Across the country, urban school districts are opting to close under-enrolled schools as a way to consolidate resources. Motivated by a reported $1 billion deficit and declining enrollments in depopulating neighborhoods, the Chicago Board of Education voted in May 2013 to close 49 elementary schools and one high school program located in an…

This paper examines the relationship between goal orientation and grades in two groups of college students: 369 students aged 18 to 23 and 71 students 24 years of age and older. Older students tended to earn higher grades than their younger counterparts. Non-traditional aged students also endorsed learning goals more than traditional-aged…

If students are ready for college, dropout rates and the costs of remediation are reduced and more students persist in and graduate from college. ACT research related to college readiness and college success is rich and extensive and offers insights about the impact of readiness on college success. This issue brief highlights findings of these…

In this study, the long-term academic effects of mentoring relationships in higher education are explored, with particular emphasis on students in ethnic categories with a low first-year retention rate. A sample of 339 undergraduate students in a student-faculty mentor program was statistically paired with 339 nonmentored controls on gender,…

This paper explores the academic success of NCAA Division I collegiate student athletes that enroll in engineering majors. At the University of South Carolina, which is a member of the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference, nineteen engineering students were on an active athletic roster during the spring semester of 2005. The mean cumulative…

Sophomores interested in professional colleges with grade-point average (GPA) standards for admission to upper division courses will need specific and realistic information concerning the requirements. Specifically, those who fall short of the standard must assess the likelihood of achieving the necessary GPA for professional program admission.…

This study investigated the relationship between test anxiety and academic performance in 4,000 undergraduate and 1,414 graduate students and found a significant but small inverse relationship between test anxiety and grade point average (GPA) in both groups. Low-test-anxious undergraduates averaged a B+, whereas high-test-anxious students…

The conventional assumption of most disability service providers is that students classified as having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) will experience difficulties in foreign language (FL) courses. However, the evidence in support of this assumption is anecdotal. In this empirical investigation, the demographic profiles, overall…

The Biology Intensive Orientation for Students (BIOS) Program was designed to assess the impact of a 5-d intensive prefreshman program on success and retention of biological science majors at Louisiana State University. The 2005 pilot program combined content lectures and examinations for BIOL 1201, Introductory Biology for Science Majors, as well…

The freshman year represents a stressful transition for college students. Despite a multitude of social, academic, and emotional stressors, most college students successfully cope with a complex new life role and achieve academic success. Other students are less able to successfully manage this transition and decide to leave higher education…

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational…

Undergraduate and graduate admissions requirements for foreign students at more than 2,000 U.S. colleges and universities are detailed in this handbook. Based on responses to questionnaires sent to all U.S. higher education institutions, the content emphasizes minimum scores required on the Test of English as a Foreign Language, possible…

This is a guide for minority group members who are considering entering law school and offers suggestions for success in the application process, in law school itself, and in choosing a career path. The first chapters guide the reader in self-assessment. Chapter 1 poses challenging questions about reasons for considering law school and chances for…

This report examines the association between institutional characteristics and the earnings of recent college graduates five years after graduation. Data from the 1980 High School and Beyond (HS&B) survey were combined with information about courses, grades, credits, and credentials contained in the Postsecondary Education Transcript Study, a…