College Choice and Access to College: Moving Policy, Research and Practice to the 21st Century ASHE Higher Education Report, Volume 35, Number 4

by Bergerson, Amy A.

• ISBN13: 9780470613917
• ISBN10: 0470613912
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-01-07
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

Faced with continuing racial and social stratification, higher education institutions seek ways to increase access to the postsecondary education environment for increasingly diverse student populations in the United States. Attention to the preparation of students for college, changes in policies addressing financial aid and the K-20 schooling environment, and movement away from comprehensive models of college choice are characteristics of recent research examining the ways students from different backgrounds determine whether or where to go to college. This volume explores the nuances of the college choice process, focusing specifically on the experiences of students of color and students from lower socieconomic backgrounds, summarizing the extensive body of literature that shapes practice, policy, and research around college choice.This is the fourth issue in the 35th volume of the Jossey-Bass series ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph in the series is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education problem, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.

Author Biography

Amy Aldous Bergerson is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Utah.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary	p. vii
Foreword	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xvii
Introduction to College Choice	p. 1
College Access Versus College Choice	p. 2
Historical Perspectives on College Choice	p. 3
Intended Audience	p. 6
Limitations	p. 7
Organization of the Monograph	p. 8
Current Trends in College Choice Research	p. 11
Access and Equity in College Choice	p. 12
Utility of Comprehensive College Choice Models in the Twenty-First Century	p. 15
Preparation for College	p. 17
Increased Policy Focus	p. 19
Chapter Summary	p. 20
College Choice as a Comprehensive Process	p. 21
Hossler and Gallagher's College Choice Model	p. 22
Hossler and Gallagher's Model in Recent Research	p. 30
Critiques of Hossler and Gallagher's Model	p. 34
Emerging College Choice Models	p. 36
Alternative Lenses for Viewing the College Choice Process	p. 41
Chapter Summary	p. 45
College Choice for Lower Socioeconomic Students	p. 47
Issues of Access for Lower Socioeconomic Students	p. 47
Linking Bourdieu to College Choice	p. 50
Chapter Summary	p. 61
College Choice Processes for Students of Color	p. 63
Research Related to the College Choice Processes of Students of Color	p. 64
Chapter Summary	p. 82
College Preparation Programs	p. 85
College Preparation and Access Programs	p. 85
Essential Components of College Preparation: A Review of Several Current Programs	p. 89
Measuring Up: Comparing Existing Programs with the Essential Components Framework	p. 92
Chapter Summary	p. 96
Implications and Recommendations for Practice, Policy, and Research	p. 99
Recommendations for Practice, Policy, and Research from 1989	p. 99
Recommendations for Practice, Policy, and Research from the Current Research	p. 102
Conclusion	p. 113
References	p. 119
Name Index	p. 131
Subject Index	p. 135
About the Author	p. 141
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