College Readiness Assessment
Category: Pathways to and Through Postsecondary
Traditional college choice models often fall short in capturing the complex paths that today’s student population takes to postsecondary enrollment. This paper identifies the limitations of the predominant frameworks, such as Hossler and Gallagher’s (1987) three-phase model, arguing that they reflect an outdated enrollment-management perspective, which fails to capture the experiences of many students. We propose a new, student-centered conceptual framework rooted in higher education research that better reflects the realities of the contemporary college-going process. Our model consists of six elements: (1) expectations, (2) academic preparation and the development of “admissions capital,” (3) college knowledge, (4) information gathering and application set formation, (5) application and admission, and (6) enrollment. The framework recognizes that students’ postsecondary pathways are often indirect and shaped by a range of individual and contextual factors. Moreover, it allows for interactions among the elements and emphasizes the enduring influence of educational expectations. By re-conceptualizing the transition to college, our model offers a more nuanced lens for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to understand and support an increasingly diverse student body and address persistent inequities in college access and choice.
Keywords
college choice; access; postsecondary opportunity; educational equity; conceptual framework
Education level
Document Object Identifier (DOI)
10.26300/54c6-2316
