The ability to make appropriate decisions is a key to college success. Some college students appear to not make satisfactory academic progress, not because they lack ability or desire, but because they make academic decisions that seem to put them at risk. Assisting students to make appropriate academic decisions is a primary objective for developmental education professionals. This article proposes an ecological framework for investigating decision-making in the experiences of college students at risk. By helping students at risk to better understand the dynamic forces that shape their senses of identity and that affect their decision-making experiences, we can better assist them to make decisions appropriate to achieve their academic and personal goals.