The Summer Threshold Program

Abstract

The Summer Threshold Program at the University of California at Berkeley provides entering freshmen with an introduction to college life. The program was evaluated using a variety of measures and data sources. Primary outcome variables centered on grade point averages and persistence levels of Threshold and non-Threshold freshmen. Other variables examined for program and comparison students include: expectations about college life, perceptions of first year at college, level of academic effort, faculty ratings of students' educational attitudes, and other attitudinal variables. Through comparative data, multiple measures, and longitudinal follow-up, useful conclusions were reached concerning the program's problems and successes.