used the PLS-SEM algorithm in Adanco software for analyzing statistics. PLS-SEM algorithm shows that university choice (LC) has been influenced by the University Choice’s five components including Future career expectation (DU), University Reputation, Enroll opportunity (CH), Individual capacity (NL), and Group references (NTK). University Characteristics (DD) and Communication (TT) at university were not influenced University Choice of Student.

Trans Students’ College Choice & Journeys to Undergraduate Education

ABSTRACT Research demonstrates a clear connection between socialization initiatives and college student retention. Less clear are the ways transgender students select an institution to attend and transition into postsecondary education. As scholars dedicate efforts to understand trans college student success, more information is needed to determine how socialization initiatives fit in the success puzzle. Drawing upon an extensive qualitative study of trans college students, this article seeks to identify the factors that affect trans students’ college choice process and their experiences with anticipatory socialization initiatives moving into their first semester of study. Findings indicated that students attempted to grasp an institution’s commitment to transgender inclusion through various questions and online tools. Additionally, participants indicated the normalization of discussions concerning chosen names and pronouns suggested a supportive campus environment that helped them feel secure in selecting the institution.

Vocational identity and students’ college degree choices: a preliminary study.

ABSTRACT Students’ degree choices are often made without an achieved vocational identity. In fact, some students perceive a discrepancy between their ambitions and their university course choices. In this preliminary study, I employed the interpretative phenomenological analysis approach to study the experiences of two master’s degree economics students enrolled in two Italian universities. The aim was to understand the students’ perception of emotional costs associated with the discrepancy between their vocational identity and their university degree choices. Five themes, regret, disappointment, selfishness, the influence of family/teachers and job opportunities emerged from the interpretation. The emotional cost of wrong degree choices hindered the students’ process of overcoming their psychosocial crises. Finally, recommendations were made for providing counselling services in secondary schools.

Coming Soon to a Neighborhood Near You? Off-Campus Recruiting by Public Research Universities

Scholarship on college choice largely focuses on how students search for colleges but less is known about how colleges recruit students. This article analyzes off-campus recruiting visits for 15 public research universities. We Web-scrape university admissions websites and issue public records requests to collect data on recruiting visits. Analyses explore the similarities and differences in off-campus recruiting patterns across universities in the study. Results reveal socioeconomic, racial, and geographic disparities in recruiting patterns. In particular, most universities made more out-of-state than in-state visits, and out-of-state visits systematically targeted affluent, predominantly White localities. We recommend that future research should exploit new data collection methodologies to develop a systematic literature on marketing and recruiting practices in higher education.

Determinants of Studying at “Home” while Living “Abroad”: A Grounded Theory Study on College-Choice among Western Expatriate and Transnational Distance Students in the Republic of Korea

Since the mid 1980s to today, the Republic of Korea has experienced significant immigration. The influx of various forms of migrants has started changing the makeup of an otherwise ethnically homogenous society. Despite such demographics changes, commensurate adjustments to government policies or institutional services have not necessarily occurred. Globalization and related technological advancements, however, have made it possible to sidestep limitations/obstacles resulting from a lack of recognition or change. In the case of education, the Internet has enabled, at least for some, the ability to continue pursuing education “home”, while continuing to work and live “abroad”. Nevertheless, the determinants of distance education in such instances has not been adequately investigated. Though college choice literature is plentiful, it is largely traditional student oriented and based on face-to-face instruction. Few studies have investigated distance education college choice, which is largely composed of non-traditional student groups. As a result, the motivations and influences on this population’s college enrollment are poorly understood. This grounded theory study investigated the college choice process of long-term foreign residents in Korea who were enrolled in distance education programs in their home countries or abroad elsewhere. Eight expatriate and two transnational distance students participated in interviews where themes of repatriation as a determinant for the impetus to study surfaced, with local educational ecosystem inaccessibility, and home country ecosystem convenience as mediating factors. Implications for policy and directions for local Korean educational institutions are discussed as well as for institutions “abroad”. Future areas of research are suggested.

Which disadvantaged students study medicine? Analysis of an English outreach scheme.

BackgroundStudents from disadvantaged backgrounds continue to be underrepresented in medical education. Widening participation (WP) or outreach schemes seek to increase diversity. Drawing on previously unexplored data from a scheme called Realising Opportunities in England, this study aimed to investigate which high‐achieving socioeconomically disadvantaged students in a national WP scheme went on to study medicine at university.MethodsThis retrospective longitudinal study analyzed data of 2665 16‐year‐olds on a WP scheme in England between 2010 and 2014. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses investigated any differences between those that went on to study medicine and those that did not. Eligibility for studying medicine, student's neighborhood, gender, ethnicity, parent's higher education experience, exam attainment, interest in medicine, and their subject of choice for university at age 16 were considered.ResultsOf the 1850 students who were tracked to a university destination, only 55 (3%) studied medicine. Participants with high exam results, female, Asian, and from neighborhoods of higher university entry were most likely to study medicine. In the multivariate model, only prior attainment and intention to study medicine predicted studying medicine. Three hundred and forty Realising Opportunities participants expressed interest in studying medicine at age 16, but 80 (24%) were found to have unrealistic aspirations based on their prior academic attainment.ConclusionsAttainment and intention were key factors for predicting medicine enrolment among these outreach scheme participants. Some students interested in studying medicine had insufficient academic attainment to compete for medical school places. Efforts to equalize attainment and provide guidance for career choice are crucial factors for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Public Narratives and Postsecondary Pursuits: An Examination of Gender, Rurality, and College Choice

There remains a need in education scholarship to understand how social processes act across levels to influence one another, drive cultural norms, and direct students’ postsecondary pursuits, with careful consideration of students’ held identities and the communities in which they are embedded. Utilizing narrative constitution of identity and the ecological systems model, this study uses qualitative data to illustrate some of the social forces that create and sustain cisgendered public narratives about education and careers in rural communities. Implications for future research on public narratives in rural communities and practical recommendations for combatting these public narratives; sharing counternarratives; and creating new, more inclusive public narratives are discussed.

What academia say on university choices in achieving the future goals of studying abroad: meta-analysis

This paper aimed to understand what the academic elites think about the student's university decision process and achieve students' future goals from studying at foreign universities. Because the success of studying abroad is believed to be closely related to the process of selecting university candidates with all the advantages and prestige of each university offered during recruitment promotions, to understand this, we searched for data sources electronically from various international journals and promotional advertisements. We processed this in a phenomenological approach that begins with understanding the problem and the study's hypothesis—the coding system, evaluation, and in-depth interpretation to get the findings' validity and reliability. Our data sources are based on Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, and other sources from 2010 to 2021. Based on the results of the discussion of the findings data, we can conclude our findings, among others. The decision to study abroad is first beginning with the right subject, course content, sports and societies, student accommodation, and scholarship availability. To get that information, applicants have to research alumni meetings, scholarship tours and promotions, western or eastern countries, and use multiple information sources. Thus, these findings should help prospective students and universities explore prospective international students' advertisements.

The Regional Structure of Higher Education and the Role of Distance Learning

Abstract In the time of the COVID-19 pandemic the importance of distance learning is being enhanced, while formal, full-time, face-to-face university education is being converted to distance learning. The study explores the role of the Universities in distance learning market and reveals the factors that influence the students’ university choice. The regional embeddedness of higher education in the Western Transdanubian region is analysed, highlighting the catchment areas of the region’s universities. The educational commuting of distance learning students to the region increases purchasing power, has a positive impact on the rental market, the labour market and can boost future settlement. Commuting, university selection and training selection behaviours of correspondence and distance training of students is examined using questionnaires. The aim is to establish whether the university selection of correspondence training students is influenced by distance and by the characteristics of the student‘s place of residence. The findings show that distance is one of the main factors during the university-selection process in the case of any kind of distance learning.

A Systemic Perspective

A Systemic Perspective

Un dispositivo di self-directed guidance per orientare alle professioni educative

Nell'ambito del progetto POT "Super", l'Università di Firenze ha progettato e applicato un dispositivo di self-directed guidance indirizzato a studenti e studentesse delle classi quarte e quinte di cinque Scuole Secondarie di Secondo Grado di Firenze e provincia, a supporto di una scelta universitaria motivata e consapevole rispetto alle proprie prefigurazioni e propensioni professionali. L'allineamento con la ricerca Teco D pedagogia ha consentito di creare una continuità formativa tra dispositivo di guidance e corso di laurea ponendoli nella stessa traiettoria di professionalizzazione, intercettando anche le opportunità offerte dalle Linee guida MIUR per la progettazione dei Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e per l'Orientamento (PCTO). Il contributo, attraverso una descrizione del dispositivo e del protocollo di implementazione, intende evidenziare alcune dimensioni del Progetto POT apparse innovative e potenzialmente in grado di produrre impatto su modelli di orientamento universitario.

Joint Programs in Vietnam in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic: “A model” of Students’ Preference (What do Learners Care about?)

This study is among the first attempts to provide an understanding of factors affecting students’ intention to choose the joint programs for undergraduate education in Vietnam in the time of new normal context (i.e. COVID-19 pandemic). A questionnaire-based survey was employed to collect data from high school and undergraduate students. The Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method is used to analyze the data collected. Overall, results show that the joint programs that are attractive to Vietnamese students/pupils should have international standardized content, include subjects that are highly applicable, qualification of teaching staffs. In terms of COVID-19 pandemic effect, the COVID-19 pandemic increases the probability of student choosing joint programs. This finding predicts that there may be a significant drop in the number of students studying the joint programs in Vietnam after the COVID-19 is under control as they may go to study abroad.
 Keywords:
 Joint program, Vietnam, student’s preference, PLS-SEM.
 References
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Взаимоотношения «человек — алгоритм — человек» как социальная проблема и проблема для социологов. Рец. на кн.: Cathy O’Neil. Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy. New York: Crown Publishers, 2016

Сегодня исследования взаимоотношений «человек — алгоритм — человек» вызывают все возрастающий интерес среди представителей разных дисциплин. Рецензируемая книга вносит вклад в эту область и предлагает критический взгляд на нерефлексивное внедрение алгоритмов в жизнь общества. Предлагая оригинальный термин «оружие математического поражения» (weapons of math destruction, ОМП), автор книги Кэти О’Нил формулирует основной тезис: в современном американском обществе именно такой тип моделей оказывает все более пагубное влияние на жизнь людей. Книга посвящена анализу проблем, возникающих с проникновением ОМП в различные сферы: от выбора университета до приема на работу, от оценки здоровья сотрудников до получения кредита, от организации работы полиции до выдачи новостей в социальных сетях. Некоторые из описанных алгоритмов подпадают под определение искусственного интеллекта, некоторые могут потенциально им стать при дальнейшем развитии технологий. В первой части рецензии автор описывает основные тезисы, изложенные в книге, и аргументацию, подкрепляющую эти утверждения. Во второй части содержание книги рассматривается через попытку ответить на три вопроса: почему книга будет интересна российскому читателю? чем она интересна социальному ученому? чем исследования социальных ученых могли бы быть интересны автору рецензируемой монографии? Автор приходит к выводу, что понятие «оружие математического поражения» обладает значительной эвристической ценностью для социальных наук. Благодарность. Исследование выполнено при финансовой поддержке РФФИ и Министерства по науке и технологиям Тайваня в рамках научного проекта № 21-511-52002.

Navigating the impact of the community on community college diversity, equity, and inclusion

AbstractAmerican community colleges are typically public 2‐year higher education institutions with a history and mission of providing educational access to the people in the communities in which they are located and serve. Nationally community colleges continue to become more diverse, providing increased access especially for the socioeconomically disadvantaged, women, and other marginalized groups (Malcom, 2012). Since community colleges continue to become more diverse, many have focused their attention on diversity, equity, and inclusion (D.E.I.) efforts. These efforts are impacted by the local community (location and culture). In this article, the researcher used geography of college choice and Braddock's perpetuation hypothesis as the frameworks for examining the impact of the community on community college campus diversity, as well as D.E.I. efforts. The researcher also provides recommendations including how to use data to navigate the impact of the community on the community college's diversity and D.E.I. efforts.

Indonesian’s Parent Consideration: The Decision About Private University Choice for Their Children

This scientific article results from research based on what factors are considered by parents in choosing private universities in Indonesia. This research is a quantitative study using a survey method. Data were analyzed using Factor Analysis. The steps in this research begin with a literature study, determining variables and indicators. Researchers collected data by distributing questionnaires that were presented by existing facts, organized and systematic. Based on factor analysis through statistical tests, it shows several factors that are considered by parents in choosing private universities, namely academic (product), promotion, registration and lecture processes, tuition fees (economy), campus location, and lecturer reputation. Based on the level of importance of the factors, it is known that promotion and product (academic) factors are the main variables on which parents choose private universities for their children; The next factor is the registration process and the learning process.

Are the effects always positive? Rethinking the role of parental social capital in the university choice process

ABSTRACT The extant literature on parental involvement in the university choice process sheds light on the positive impact of parents’ social capital on enrolment. Little research captures the complex dynamics of parental social capital that might within certain sociocultural and economic contexts compound the effects on university choice and access. This study contributes insight to address this gap, from the context of Hong Kong. It administered a questionnaire survey to 139 students and examined the role of parental social capital in students’ university aspirations. Moderated multiple regression analysis and simple slope analysis revealed that parent-student involvement – a main composite of parental social capital – weakened rather than strengthened the effect of parents’ cultural capital on the students’ educational aspirations. This study cautions us against a context-independent stance towards the value of parental social capital and warrants future research and policy work on how to optimise parental involvement in education.