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Research Proposal
Bailey Arenberg
Independent Research II GT
2015-2016
Title: The College Choice
Introduction and Overview of Research:
This investigation serves to discover what factors students consider most
prevalent when selecting a college to attend after high school. Through quantitative
and/or qualitative data collection, the factors concerning the college choice can be
illuminated to an audience otherwise kept in the dark. Collecting data from high school
students planning on attended an institution for post-secondary education will provide
key insights into the mind of high school students nearing graduation and future
endeavors. The goal of this project will be to help guide students, their families, and
supporting school staff when pressed with the difficult college choice.
Background and Rationale:
Deciding which college to attend is a difficult decision for the high school
student. Michael S. Roth of Wesleyan University describes this tenuous time as, []
figure[ing] out which college or university will provide the best combination of
resources and challenges to enable them to thrive for four years in ways that they
will build on for the rest of their lives (Strauss, 2015). On top of the pressure for the
student to choose a school on their own behalf, the pressures of parents, teachers,
peers, counselors, etc. culminate into one decision that seems life altering to the student.
With One of the most challenging parts of the admissions process was[being] not
getting to see all the colleges I was applying to [] (Stampler, 2015), it is vital to rely
on other factors when making the final choice. However, cost remains a pertinent issue
as, Students also cited reasons related to the increasing cost of college among those that
most affected their school choice (Morse, 2014).
Moreover, with proper guidance and management, a seemingly daunting decision
can be attainable to the average teenager. By knowing which factors should be prioritized
and which factors should be least prioritized when choosing a college, a student will have
a leg up on their impending college decision.
This study is being conducted in order to determine which factors students as a
collective take most and least into account when selecting institutions for post-secondary
education. Certain factors such as cost, location, and size may play a larger role on one
students decision versus another. This study will entail the breakdown of importance by
potentially certain socio-economic and or demographic factors as well as high school
students as a collective whole.

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Research Methodology:
Research Question: What factors do students take least/most into account when selecting
an institution for post-secondary education?
Research Thesis: Factors such as affordability and location will have a larger impact on
college choice than factors such as size, school type, and demographics.
Research Design Model: Qualitative and quantitative data will be collected through the
composed questionnaire. Using a Likert-type scale, different selection factors can be
analyzed using numerical values. Contrastingly, additional data, particularly demographic
and descriptive explanations from the surveyed individuals, will be evaluated in the
qualitative fashion. Independent variables in this research will include the various factors
students take into consideration when selecting a college. The dependent variable will
include the responses and ratings from the surveyed individuals. The data will be
collected from, at a minimum, the 2015-2016 senior body at Glenelg High School.
Data Collection: As previously stated, data will be collected using a questionnaire
distributed to the senior body at Glenelg. This was chosen as the best mode of data
collection, as a questionnaire can easily reach a wide range of students, is relatively
simple to complete, and can be analyzed for cross tabulations and statistics. This data
collection would allocate either a final product of a website, article to be submitted for
publication, presentation, or another means of communication and distribution.
The data collected will be used to create a comprehensive analysis detailing which
factors students take least and most into account when selecting a college. In addition to
general statistics, cross tabulations regarding demographics may be used to make further
conclusions. Using various sources collected throughout the research process,
background hypotheses can be established along with potential comparisons between
predictions in literature and results from the data.

Product Objectives:
After primary research has been conducted, a product will be formed. The format
of this product will vary. One potential option is a presentation at the annual Student
Learning Conference, although data collection and analysis will not be complete at this
point in time. Another potential product is submitting an article to a reputable source for
publication detailing the findings of this study. An additional option would be to publish
an informative website detailing results of the study and counseling future students and
parents in their college endeavors. These options appear to be the most attainable and
beneficial to the public.
The targeted audience for the product is high school students pursuing a college
education, their parents, along with their high school counselors and teachers. High
schools students will be able to utilize the information from this study to validate their
college choices and help provide guidance when making the difficult decision. Parents

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will be able to further connect with their children, and for the most part be able to
sympathize with the difficult choices students make and why they make them.
Counselors and teachers will be able to better help students making the tough choice to
pursue a post-secondary education choose a college. By understanding the plights of the
student, the adults in their lives can relate to the students wants, desires, and needs.
The product will be communicated to the audience through either a presentation
or publication via a communication medium, such as the Internet or a newspaper.
Allowing the analysis and conclusions to be communicated in this manner allows a wider
margin of the audience to be reached.
Logical Considerations:
The project and product require the audience to participate. Without the high
school students to complete the survey, no conclusions could be made. Additionally,
students will need computers to complete the survey, which is currently set to be taken
during pre-existing Naviance lessons at Glenelg. Additionally because the survey will be
conducted online, the survey will need to be formulated using survey software.
No costs will be attributed to this project. However, materials are needed, such as
computers with Internet access. No transportation is needed, as the students will already
be present at Glenelg High School to complete the survey. Printing/distribution may be
required for the final product; however, the final product method has not been determined
yet. Permission will not be needed to gather data, because those consenting to complete
the survey will remain anonymous throughout all data collection and distribution.
A timeline will be added that outlines the data collection, product development, and
audience distribution.
Approval:
______________________ _______________________ ______________________
Student Signature G/T Resource Teacher Signature Mentor/Advisor Signature

References:
Morse, R. (2014, March 13). Freshmen cite reputation, cost factors in college choice
survey. Retrieved February 23, 2016, from U.S. News & World Report website:
http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-rankingsblog/2014/03/13/freshmen-cite-reputation-cost-factors-in-college-choice-survey
Stampler, L. (2015, April 2). How high school students use Instagram to help pick a
college. Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://time.com/3762067/collegeacceptance-instagram-high-school/

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Strauss, V. (2015, April 12). Beyond prestige and comfort: The right way to choose a
college. Retrieved December 10, 2015, from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/04/12/beyondprestige-and-comfort-the-right-way-to-choose-a-college/