College expectations and choices: Explaining the gaps in college enrollment for high- and low-SES students in China

This study aims to better understand how college expectations influence college enrollment during the process of transition from high school to college, using a baseline and follow-up survey of high school students from Shaanxi Province in China. The findings show that students from low-SES families tended to have higher college expectations, whereas students from high-SES families were more likely to be accepted into college and more likely to attend college, even conditional on admission. We also found different patterns in college application behaviors between high- and low-SES students. Students from high-SES families were more likely to have valid college choices and aim for more selective colleges, whereas students from low-SES families tended to underestimate their academic performance.
Source: International Journal of Educational Development - Category: Child Development Source Type: research