Campus Visits as Predictors of Postsecondary Enrollment in Low-Income, Rural School Districts

Authors

M. Corinne Smith, Appalachian State UniversityFollow
Ross M. Gosky, Appalachian State UniversityFollow
Jui-Teng Li, Appalachian State UniversityFollow

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between visits to college campuses by middle school and high school students and postsecondary enrollment rates, where campus visits are classified as both formal college visits and also informal campus visits. Specifically, Traditional Campus Visits and Educational Campus Field Trips are categorized as two distinct service types sponsored by the GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) grant program in 11 rural, western North Carolina school districts. The participants were 2,274 students who started the GEAR UP program in 7th grade and remained enrolled at a participating GEAR UP school through high school graduation. Using logistic regression analyses to estimate the effects of two different campus visit types, and the year in which the visits occurred, the results indicated that both informal (Educational Campus Field Trip) and formal (Traditional College Visit) campus visits had an association with postsecondary enrollment rates, with formal campus visits collectively having a stronger impact than informal campus visits. We also found that visits taken earlier in a student’s academic career had an important association with postsecondary enrollment rates.

Recommended Citation

Smith, M. Corinne; Gosky, Ross M.; and Li, Jui-Teng (2022) "Campus Visits as Predictors of Postsecondary Enrollment in Low-Income, Rural School Districts," Journal of College Access: Vol. 7: Iss. 1, Article 10.
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jca/vol7/iss1/10