Educational researchers, practitioners, and policy makers have long expressed their concern that gender disparity of academic performance and participation in science and mathematics education continues to increase with educational progress of students through the pipeline. Educational and occupational aspirations, high school experience, external support from family members and significant others appear to be influential factors that develop strong self-concept among female students who aspire to study science and mathematics. Using a national sample of aspirants in science, mathematics, and engineering majors in public community colleges, that participated in the 1996 Cooperative Institutional Research Program American Freshman Survey, this study investigated the influences of students' pre-college experiences on their college choice, aspirations, and self-concept by examining three theoretical structural models. In addition, gender differences were tested by using multiple group analysis. The findings from the multiple group analysis revealed that there was no statistically significant gender difference in predicting college choice, aspirations, and self-concept. The results from the descriptive analysis indicated that the female students were already underrepresented in science, mathematics, and engineering majors. Taken together, the findings challenge researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to examine why the persistent fall off, and how can community colleges support and retain these students who already enrolled. The results from the model fit analysis revealed that the encouragement from family and others played as a contributing factor in predicting students' college choice, aspirations, and self-concept. This study confirmed that the development of self-concept among community college students in science, mathematics, and engineering is complex and unique. Several recommendations that are pertaining to policy implications, improvement of practice, and future research to increase the representations of female students in science, mathematics, and engineering in the post-secondary education were developed from the findings of this study. The results of this study contribute to the research literature by providing new theoretical models and a comprehensive understanding of aspirants in science, mathematics, and engineering at community college as well as their surrounding environment.

This study was an attempt to identify the factors that female basketball players consider important in their selection of a college to attend. A questionnaire was sent to all scholarship-granting junior colleges and Division I National Collegiate Athletic Association universities in the State of Texas during the 1991 spring semester. Students from 11 junior colleges and 11 Division I universities replied to the survey. The findings of this study are based on data collected from the 244 subjects' responses to a four-page, paired-comparison questionnaire. According to the junior college basketball players, the availability of scholarships and the opportunity to play were the two most important factors in their sleection of a college. Six other factors that were considered important to the junior college players' selection of a college were parental influence, the head coach, degrees offered, high school coaches' influence, geographical location of the university, and the style of ball played. The availability of scholarships was the most important factor in Division I female basketball players' selection of a university. Five other factors considered to be significant by Division I female players were the opportunity to play, the geographical location of the university, the degrees offered, the university facilities, and the head coach. A high positive correlation was found between the rankings of the junior college and the Division I female basketball players.

This narrative study explores the transition from high school to college for low-income students of color who participated in a college access mentoring program, the College Admissions Project (CAP) while in twelfth-grade. A community cultural wealth (CCW) lens guides this research and is used to examine student experiences. CAP alumni who enrolled in an institution of higher education in the fall semester immediately following their high school graduation are the participants in this study. A narrative approach to inquiry is used because the author is interested in the particular experiences of a few individuals. Specifically, the experiences of low-income students of color from New Orleans as they made the transition from high school to college either in 2015 or 2016. This study has implications for practice in the area of college access programs as well as theoretical applications which extend a CCW framework to additional communities of color beyond Latina/o communities. In the area of practice, supporting positive peer relationships could make college access programs more effective. Student voice is also important to the participants in this study. Students should be part program development and evaluation processes so that programs are designed to best meet their needs as they exist, rather than as adults see them. There is some evidence that a CCW framework is applicable to the experiences of these students. Informational and social capital were most commonly referenced by participants, and efforts to help students further develop these assets would help to support their college transition processes.

This dissertation examines the course-enrollment behavior of first-year students at a public Midwestern university. Using the student choice construct, modern college choice theory, and the constructs of habitus, human capital, financial capital, social capital, cultural capital, along with background variables such as gender and locus of control, a course selection theory is proposed to explain students' voluntarily enrollment in a seminar designed to assist with the academic and social transitions to college. The literature review shows numerous studies have been done examining the impacts these courses may have on first-year students' academic performance, retention, and graduation rates. In many of these studies, however, subsets of students were targeted for enrollment and participation in the seminars was not voluntary. In others, students self-select into the first-year transition seminars, raising questions about whether or not their subsequent success is attributable to their participation in these courses. Prior to this study, few, if any, studies have examined enrollment in these first-year seminars as the dependent variable and attempted to explain how various factors impact whether or not students voluntarily choose to enroll. This quantitative research looked at 7,561 first-year students enrolling in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 and, using logistic regression, attempted to explain whether or not students chose to enroll in a transition seminar. Data was gathered from institutional offices (Admissions, Registrar, and Student Financial Aid) and through an Entering Student Survey completed by 99% of each entering cohort. Of the 52 independent variables included in the model, 17 were significant in one or more steps (or blocks) of the model. This study found that students more advantaged in their individual or family college-going resources (e.g., higher ACT-Composite scores or a higher self-evaluation of their ability to appreciate fine arts, music, and literature) are less likely to enroll in the college transition seminar than students that could be described as more disadvantaged in terms of their college-going resources (i.e., an external locus of control, receiving a Pell Grant, and less access to various forms of capital). There is also evidence that students with past experiences where they may have learned the value of community or teamwork through in- and out-of-class experiences may see the first-year transition seminar as a way to begin creating these same types of connections or communities on the college campus. The dissertation concludes with a consideration of implications for future research, theory development, and institutional policy and practice.

Increased competition for top students, reduced public funding, and comparative "shopping" by prospective students have resulted in universities taking a more market-oriented approach to improve student enrolment (Moore 2004). The outcomes of this market-oriented approach of universities are: First, students are increasingly seen as customers of knowledge by universities, and universities as suppliers of knowledge to these customers (Svensson & Wood ,2007). Second, students are being faced with an array of education choices and information (passively or actively gained). As with physical product consumption, the institution brand with its underlying appeals can function as a route map for students through this bewildering variety of choices/information. Despite the plethora of studies on education purchase, the impact of brands on students' choice of international tertiary education provider has not been fully explored. This is especially so within the context of brand image and brand trust. The purchase of an international tertiary education can be a risky (uncertain) venture because of the time and cost involved. Consumer's trust in a brand contributes to a reduction of uncertainty in consumer purchases (Garbarino & Mark 1999). However, the concept of brand trust is not explored in education. While the research on brand image within the context of education is not new, its definition and measurement varied or seldom explore in relation to country-of-origin, promotion channel and individual values in student's choice decisions. This thesis aims to address these research gaps. It explores the impact of two psychological associations with brand: brand image and brand trust (in relation to individual values, country of origin and promotion channel) on Chinese students' choice of international tertiary education provider, using the Bednall and Kanuk's (1997) decision-making model as the research's underlying framework. Since no existing measures or scales related to brand image and brand trust suitable for use in this thesis were identified from the literature, a two-stage research method to collect both qualitative (in-depth interviews) and quantitative data was used to develop measures for this thesis. The adopted research design is consistent with Anderson Churchill (1979) and Gerbing's (1988) guideline for scale development. Information gathered from 36 in-depth interviews, 416 pilot surveys in Singapore and Malaysia, and 287 surveys (post enrolment data) in New Zealand revealed that choice patterns for international tertiary education providers are focused on: i) A university's brand image, as reflected in the brand positioning messages of an institution competencies, course related issues, and brand identity (university values and missions statement); ii) Brand trust as reflected by the expressed opinion of friends and family members and students' positive experiences with university staff; iii) The social political image of a university's country of origin; iv) The perceived direct barriers to tertiary education (English language proficiency and course admission requirements); and v) High Context communications through education fairs, corporate sponsorships of scholarships/bursaries and international student exchange programs. In addition, a customer-centric approach to the student-university relationship helped improve the identity and brand image of a university. The presence of senior academic staff (professor level) at education fairs; good accessibility of academic staff on campus; having knowledgeable and culturally sensitive frontline staff (reception & marketing personnel); and small, customised tutorial classes would identify the university as customer-centric and contribute to a positive university life experience. These help projected an image that the university is concerned with their students' learning outcomes. Not only will positive university life experiences lead to improved learning outcomes for students, it helps strengthen future alumni-university relationships, resulting in alumni being willing to promote their alma mater to their children, friends and colleagues. This free publicity can help enhance the brand image and brand trust in a university, differentiating it from other universities. This thesis verified the findings of McMahon (1992) that superior economic development in the destination country is not an important 'pull' factor in student mobility. It complimented the findings of Gray, Fam and Llanes (2003) by showing the importance of customised strategy in international education offerings and illustrated the link between brand image and country image (socio-political) in the purchases of educational services, evidence that was absent in the study by Zhou, Lawley and Perry (2000). While pre-enrolment data from the in-depth interview and pilot survey indicated that Singapore and Malaysian Chinese students are value bound in their decision of New Zealand as their intended study destination, there is no evidence from the main survey (post-enrolment) that individual values had an influence on their choice decision. The in-depth interview indicated that Singapore and Malaysian Chinese students found New Zealand society appealing because of its low corruption and high level of honesty and fairness because these values help to reinforce group harmony, a prominent characteristic of Chinese society. Further research is recommended in this area. Overall, this thesis will contribute to the body of knowledge in students' decision-making and university branding.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1994. / Title from title page screen, viewed March 17, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Edward R. Hines (chair), John R. McCarthy, George Padavil, Rodney P. Riegle, Anita H. Webb-Lupo. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 152-162) and abstract. Also available in print.

Doctor of Philosophy / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Karen S. Myers-Bowman / Perceptions of family influence as a source of motivation to attend college were explored. More specifically, the purpose of this study was to investigate how, and in what ways, families shaped the pathway to higher education among 12 African American male collegians. Comparisons of these perceptions across family compositions and an extant model of family influence and college choice were also explored. The students in this study attended both public and private 4-year historically Black and predominantly White colleges situated throughout seven states in the Midwest and the South. A phenomenological qualitative research approach was employed to forward this study. Also, interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) techniques were applied to data gleaned from face-to-face interviews. Results of the study revealed two overarching themes of family influence and college choice for African American males: (1) deliberate family involvement and (2) contextual family influences. Eight subthemes illuminate the overarching theme deliberate family involvement: (1) emphasizing hard work, (2) aiding with pre-college paperwork, (3) offering messages about value of college, (4) supporting extra-curricular activities, (5) encouraging positive decision-making, (6) cultural indoctrination, (7) providing affirming words and praise, and (8) regular accessibility. Four subthemes buttress the overarching theme contextual family influence: (1) family educational choices, (2) family participation, (3) family representation and reactions, and (4) family stress. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are also presented.

The problem with which this study is concerned is to determine and identify the factors associated with the choices Arab graduate students make when selecting their graduate school and major area of study at institutions of higher education in the United States. In addition, comparisons are made between the responses of Arab graduate students (1) who attend American private schools with those who attend American public schools and (2) those who are self-supported with those who are outside supported.

The purpose of this correlational study was to explore the relationship between the new statewide two-year financial aid program, Tennessee Promise, and college choice among high school seniors in four counties in upper Northeast Tennessee. Independent variables included GPA, concern about ability to pay for college, and plans to attend a two-year or four-year institution. The dependent variables were scored on three dimensions: cost factors, social factors, and academic factors relating to college choice. Additionally, respondents reported perceptions of Tennessee Promise related to college choice. A 22-item survey was administered to high school seniors from four counties in upper Northeast Tennessee in Spring 2017. There were 294 completed surveys, resulting in a 33% response rate. The financial nexus concept was used as the conceptual framework for the study to explore how perceived affordability influenced college choice. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, crosstabulations and one-sample chi-square tests were applied to determine whether a relationship exists between Tennessee Promise and college choice and choice of institution for students concerned with the cost of higher education. Tennessee Promise significantly impacted the decision to attend college and what type of institution to attend. Respondents’ level of concern about ability to pay was shown to have a significant relationship to the type of institution they planned to attend. Additionally, there was a significant relationship between level of concern about ability to pay and the choice to accept Tennessee Promise.

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