Stressed and Confused: The Effects of an Informational Intervention on West Virginia Students’ Emotional Relationship to the College Application Process

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Abstract/Contents

Abstract: The college application process is daunting for millions of high school seniors. Students must weigh the potential benefits and potential costs of pursuing higher education while balancing the interests of their school, their family, and most importantly, themselves. Minimal research has examined the emotional toll this process has on students, and similarly, there are few studies that examine how a rural setting further impacts student emotions and decision making. In order to address these voids and explore these topics, this study took a quasi experimental approach to examine the effects of an informational workshop on students at a public high school in West Virginia. Results show that an informational workshop was successful at reducing student confusion levels but increased student stress levels. Students were mainly concerned with the affordability of higher education and with the possibility of leaving their home towns, highlighting the strength and influence of a rural community. Additionally, this intervention did not reveal a significant impact on application rates. While increased information about the college application process is beneficial to students emotionally, this is only one component of the student decision making process. There are historical, economic, and geographical factors which also influence how students feel about higher education and if they choose to attend.

Type of resource	text
Date created	June 2020

Author	Miller, Kayley

Subject	Graduate School of Education
Subject	college
Subject	college application process
Subject	decision-making
Subject	FAFSA
Subject	college access
Subject	rural
Subject	West Virginia
Subject	emotions
Subject	stress
Subject	confusion
Subject	intervention
Subject	counseling
Subject	survey
Genre	Thesis

Location	https://purl.stanford.edu/fd146ny7373

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License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).

Preferred Citation: Miller, Kayley. (2020). Stressed and Confused: The Effects of an Informational Intervention on West Virginia Students’ Emotional Relationship to the College Application Process. Unpublished Honors Thesis. Stanford University, Stanford CA.

Undergraduate Honors Theses, Graduate School of Education

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