Findings from independent analysis do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Bill &

The research reported here examines factors associated with college enrollment and success for entering freshman students. This research builds on two traditions in educational attainment research: the role of high-poverty, high-minority concentrations in schools in shaping postsecondary opportunities for high-need, college eligible students and the perpetuation hypothesis (Braddock, 1980), which argues that the racial composition of the high school has important implications for postsecondary choices, especially for students who choose traditionally white colleges and universities. These analyses follow the work in status attainment research that examines school factors—size, control, and other contextual factors—that shape student outcomes (Coleman et al, 1966; Sewell, Hauser and Featherman, 1976; Trent, Henderson and Braddock, 1985). The objectives of this research are twofold. First, we describe the social and demographic attributes of the high schools of origin of the 2001 freshman cohort of applicants to the Gates Millennium Scholars program, for each racial and ethnic group. Second, we examine the relative contribution of individual versus school factors in shaping key educational outcomes—educational expectations, educational performance, and college selectivity. The first objective will be especially useful in identifying the extent to which GM