Factors Influencing College Choice of Nepalese Undergraduate Students

Background: College choice decision remains one of the major issues for the students and parents especially during the time of admission. Objective: Understanding this problem, this research, taking colleges of Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University as the samples, assesses which of the characteristics― institutional, marketing, and social are more dominant in this decision. Method: The study, based on the primary survey; uses the questionnaire to collect data among the management students of bachelor’s level in Lalitpur and Kathmandu district, shows that academic program, quality of education, and social factors are the key factors that impact college choice decision. The study employs convenient sampling techniques. The tendency of students to make college choice decisions depends on the colleges’ academic programs that they have concentrated. Result: The results suggest that college should focus their eyes to apply different types of academic programs, adopt quality education in terms of appointing highly qualified faculties and even contribute certain margin to social support, employability of the students over the market and position of enrolment of the students in higher education. These characteristics enable the colleges to run and sustain in the long run. Conclusion: To mitigate the moderating impact on college choice, the variable gender is used, however, its impact on the relationship of college fees and college choice is not supported by the study.

Investigating Ivy

This qualitative study examined how race and class shaped the college choice process and collegiate experiences of Black undergraduates attending Ivy League Institutions. Findings revealed that although social class did not play a significant role in participants’ college choice process, robust financial aid packaging significantly impacted their decision to attend a highly selective university. Racial identity was largely viewed by participants as a vehicle to admit more Black Immigrant students than Black Native students in order to achieve institutional diversity/affirmative action goals. Prevalent racialized incidents and institutional racism shaped participants’ collegiate experiences. The findings of this study are expected to have implications for minority recruitment, college choice, access and equity, as well as higher education diversity initiatives.

Accountability and (In)Congruence in a No-Excuses School College-Going Culture

This study explores how the college-going culture at a no-excuses charter school with high college enrollment rates shaped students’ worldviews and trajectories. Drawing on 7 months of ethnographic fieldwork, I found that the school boosted college enrollment through student compliance to the college accountability policies rather than through the transmission of dominant cultural resources. Alignment between a student’s worldview and the school’s approach mediated their ability to draw on their full range of resources to participate in the college choice process and forge postsecondary trajectories they believed in. These findings foreshadow the potential impacts of “College for All” accountability structures and underscore the importance of cultural congruence in college-going cultures.

Exploring Rural Engineering Students’ College-Choice Process at Two Land-Grant Universities

This qualitative case study examines the college choice decisions of rural students enrolled in engineering majors to understand what conditions and experiences led rural students to pursue engineering at their institution. We found four themes that help illuminate rural engineering students’ college choice journeys (1) The Inextricable Nature of College, Major, and Career Choice (2) “The Smart Person Thing to Do:” The Power of Prestige, (3) “Are You Sure You Don’t Want to Change your Major?” Dissonance Between Aspirations and Expectations, and (4) School and Community as Crucial Resources in College and Major Exploration. These findings have implications for those working with rural high school students seeking engineering degrees and admissions processes at four-year colleges and universities.

Who are studying at International Branch Campuses in China? A case study

International Branch Campuses (IBCs) grow rapidly, and China is the largest host country of IBCs. This article examines the student characteristics at an IBC in China. The student characteristics arise from the literature regarding college choice and the choice of IBC. A documentary study examines the academic performance, represented by gaokao scores, of the students from an IBC with independent legal person status in China. Further, using the data of 798 survey respondents, the student characteristics are analyzed with a descriptive analysis, and the results are compared to the data in existent documents and reports. The results show that the development of IBCs in China favors urban and socioeconomically advantaged students. Family income becomes a stronger and direct factor on the choice of IBC. Chinese middle- and upper-class utilize their capitals to obtain study opportunities at IBCs. This article fills the gap in the student characteristics and identifies the inequalities at an IBC. The implications are discussed.