CHICAGO (WBBM) - It's not easy for a teenager to navigate the sometimes daunting process of applying to a four-year college. And a newly-completed study said it's prompting many Chicago Public Schools students who could qualify for big-time, selective programs to settle for far less.
WBBM’s Bob Roberts reports.
School Board CEO Arne Duncan said the study underscores the need to make a class in "How to Get into College" a requirement for every student in the city's schools who wants to advance beyond high school.
Duncan said he would propose such a class to the Board of Education this spring, for implementation in the coming school year.
One student in the two-year study, conducted by the Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago, opted for an automotive technical school even though he could easily have been accepted at a selective four- year college. The student's parents told him money was no object, but because he feared it was, he resigned himself to "make it easier" for his family, and never bothered to consult with a college counselor.
"My parents told me to do whatever I want, that money isn't an issue, but I think it is," said Javier (not his real name).
Consortium researchers said Javier relied exclusively on his school for information about college, but reportedly never had a one-on-one conversation with an educator who recognized his academic potential.
Duncan said he finds such cases "heart-breaking," and conceded that they are all too common, despite the Board's attempts to address the college application process.
The study found the cases such as these are by no means isolated.
"Educators must realize that preparation will not necessarily translate into college enrollment if high schools do not provide better structure and support for students in the college process," said Melissa Roderick, a co-director at the consortium, a University of Chicago professor and the lead author of the study, entitled "From High School to the Future: Potholes on the Road to College."
Roderick said the problem affects students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, although it affected Hispanic students the most.
"If the most highly qualified students do not attend colleges that demand high qualifications, then their hard work has not paid off," she said. "It sends precisely the wrong message."
The student found that only 59 percent of the Chicago Public School students who want to obtain a bachelor's degree even apply to a four-year college. Just 41 percent successfully navigated this process and ultimately enrolled the fall after graduation.
Among Hispanic students, only 46 percent of those who want a bachelor's degree 46 percent applied and 30 percent enrolled in a four-year college in the fall after graduation -- a gap that persisted regardless of students' immigration status.
Another key finding addresses how well matched students post-high school educational choices are to their academic performance.
Only about a third of the Chicago public high school students studied enrolled in a college that matched or exceeded their qualifications. That dropped to 28 percent of Hispanic students, compared with 45 percent for African-American students.
While "match" is just one consideration in finding the right college fit, it is an important one because earlier consortium research demonstrated that graduation rates among the most popular Illinois colleges varies dramatically -- even among graduates with a high school grade point average of 3.5 or above.
The Board of Education is already making changes to help graduating high school seniors get into college. Duncan said a financial aid tracking system will allow all Chicago high schools to get daily updates on the filing status of their students' financial aid forms, so that help can be provided to those unable to understand it.
The consortium said access to grants, loans and other funding is a critical predictor of whether students go on to college.
Still, the report's authors said, individual schools must begin to work earlier to help families and students understand what financial aid is, what funding is available, how the stated tuition differs from what they will be asked to pay, and how delaying applying for federal financial aid affects the sources of funding for which students may be eligible.
Duncan said he would like to see college preparation begin as early as the sixth grade.
"This would be a mandatory class," he said. "Lots of folks could help develop it, help deliver it, and so on, but this would move it from the optional and the possible to something that we think is so important that every student should have access to it."
Duncan indicated that he wanted the class to be especially helpful to students whose families have no experience with higher education in the United States, be they immigrant or native-born.
Consortium researchers spent nearly two years interviewing and tracking the academic progress of 105 students in three Chicago high schools. The ten case studies included in the "Potholes" study each highlight a student who struggled at a different point in the process.
Sabrina was a hard-working African-American student who earned a 25 on her ACT and an A- grade point average in honors courses but never enrolled in college in the fall after graduation.
"I just keep seeing those essays," she said. "I'm like, 'OK, I'm going to get back to that.' And then .. .I just feel like I don't have enough time in the day."
Even Franklin, who had modest academic qualifications but still conducted a thorough college search and landed in a well-matched state college, realized early on that he was essentially on his own when it came to his college search,
"We couldn't always rely on [school staff] being there to help us through every little step," he said. "Even though the guidance is good, as a student you still have to push forward and get it done."
Many students interviewed for the study said they decided to attend a two-year or vocational school instead of a four- year college, not because they preferred this option but because they grew frustrated with the process and opted for what felt like the safe choice.
Duncan said the student aid form was "more difficult than an application for a bank loan" and needs to be simplified.
The study found that while parents and teachers pushed students to attend college, the students still lacked structured support and concrete guidance. Students worried about college costs and lacked information on how financial aid worked. They didn't know how to pick a college and were paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong choice.
Among the other key findings:
Some 95 percent of 2005 Chicago graduates hoped to complete some form of post-secondary education and 90 percent stated that their parents wanted them to attend college after graduation.
Teachers matter more than parents in this process, especially for first-generation college students. Across all analyses, the single most consistent predictor of whether students took steps toward college enrollment was whether their teachers reported that their high school had a strong college going culture where they and their colleagues pushed students to go to college, worked to ensure that students would be prepared, and were involved in supporting students in completing their college applications.
Applying to multiple colleges makes it more likely that students will be accepted to a four-year college. The effect of multiple applications was most significant for students who have lower levels of qualifications; these students were 8 percentage points more likely to be accepted if they applied to three to five schools, and 19 percentage points more likely to be accepted if they applied to six or more schools.
Students with marginal qualifications were much more likely to enroll in a school that matched their qualifications if they had college planning discussions with someone at their school. The more qualified students also were strongly influenced by whether they had a strong connection with a teacher.
While the rising costs of four-year colleges have made it increasingly difficult to deliver on the dream of a college education for all low-income students, the research also suggests that high schools and universities can take concrete steps to improve college enrollment and to match more students to the right colleges:
Special attention must be paid to structuring the college search and application process during junior and senior years. Getting prepared for college is a process that takes students' entire elementary and high school careers. But it found that the tasks of translating qualification into enrollment, such as finding and applying to colleges, applying for financial aid, getting accepted and choosing a college, happens in a very short time line with real deadlines.
High schools must work to create stronger college-going cultures. This means that educators share the belief that all students can go to college and provide students with the personal relationships and expert guidance needed to make that happen.
The study found that colleges also can play a role in making this process easier for first-generation students. Admissions officials can reach back into high schools with new recruitment strategies and support, ensuring that students better understand the "real costs" of college and complete the financial aid process in time to maximize their aid.
E-Mail Story
Print Story
