Choice Process: A Cluster Analysis Study

Applying to college is a rigorous process based on a reciprocal relationship between students and institutions, as both actively search to meet their own needs and aspirations for the best edu-cation and student body, respectively. The popular media often depict college admission as characterized by two extreme groups of applicants: those who are academically gifted, apply to many competitive institutions, and spend exorbitant amounts of money on college preparation (Rubin, 2008) and those who are under-prepared and unaware of the college admission process (Nyhan, 2006). Although these two groups do exist, they are far from the norm of college applicants. They may be better exemplified as at least a few groups of students who can be classified on a variety of characteristics. As such, there arises a need to identify and describe these unique clusters of college applicants in order to guide their academic preparation for college success as well as to rethink col