The Influence of College Preparation Activities on a Young Woman’s College Decision

Setting the Stage

Utah Women and Education Project researchers conducted in-depth research in 2010 to discover why more young women around the state are not attending and graduating from college. We explored young women’s intentions to attend college by asking questions about college preparation activities they completed in high school. The literature has shown that when high school students accomplish certain college preparation tasks /activities and take specific kinds of courses, they are more likely to attend and graduate from college. The results from our 2010 study of Utah females supported this finding and provided some interesting insights as well.  

We found that the following eight specific actions were linked to successful attendance and graduation (*strongest findings): 

• Saved money for college* 
• Visited a college campus* 
• Took the ACT  
• Requested information from a college  
• Discussed financial aid with someone (i.e., scholarships, loans, grants) 
• Applied to a college 
• Was accepted or admitted to a college  
• Received a scholarship or grant to attend*  

The strongest predictors of commitment to both college attendance and college graduation were saving money for college, visiting college campuses, and/or receiving scholarships or grants. Those who had stronger commitment levels in high school attended and graduated from college at higher rates.  

Key Takeaways  

Researchers found critical factors that influence a young woman’s decision to attend and graduate from college:  

• The younger a female is when she decides to attend college, the more likely she is to 1) save money for college, 2) more actively prepare for college, 3) have a desire for a higher degree level, and 4) attend and graduate from college.  
• Most participants remembered very little about middle school activities and experiences. Some, however, did remember being given an assessment to help them figure out a possible future career, but participants remembered little else in regard to discussions about college.  

Statistically significant results in this study show that the following characteristics, activities, and aspirations appear to predict a greater likelihood that a young woman will participate in more college preparation activities during high school:  

• Enjoyed being intellectually challenged at a young age.  
• Had a father who encouraged and supported her. 
• Had a good GPA.  
• Had a mother who encouraged and supported her.  
• Had friends who planned on attending college. 
• Had one or more leadership roles during her high school years (e.g., high school, community, or church). 
• Spent less time partying. 
• Was active in her religion.  
• Was young when her parents and others began discussing college with her. 
• Was young (i.e., elementary school) when she decided she wanted to attend college. 

Conclusion  

Various studies show that young women who successfully graduated from college tended to follow a pattern of behavior that began during their childhood. Parents, educators, and other influencers need to motivate young women to participate in preparatory activities. Doing this will help strengthen the positive impact of women in communities and in the state as a whole.  

To learn more about The Influence of College Preparation Activities on a Young Woman’s College Decisions, read the snapshot.