Minority College Students’ Perceptions of College Preparation Experiences and Their High School Counselors: One Year Later – A Revised Perspective

Abstract

There are major problems with high schools preparing minority students for college. These problems stem from many issues, one being the lack of school counselor training in college preparedness. The need for this research is showed by the lack of literature on this topic. This paper will present the results of a study examining minority college students’ high school experiences related to college-going and their perceptions of high school counselors in the process of college admission and preparation. A survey was given to the scholars of Ronald E. McNair Post Baccalaureate program at the University of Maryland College Park. The participants (n = 15) completed the online 68-item survey. The survey included items that asked the students about their high school college preparation courses, activities that prepared them for college, and their high school counselor’s involvement in their college readiness process. The results from my research demonstrated that current college students did not feel that various high school experiences and courses prepared them for college. The results also found that parents/guardians and high counselors were considered the most influential in current college students decisions regarding college preparation and overall decision to further their education.