The Influence of School Activities and Leadership Roles 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 were not attending and graduating from college. We investigated their middle and high school experiences and examined whether there were relationships between the decision to attend, drop out, or graduate from college and school/nonschool activities, leadership positions, and how they spent their time. Our results showed that young women involved in extracurricular and other activities were more likely to attend and graduate from college.  

Key Takeaways  

Researchers collected data on where participants spent their time during high school. There were positive connections with students who had a higher GPA or were involved in school clubs. Negative results were associated with young women who worked too many hours for pay during high school.  

Young women with a higher GPA in this sample are linked to more time studying and doing homework, exercising or playing sports, participating in clubs, and/or volunteering in the community. A higher GPA is linked to less time partying, socializing face-to-face with friends, watching TV, and doing extensive levels of household or childcare duties for their families (e.g., having primary responsibility for care of siblings or meal preparation).  

Young women who spent more time participating in school club events and activities also did the following: spent more time studying, talking to teachers, volunteering in their communities, and exercising or playing sports. They also spent less time watching TV and, although they had responsibilities at home, chores were not extensive. Those who spent more time in club activities were also more likely to get better grades, attend college, and graduate from college.  

Although all these activities assisted in helping young women learn and develop, in this 2010 Utah sample, six specific activities were statistically linked to women who attended college longer and/or graduated: 

• Being involved and active in a religious youth organization 
• Participating in volunteer and community service opportunities  
• Playing high school sports 
• Belonging to student clubs or associations 
• Being a member of an honor society 

Crucial Findings  

Researchers discovered several critical findings that have direct application to helping girls and women: 

•  The younger a female is when she decides to attend college, the more likely she will have leadership roles in middle and high school and a higher GPA.  
• The more active a young woman is in her religion, the more likely she will pursue leadership opportunities in middle and high school, earn a higher high school GPA, and complete college preparation activities early (see Snapshot No. 6). 
•  Women who attend and graduate from college are more likely to develop good long-term health habits (i.e., eat healthy, exercise) and avoid unhealthy habits (i.e., smoking pot, taking other drugs, drinking alcohol) early in life. 
• Overall positive middle and high school experiences are linked to commitment towards and attendance of/graduation from college. 

Conclusion 

There are specific activities that were statistically linked to young women who attended college longer and/or graduated. For example, young women should be encouraged to seek leadership opportunities during their high school years. As influencers it is important to guide young women towards leadership roles, as 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 School Activities on a Young Woman’s College Decisions, read the snapshot.