It’s as simple as a text: Helping students finish the transition to college
Jun. 3, 2013 at 08:00 AM | By Emily Kissane | Comment Count
From deciding where to apply to taking those first steps onto campus to receiving a degree, join Hobsons as we follow students, counselors, and their families on the path from college choice to completion. See more in the series.
The summer after high school graduation should be a time of excitement and anticipation, but too many students—too many low-income graduates in particular—see their plans and dreams evaporate in a few short months.
“Summer melt” describes the phenomenon of new high school graduates who intend to enroll in college the following fall having their plans change or disintegrate. Current research shows that the number of students effected ranges from 8 to 40 percent, with low-income students especially vulnerable.
The change in plans can be the result of good news for the student—being accepted from a preferred college’s waitlist, for example. But other students give up on college enrollment because they have difficulty with tasks like taking placement tests and completing financial aid paperwork without the support of counselors.
First generation students can feel particularly overwhelmed and unsupported during this key transition time. If they don’t have family members or friends who can help them prepare for the first term, they can become overwhelmed and frustrated, wondering if college is worth the cost and effort.
Fortunately, this situation may be relatively easy to improve. Simple outreach efforts can give students the needed support to ensure that they make the transition from high school graduate to new college student. 
Benjamin L. Castleman, a doctoral candidate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Lindsay C. Page, a researcher at Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research, recently tested two models of outreach.
- Text messages: Students received up to ten personalized text messages reminding them about specific tasks necessary for college enrollment. They were invited to connect with a school counselor and were offered assistance in understanding and completing financial aid forms.
- Peer mentors: Students were contacted by peers from similar backgrounds who were enrolled in college. The mentors assessed each student’s readiness for fall enrollment and assisted with issues that needed to be addressed. The mentors referred students to a school counselor for any questions involving personal financial information.
Both types of outreach improved rates of enrollment.
What lessons can we take away from this study and others like it? First, transitions are difficult, particularly when there’s a break in the support network. Second, outreach works, and it doesn’t have to be prohibitively expensive. And finally, if high schools want to improve outcomes for their graduates and colleges want to boost enrollment, they should consider partnering to help students keep on track over the summer.
Here are some ideas for summer text reminders that can keep students on track for starting college:
- Ensure they have completed the FAFSA
- Suggest they log on to their college portal to keep on top of required paperwork
- Remind them to sign up for orientation and placement exams
- Give them quick pointers or checklists to make the transition easier
Including necessary website links (such as the student’s college portal or registration site) and an invitation to contact a counselor for help will boost each message’s effectiveness.