Early-Entrance Students: Impressions of Their First Semester of College

Abstract

Although the long-term impact of early entrance to college has been examined, one issue that has received inadequate attention in the gifted education literature is how students enrolled in early-entrance programs adjust during their first semester of college, which is arguably the most critical juncture for them in terms of their transition from high school. The purpose of this study was to identify the unique academic, social, family, and transition issues that challenged the inaugural class of the National Academy of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering (NAASE), an early-entrance program at the University of Iowa. Through the use of in-depth interviews, behavioral observations, and student and parent surveys, a rich picture of the students' satisfaction and challenges with their first-semester college experiences emerged. While the primary aim of this research was to examine the NAASE students' first-semester adjustment, the study also served to evaluate the effectiveness of the NAASE program from the students' perspectives.

Early College Entrance in Australia

“…Similarities were also found in the establishment of satisfying friendships with older students, the possession of a wide range of interests, and involvement in cocurricular activities. The generally positive academic and socioemotional outcomes for the radical accelerands are consistent with studies undertaken outside of Australia that have suggested that early college entrants tend to demonstrate academic successes and (usually) positive socioemotional adjustment (Boazman & Sayler, 2011;Brody et al, 2004;Muratori et al, 2003;Robinson, 2004;Shepard, Foley Nicpon, & Doobay, 2009).…”

“…Young (2010) undertook 12 case studies of early college entrants, of which two were admitted without the completion of secondary school, one experienced dual enrollment, and nine were accelerated by 1 or more years in elementary and/or secondary school. Similar to the findings of studies undertaken outside of Australia (e.g., Muratori, Colangelo, & Assouline, 2003), many of the participants had negative experiences prior to entering college, with five unable to find a social niche, a number of instances of bullying, multiple examples of intellectual frustration and boredom, and feelings of being "out of place." Nevertheless, some of the participants were able to find peers in academically selective secondary schools, through their involvement in extracurricular activities, or with other "social outcasts."…”

“…This may be particularly the case in an egalitarian society such as Australia, which may frown upon special support that is not available to others, and where the only formalized early college entry program (e.g., The Early Admission for Exceptionally Talented Students Scheme at The University of New South Wales) has maintained screening procedures to ensure that admitted students progress through their studies in an independent manner. Indeed, Hertzog and Chung (2015) noted the possible insular nature of cohort early college entry programs (and the associated difficulties with assimilating into the wider college community), and some early entrants in Muratori et al (2003) believed that the level of support in their program was excessive. Nevertheless, the minimal intervention approach may not be optimal if equitable treatment or anonymity is not something that is valued by the early college entrants, or if any early college entrants are experiencing substantial difficulties in the transition to college.…”

“…None of the problems appeared to be related to the choice of institution or to the degree of acceleration. Other comparatively minor issues, some of which were also identified in Muratori et al (2003), related to the various differences between secondary school and college, such as differences in teaching style, a sudden loss of structure, the scheduling/length/quality of classes, the surprise at receiving relatively low grades (compared to their outstanding academic successes in secondary school), the difficulty in balancing work with the freedoms of college, exam tension, and the length of commuting times. Being under the legal age to consume alcohol inhibited a few participants, whereas driving and dating generally appeared to be non-issues.…”

The Efficacy of Academic Acceleration for Gifted Minority Students

“…Yet schools and educators generally use acceleration very conservatively or not at all (Colangelo, Assouline, & Gross, 2004), particularly with gifted low-income or minority students who are underrepresented in many gifted programs (Bernal, 2002;Ford, Harris, Tyson, & Trotman, 2002;Grantham, 2003;Lee, Matthews, & Olszewski-Kubilius, 2008;Morris, 2002;Worrell, 2007;Wyner, Bridgeland, & Diiulio, 2007). Almost none of the research on acceleration to date has been conducted with low-income or minority students exclusively or with samples containing large numbers of these students in contrast to substantial studies on acceleration involving nonminority students (Colangelo et al, 2004;Gross, 2003;Janos & Robinson, 1985;Muratori, Colangelo, & Assouline, 2003;Rogers, 1991Rogers, , 2002Rogers & Span, 1993;Sayler & Lupkowski, 1992;Swiatek, 1993Swiatek, , 2002.…”