The Influence of Participation in Early College Start Programs on Student College Choice

This study focused on the influence of participation in early college start initiatives on student college choice. The purpose of this quantitative study was twofold and addressed two questions. First, if a student participates in early college start, is that student more likely to enroll at the college participating in the early college start program after finishing high school? Secondly, is there a significant difference in the post high school enrollment patterns based on the delivery format of the early college start program? To address these questions, the early college start program of Marion Technical College, a community college in rural north central Ohio, was examined. Marion Technical College offers early college start programs through both concurrent and dual enrollment for students at 16 high schools. A chi-square analysis was used to test whether there was a relationship between participation in ECS and enrollment at Marion Technical College after high school graduation. The results found that there is a statistically significant relationship between participation in ECS and enrollment at MTC after graduation, χ 2(1) = 669.479, p = .00. Students who participated in early college start through Marion Technical College were significantly more likely to enroll at MTC after graduating from high school. A chi-square analysis was used to determine whether there was a relationship between delivery format of the early college start course and enrollment at Marion Technical College after high school graduation. There was no statistically significant relationship between delivery formats, χ2(2) = .738, p=.691. The results indicate that no delivery format is more likely than any other delivery format to result in a student choosing Marion Technical College