%0 Thesis %1 rock_thresholds_2002 %A Rock, Thomas Patrick %D 2002 %K AND COUNSELING EDUCATION, GUIDANCE Higher, %T Thresholds to success: An analysis of the college admission process at an elite private secondary school and an aspiring public secondary school in an urban setting %X Although students have been applying for admission to colleges and universities since the founding of our nation's Colonial Colleges, applying to college today is an intense process that may involve extensive research, college-preparatory classes, and countless hours writing various college essays. How students approach this process varies widely depending on the students' situation, self, support, and strategies. This study examined how two groups of high school seniors approached the college admission process over a five-month period. Students attended either an elite private school or an aspiring public school in an urban setting. Because the college admission process is a major transition, Schlossberg's model of transition theory was utilized for this study. Schlossberg suggests that transition consists of three major parts: (a) approaching transitions; (b) taking stock of coping resources—the 4S system; and (c) taking charge—strengthening resources. This study focused on how students took stock of their coping resources, or the 4S model, which refers to the students' Situation, Self, Support, and Strategies. The data collection utilized a qualitative research effort. The researcher entered the schools on a weekly basis to meet with participants. Eight students from the public school and seven from the private school participated in the study. Data were collected through observation, field notes, interviews, and group meetings with students, administrators, and a parent. The findings suggested that students from an elite private school has significant advantages over students from an aspiring public school when applying to college. The private school students exhibited much stronger “Ss” in Schlossberg's model, while the public school students lacked self-confidence, had limited support, were not familiar with key strategies to gain admission, and had complicated situations. The purpose of this study was to tell the story of the students and to examine the thresholds that they undergo when applying to college. Additional studies may help to understand the differences in the way students apply to college. Schlossberg's transition theory can be utilized to assess if students approach life transitions similarly to how they approached applying to college.

@phdthesis{rock_thresholds_2002, abstract = {Although students have been applying for admission to colleges and universities since the founding of our nation's Colonial Colleges, applying to college today is an intense process that may involve extensive research, college-preparatory classes, and countless hours writing various college essays. How students approach this process varies widely depending on the students' situation, self, support, and strategies. This study examined how two groups of high school seniors approached the college admission process over a five-month period. Students attended either an elite private school or an aspiring public school in an urban setting. Because the college admission process is a major transition, Schlossberg's model of transition theory was utilized for this study. Schlossberg suggests that transition consists of three major parts: (a) approaching transitions; (b) taking stock of coping resources\—the 4S system; and (c) taking charge\—strengthening resources. This study focused on how students took stock of their coping resources, or the 4S model, which refers to the students' Situation, Self, Support, and Strategies. The data collection utilized a qualitative research effort. The researcher entered the schools on a weekly basis to meet with participants. Eight students from the public school and seven from the private school participated in the study. Data were collected through observation, field notes, interviews, and group meetings with students, administrators, and a parent. The findings suggested that students from an elite private school has significant advantages over students from an aspiring public school when applying to college. The private school students exhibited much stronger \“Ss\” in Schlossberg's model, while the public school students lacked self-confidence, had limited support, were not familiar with key strategies to gain admission, and had complicated situations. The purpose of this study was to tell the story of the students and to examine the thresholds that they undergo when applying to college. Additional studies may help to understand the differences in the way students apply to college. Schlossberg's transition theory can be utilized to assess if students approach life transitions similarly to how they approached applying to college.}, added-at = {2018-06-19T15:20:34.000+0200}, author = {Rock, Thomas Patrick}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2dd9b05007156f9c974fad0e708b9037f/prophe}, interhash = {3c2b07cdb0d38a2761a148d0b327de1e}, intrahash = {dd9b05007156f9c974fad0e708b9037f}, keywords = {AND COUNSELING EDUCATION, GUIDANCE Higher,}, school = {Columbia University Teachers College}, shorttitle = {Thresholds to success: {An} analysis of the college admission process at an elite private secondary school and an aspiring public secondary school in an urban setting}, timestamp = {2018-06-19T15:20:34.000+0200}, title = {Thresholds to success: {An} analysis of the college admission process at an elite private secondary school and an aspiring public secondary school in an urban setting}, type = {{PhD} {Thesis}}, year = 2002 }