When Reaching for the Stars is Not Enough: Addressing the Misalignment of Postsecondary Expectations and Preparation of High School Students from Low-Socioeconomic Backgrounds

The vast majority of US high school seniors expect to graduate from college but only a small portion of these students will meet this expectation. Thus, there is a significant misalignment between students’ postsecondary preparation, expectations and attainment. Further, the expectations of low socioeconomic status (SES) students and high SES students are almost identical, but low SES students are much less likely to attain a college degree. This thesis describes a qualitative study of semi-structured interviews with low SES high school students in Eugene, Oregon that examines the underlying reasons for this misalignment. The study identifies examples of cultural and social capital that are linked with college preparedness. These examples include a student’s ability to identify barriers to postsecondary education, quality information, and college culture and vocabulary. Using case studies, this thesis illustrates that a mentor-like figure may help students overcome obstacles. As a result, Cross-age Peer Mentor Programs, in which a college-going mentor is matched with a high school mentee, may act as a partial solution to the postsecondary expectation-preparation misalignment. College students have valuable, first-hand perspectives of the college experience and can share cultural and social capital with their mentees. In conclusion, few students are likely to attend a traditional university, but all students should be prepared for success in their postsecondary endeavors.