College Choice

Abstract

Choice in education has become a key issue for educational debate. In Further Education, especially since 1992, where recruitment has been linked to funding, interest in markets and choice mechanisms has understandably increased. This paper summarizes the findings of a longitudinal multi-site study which examined the reasons and motives of 16 year olds choosing among post-16 colleges and school sixth forms in one local area. It analyses decision-making processes and strategies, and reveals subjective and objective approaches in students’ handling of marketing information. The paper concludes that although students initially base their choices on ‘pre-dispositions’ and work within social and cultural frames of reference, young people also rely on the marketing information provided by colleges to justify their choices, and to announce their decisions to others.