Community College Freshmen: Last in, First Out?

Abstract

Institutions that allow late admission may be doing a disservice to students who have not adequately prepared for their transition to college. This research examined 785 admissions files of first-time, matriculated college freshmen at an open-access college. Data were collected regarding the demographics, characteristics, and academic performance of these students. Using Tinto's model of attrition as the framework, these data were analyzed to test the following hypotheses: 1) Students who apply late have different characteristics from students who apply earlier; 2) Students who apply late do not perform as well academically as students who apply earlier; and 3) Students who apply late are less likely to re-enroll the subsequent term. According to this research, late applicants exhibit different characteristics from students who apply earlier and have higher rates of attrition. These findings corroborate the high-risk profile for attrition in the professional and research literature.