A new study by the Art & Science Group reveals that cost significantly influences high school students’ college decisions, as do their perceptions of the college experience an institution offers, according to an analysis by Inside Higher Ed. The majority of students rank cost at an eight out of ten on a scale of importance, with availability of majors and academic quality ranked as equally important. Students of color reported that cost was of slightly higher importance compared to white respondents. The study also found that students’ anticipated college experience can be more important than cost in some cases. “Ultimately, students aren’t just looking for the lowest-cost institution,” said Craig Goebel, a principal at Art & Science Group. “They’re looking for an experience that’s going to transform their lives.”
Researchers at the Common Application have released a report on the meaning of first-generation status, a term that lacks a universal definition, The Chronicle reports. The research aims to clarify the definition of first-generation students, finding that colleges use varying definitions of first-generation students and that small changes to these definitions can have major consequences for applicants. Setting a threshold of “any attendance at a higher-education institution” by an applicant’s parents would result in about 127,000 fewer students being considered first-generation compared to a bachelor’s-degree threshold. The researchers also note that many students don’t grow up in two-parent homes, with nearly 12% of applicants having limited information about one or both of their parents. The Common App’s findings may underscore a need to consider the nuance of first-generation status.