Out-of-Class High School Experiences and Students’ College Aspirations

Abstract

This study considers whether participation in several out-of-class high school experiences increased the odds that a student would aspire to earn a bachelor’s degree, whether these relationships were moderated by the student’s race/ethnicity or socioeconomic status, and whether these experiences, considered together, had a cumulative influence on educational aspirations. Results suggest that participation in several experiences, including science-related school programs, extracurricular activities, taking a college class, searching the Internet or reading college guides, and talking to a school counselor about going to college, increased the odds that a student will aspire to earn a bachelor’s degree. Findings also suggest a positive, linear relationship as a student increases their participation in these experiences, where participation in four or more of the high school experiences examined significantly increases students’ college aspirations.