The relative influence of student characteristics and perceptions of an institution at different stages in the college choice process.

The college choice process has been described as students searching for colleges and colleges searching for students. Recently, though, the more increasingly difficult and complex task rests with college and university administrators who have been faced with managing enrollments in a time of major demographic declines in the traditional applicant pool. This study looked at three distinct decisions in the college choice process and asked the question: What are the factors that influence students at each stage of the process and how are the factors different at each stage? The question is prompted by a practical question faced by universities, that is: What influences some students who indicate an initial interest in an institution to drop out of the institution's "pipeline" while others remain in the admissions process? A model is presented that suggests the relative influence of three sets of factors (demographics, information sources, and institutional perceptions) at different stages in the college choice process. Applying the innovation-decision process, a theory from communications, to the process of college choice, this study proposes that specific factors affect the different stages of the process by influencing students knowledge, attitudes, and actions. A dataset was developed from previous studies of potential students who had made distinct college choice decisions about the University of Michigan. The three groups consisted of students who had (1) sent test scores but had not applied, (2) sent test scores, applied, but did not attend, and (3) sent test scores, applied and did attend. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the best predictors of each of the decisions. The study found that unique factors affected the three decisions. In the first decision, to send test scores, a visit to the campus was the most influencing factor. Next, receiving information from a high school counselor most influenced the decision to apply. Students' perceptions of the institution strongly influenced the final decision to attend. While institutions would like to believe that students who send test scores will apply, and applicants who are admitted will attend, this study revealed that there are different factors at work determining each of the three college choice decisions. Combining the theory of college choice with a communications theory, this study adds valuable insights to understanding prospective college students and also makes a practical contribution to colleges and universities in their recruitment plans and communication with students.PhDEducationUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/103147/1/9303826.pdfDescription of 9303826.pdf : Restricted to UM users only