The experiences of women using the community college transfer pathway to earn four-year degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields have not been studied extensively. This study examined the experiences of thirty women (67% first-generation college students, 23% ethnic minority students) pursuing STEM degrees; they were interviewed once while finishing at community college and again one semester later. The results illustrate facilitators at the community college, including inspirational professors, effective transfer advising, academic resources, and flexible work schedules, and barriers resulting from ineffective initial advising. After transferring to a four-year institution, the majority of women persisted in STEM majors despite many barriers, such as negative course experiences, poor advising, and limited finances. Finding a helpful professor or advisor and cotransfer support boosted belongingness and contributed to persistence. Two students switched to non-STEM fields, while two students withdrew from the four-year school completely; these students faced significant financial barriers and did not find a helpful professor or advisor in a STEM field. Finally, four students delayed their transfer, primarily due to financial reasons and family responsibilities. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

This paper uses a possible selves theoretical framework to examine whether and how adolescent girls' images of themselves as future scientists change during their transition from high school to college. Forty-one female high school graduates from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, who had enrolled in an intensive math and science program while in high school, participated in interviews focused on their perceptions of factors that influenced their career plans over time. Participants suggested that career-related internships and intensive academic programs, especially those that yielded important mentoring relationships, were contexts in which they negotiated career-related possible selves and subsequent career plans.

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Community college students enrolled in science and technology fields face many challenges as they pursue transfer pathways to earn a 4-year degree. Despite clear links to student persistence, advising interactions that facilitate or inhibit transfer progress are not clearly understood. In this study, 82 community college students pursu ing science and technology transfer-based pro grams of study participated in phenomenological interviews. Students described how professors, major advisors, and transfer office staff supported their progress by providing accurate information or referring them to helpful resources; students learned answers to unasked questions and stayed on track to transfer. Interactions impeded pro gress when initial advisors, in particular, provid ed misinformation, leading to frustration and costly delays. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.