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The Importance of College Choice Factors from the Perspective of High School Counselors.

2002; American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers; Volume: 77; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

0010-0889

Suzanne Espinoza, George Bradshaw, Charles Hausman,

Higher Education Research Studies

Abstract This study focuses on information high school counselors provide to students during the college choice process. Counselors rated a flagship institution more favorably on factors that they consider of lesser importance in college selection, and less favorably on factors that they consider more significant as they advise students. As state funding for colleges and universities is increasingly being tied to enrollment levels, higher education institutions across the United States are feeling economic pressures to maintain or increase their student enrollments or face the unpleasant task of making large budget cuts (Breneman and Finney 1997; Dennis 1998). Attracting students has also become increasingly competitive with the emergence of for-profit institutions offering more flexible degree programs and programs via new technological media (Swensen 1998; Winston 1999). In response to these pressures, there have been expanded efforts by higher education institutions to understand and influence the college choice process among prospective students. Efforts include more targeted advertisement and promotional materials, telemarketing initiatives, increased visits to local high schools, as well as general efforts to position the institution with respect to competitors in the minds of prospective students and their parents. Institutions have also attempted to court the support of high school counselors with the expectation that this constituency can exert a critical influence on the college choice decision. While the opinions of these constituents may not be influential to all prospective students, these educational professionals are uniquely positioned in high schools to shape the early perceptions of students about their higher education options, particularly in-state ones. Thus, it is imperative that institutions of higher education are aware of the attitudes of this group and are prepared to court their support in the long-term interests of enrollment management. This study provides insight into the attitudes and perspectives of high school counselors who influence prospective students during the search phase of their college selection process. The College Choice Process In recent years, researchers have devoted considerable attention to the issue of college choice (Braxton 1990). Building on the work of Jackson (1982), Litten (1982) and others, Hossler and Gallagher (1987) created a three-stage model to describe the college decision-making process. This conceptual framework proposes that there are three stages during which students make their college choice. These stages include a predisposition stage, a search stage, and a choice stage. In the predisposition stage, students determine whether they will continue their formal education beyond high school. According to this model, the predisposition to attend college is influenced by student characteristics, the attitudes of significant others, and a student's educational activities. Many students enter the search stage of the college decision-making process during their junior year of high school. In this stage, students begin to consider their various options in terms of colleges and universities, as well as vocational and non-traditional college options. There is evidence that students narrow their options geographically first, then consider specific academic programs among the colleges remaining in their choice set (Hossler and Gallagher 1987). Students enter the choice stage when they submit applications to a small set of colleges. During the choice stage, which for most students occurs during the senior year, students consider factors such as academic reputation, costs, and location, and ultimately decide what college they will attend (Hossler and Gallagher 1987). This study focuses on the search stage of the college choice process. During this stage, high school counselors are well-- positioned to exert an important influence on the attitudes of students and parents. …