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An Examination Of The College Decision-Making Process Of High School Students In Rural Vermont: A Cross-Case Analysis, Jon Reidel

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Earning a college degree has been shown to have a number of positive socioeconomic impacts on individuals and society as a whole. Although researchers acknowledge that the decision to attend college is a complex process involving multiple factors, studies have focused primarily on individual reasons as part of a linear college choice paradigm. Individual obstacles to college attendance that consistently emerge in this strand of research include academic preparation, socioeconomic status, cost, family background, parental influence, motivation, and guidance counselor support (Harris & Halpin, 2002).

College attendance rates are particularly low among students living in rural areas. Nationwide, only 59 …