Complexity in College Admission: The Barriers Between Aspiration ...

Friends
College guides
3
Lower-income students especially value personal support from
guidance counselors, teachers, college alumni and college
representatives in deciding where to apply.
Parents
Findings
Recommendations
50%
57%
Lower-income students:
Secondary schools should expand support for school
counselors and Individual programs websites that educate of colleges lower-income
■■
Like higher-income students, say parents and
college websites are their most influential sources of
college information.
■■
Are more likely to single out high school guidance
counselors (41 percent to 28 percent), teachers
(35 percent to 14 percent) and other adults in the
community (16 percent to 8 percent) as “very
students about the requirements for college 44% success.
Colleges and universities should develop 32% a multifaceted
approach for personalizing their messages to students.
For example: College search sites
42%
■■
School district endorsement 24% of programs such as
the National Office for School Counselor Advocacy’s
Eight Components
High school
of College
guidance
and
counselors
Career Readiness
influential.”
Counseling;
41%
28%
■■
Value this “high-touch,” personal approach —
■■
Profiles of successful lower-income students and
especially those lower-income students Parents with the
graduates in Teachers college outreach materials;
lowest SAT scores.
50%
35%
■■
On-campus 57% programs 14% to address the specific
■■
Say they would have been much more likely to
interests and needs of lower-income and firstgeneration
students; Admission staff at the colleges
apply to a four-year college or a more selective Individual websites of colleges
four-year college if they could have met successful
44%
31%
alumni like them (62 percent) or if a college
■32%
■ Information targeted to parents; 25% and
representative had reached out to them personally
(60 percent).
College search sites ■■
Peer counseling Other support family members to help lower-income
applicants 42% find an appropriate 27% college “match.”
24%
31%
High school guidance counselors Friends
41%
28%
“Very influential” sources of information about where to apply
27%
21%
Parents
50%
57%
Teachers
14%
35%
Catalogs, viewbooks or other print materials
19%
14%
Individual websites of colleges
32%
44%
Admission staff at the colleges
31%
25%
Other adults in community, church, etc.
16%
8%
College search sites
24%
42%
Other family members
27%
31%
Coaches
14%
12%
High school guidance counselors
28%
41%
Friends
27%
21%
College guides
8%
9%
Lower-income students
Higher-income students
Teachers
14%
35%
Catalogs, viewbooks or other print materials
19%
14%
Admission staff at the colleges
31%
25%
Other family members
27%
31%
Other adults in community, church, etc.
16%
8%
Coaches
14%
12%
The College Board n 5