The purpose of this study was to identify some of the academic, personal, and social expectations that high school seniors have about college.. By helping high school students set realis
THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
do so with feelings of joy, confidence, and anticipation (Jackson, Pancer, Pratt, &
Research on the college transition shows that students' expectations are often overturned once they set foot on campus Hunsberger (2000) observes that after arrival, many students find their prior beliefs about college life are replaced by feelings that conflict with earlier ideas This misalignment makes the college experience feel harsher and more demanding than anticipated, contributing to higher levels of stress and adjustment challenges (Compas, Wagner, Slavin, & colleagues).
Vannatta (1986) argues that the ideas and perceptions prospective students have about college are often more romanticized than accurate reflections of college life, contributing to adjustment challenges for many freshmen (Keup, 2007) Consequently, about 34% drop out in their first year (American College Testing Program, 2008) Dingfelder (2004) notes that nearly 15% of those who drop out do so because of failing grades, with most leaving within the first six weeks of the fall term (Blanc, Behur, & Martin, 1983).
College adjustment often depends on how well students’ preexisting cognitive and behavioral expectations align with the realities they face after enrollment Perceived expectations about what it means to be a college student and what the campus environment offers also shape early experiences These preconceptions emerge from a mix of internal and external influences—real and perceived authority figures, observed behaviors, and social influence—formed through experience and inexperience (Tinto, 1975).
Stern (1966) coined the term "freshman myth" to describe the overconfident, naïve, and boundless idealism that many new college students bring to university life He argued that these preexisting characteristics are often mythical because students’ expectations rarely become reality; the first weeks and months on campus are typically far more stressful and challenging than they had anticipated.
Upcraft and Gardner (1989) align with Stern by noting that many incoming students start college with only vague understandings of undergraduate education, and when the feedback they receive or campus culture clashes with those expectations, it creates incongruence that pushes them to adapt to new social norms, build relationships, and seek new support networks or someone who cares about them (Isheler, 2004).
Many colleges have adopted student-transition strategies to better prepare incoming students for the expectations they will encounter Key approaches include summer visits, freshman seminars, cohort-based groups, and residential learning communities Despite these efforts, a large portion of new students still enter college unprepared for the emotional, social, and academic challenges they face, as Krallman and Holcomb (1997) observed.
A 2009 study argued that middle and high schools do not provide sufficient academic, emotional, or social preparation for college-level work This gap contributes to lower freshman persistence and aligns with trends showing that incoming freshmen experience higher levels of stress and distress than their predecessors (Boulter, 2002).
Declining persistence among new students and rising stress levels signal a need to redesign transition programs to better support early student success Efforts to induce cognitive and behavioral changes in incoming college students before they arrive on campus have been neglected, as noted by Krallman and Holcomb Addressing this pre-arrival gap offers an opportunity to improve college adjustment and long-term persistence by equipping students with the mindset and skills they need from day one.
1997) There is an opportunity to address expectations of high school seniors about college while they are still surrounded by a familiar support system and social structure
To do this, more information is needed about the expectations high school seniors have about college
This study sought to identify the academic, personal, and social expectations that high school seniors hold about college and to describe these expectations across the full sample It also examined the relationships between these expectations and demographic and academic factors, including gender, ethnicity, geographic region, and GPA.
This study examines the expectations shaping high school seniors as they prepare for college, organized into three domains: academic expectations, personal expectations, and social expectations Under academic expectations, the focus is on students’ motivation to learn, their educational goals, their level of confidence, and the roles of both students and faculty in supporting learning Personal expectations cover individual dispositions and attitudes toward attending college, while social expectations address how seniors manage independence, navigate social pressures, and contend with cultural differences.
Background and Need For the Study
In 2008, about 18 million students were enrolled in U.S colleges (U.S Census Bureau), but nearly 34% dropped out in the first year, a result linked to being underprepared and lacking realistic expectations about college (ACT) This pattern underscores the need for stronger college readiness programs and clearer expectations to improve persistence in the early years of higher education.
New college students typically leave during the first six weeks of the fall term, largely because they have not been able to make a successful transition to college life This early departure pattern is documented by Blanc et al (1983) and reinforced by program findings from 2008, which link the high dropout rate directly to difficulties adjusting to the college environment.
According to Upcraft, Gardner, and Barefoot (2005), colleges aiming to challenge and support first-year students must address both who these students are and what they expect before they arrive on campus, making pre-college planning essential To support a smooth transition, institutions should implement high school-to-college transition programs that explicitly address students’ expectations prior to arrival Krallman and Holcomb (1997) emphasize that understanding the emotional, social, and academic expectations of new college students is pivotal to their initial success; when these expectations are unrealistic, students may experience cognitive dissonance, heightened stress, and even withdrawal from the institution.
Scholarly articles discuss the expectations of incoming freshmen, but there is little evidence that colleges implement programs to help students develop realistic expectations about college life While targeted efforts address high-risk student groups, the general incoming-freshman population continues to undergo a recycled, uniform crash-course transition program that mirrors initiatives begun more than 100 years ago, and these programs take place after students arrive on campus (Upcraft et al., 2005).
Extensive research has sought to understand the preexisting expectations that new college students bring to higher education In a study by Hawley and Harris (2005), the researchers examined the characteristics that influence persistence among first-year students, finding that those who enter college without clear self-motivation and defined academic goals are less likely to persist By contrast, students who arrive with an articulated academic plan and a solid understanding of how to achieve their goals tend to show greater persistence, highlighting the critical link between motivation, goal setting, and college retention.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter’s literature review examines key aspects of the new-college-student transition, including how transition programs have evolved, who the new college student is, and the importance of recognizing preestablished expectations for student success It opens with a historical overview of new-college-student transition programs, then surveys current trends in the high school-to-college transition, and proceeds to define the contemporary college learner by highlighting the characteristics and skills that contribute to successful college experiences The final section explores alternative theoretical orientations for addressing preexisting expectations and their implications for practice.
History of College Transition Programs College-student transition was acknowledged as early as 1888 at Boston
Upcraft and Gardner (1989) describe how universities instituted new-student transition programs built on elements of college life, academic excellence, intellectual habits, and the freshman curriculum, with peer influence and support as a central feature As colleges followed suit, emphasis shifted toward the academic integration of new students With higher education becoming more accessible, transition programs expanded to include for-credit courses By 1926, more than half of freshman-orientation offerings were adjustment-type courses, while the remainder focused on college administration and academics.
The emphasis on new-college-student transition declined in the mid-1960s as many transition programs became obsolete or were eliminated (Drake, 1966) A resurgence in 1970 introduced the “New Student” on college campuses, a cohort that included older adults, first-generation college students, and students who had not previously excelled academically (Felker, 1984) This new-student cohort brought new transition and adjustment challenges, as the peer culture that had helped freshmen adjust seemed less effective (Cohen & Joby, 1978) The influx of new students also disrupted the homogeneous campus culture, prompting administrators to view students as individuals and tailor programs to address a broader range of transitional needs during the transitional period.
Over the past decade, higher education has focused on transition programs to support first-generation college students and students of color, who are among the fastest-growing groups on college campuses Gibbons and Shoffner (2004) note that first-generation students make up about 27% of all college students nationally Because these students often lack familiarity with the college process, their needs differ from those of students whose families have attended college (Inman & Mayers, 1999) In response, colleges and universities have expanded on-campus summer programs that provide mentoring and early-intervention initiatives to help first-generation and minority students acclimate to the campus environment, meet academic demands, and navigate the transition into higher education.
With the changing face of K–12 education, budget cuts are affecting college-bound students' ability to transition from high school to college without experiencing emotional, psychological, or physical trauma, and the role of counselors has been strained as a result Traditionally, high school counselors provided intervention, remedial support, preventive management, and programs that helped students develop personal, social, academic, and career skills (Wittmer, 2000) Yet persistent budget cuts and limited support leave many counselors overwhelmed and unable to serve their student populations effectively; in California, the high school counselor-to-student ratio exceeds 1:900, leaving little time to address the emotional, social, psychological, or academic issues associated with the transition to college (California Department of Education, 2008) In response, Levine (2005) urged high schools to shift focus from college admissions prep to life preparation, equipping adolescents with what they will need to succeed during and after college.
To boost first-year students' academic success, institutions must address both their precollege characteristics and prior experiences Recognizing the transition challenge, many colleges offer summer visits and freshman orientation programs to help incoming students adjust Summer visits typically involve one-day sessions where students can schedule classes and become familiar with the campus, while admissions departments use this period to complete enrollment paperwork and secure enrollment.
For most colleges and universities, new-college-student transitions officially begin with freshman orientation, held when students arrive on campus just before the start of classes The program provides a quick briefing on college life and academic expectations, with a strong emphasis on social integration through group activities and events Yet the tight schedule leaves little time for meaningful psychological adjustment or for addressing changes that could affect students As a result, preexisting expectations are rarely challenged, and the mismatch between the expected college experience and the reality can create incongruence between ideas and reality (Keup, 2007).
To ease the new-student transition, many colleges and universities are proactively offering freshman seminars as part of the first-year academic schedule These seminars address social adjustment, diversity, academic challenges, ethics, and personal growth, equipping students with essential skills for college life Additionally, institutions are implementing peer mentoring and study groups to provide ongoing support during the transition, a strategy highlighted by Upcraft et al (2005).
Carter (2009) advocates a proactive approach to the high school–to–college transition, emphasizing a balanced mix of academics, social learning, and personal growth to foster student success He explains that many students start college feeling stressed because they are unsure about what they want or what to expect, with parental pressures often contributing to this stress Additional tension arises from limited emotional intelligence and a lack of understanding about how to make informed choices or develop a clear plan for ongoing academic and personal achievement.
According to Seidman (2005), the transition from a high school to a college environment is more stressful than other environment transitions Most new college students are not prepared for the stress they may encounter Some may use the stress as motivation, but most students are not be skilled in the management of the high stress level often found at college The lack of this skillset could lead to personal and or academic failure and departure from the college Setting realistic expectations and developing coping skills while students are still in high school could eliminate much of this stress
Seidman (2005) further suggested that institutions should help new college students to recognize their personal strengths and weaknesses In a formal setting, this process could help students gain a greater sense of self-efficacy, which could impact how they deal with future academic, personal, and social challenges at college
New programs for millennial students (those born after 1984) have emerged to help them prepare for college by leveraging online chats and Facebook groups to disseminate information and build a sense of connection with the campus and with each other before arrival This early engagement helps new students develop a community, manage expectations, and still rely on family and friends for support Parallel to this, programs for parents of millennial students have been developed, reflecting higher parental involvement in their children’s education; informing and educating parents has proven beneficial for students’ transitions (Keeling, 2003) Typical parent programs include newsletters, personal contact from the Deans, and new parent orientation sessions.
Specific transitional programs for first-generation college students, high-risk students, and transfer students have also been implemented to help these populations succeed
Higher education was designed for baby boomers within an industrial-age model, a framework that no longer aligns with today’s college students Carlson (2005) notes that a new generation—the millennials—has arrived on campus, bringing different learning styles, schedules, and expectations As millennial learners populate colleges, institutions are rethinking instruction, support services, and campus life to fit this cohort The arrival of the millennials signals a shift in higher education dynamics that ongoingly shapes how colleges teach and support students.
Born roughly between 1980 and 1994, Millennials are smart but impatient, expecting immediate results and thriving on social connectivity They are digital, connected, and experiential, demanding immediacy and constant access to information Some observers note that their upbringing was sheltered, highly scheduled, and over‑parented, which can leave 18‑year‑olds who feel mature but are still developing judgment In daily life, Millennials carry a suite of portable devices and excel at multitasking—juggling instant messaging, web browsing, and media playback while tackling homework.
McCarthy and Kuh (2006) show that millennial students often enter college underprepared for academic demands In a survey of about 170,000 high school seniors, 47% reported three hours or fewer of study per week, while roughly 50% of first-year college students said they studied more than ten hours weekly, underscoring a disconnect between high school study habits and college expectations.