Date of Award
2021
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Education
Abstract
To improve college access for racially minoritized populations, such as first-generation Latinx students, current practices must be assessed to ensure equitability. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to learn about the experiences of first-generation Latinx students who chose to attend one of two institutions, a private 4-year institution and a private 2-year institution. I collected their reflections on their high school college choice process via interviews to understand their personal experiences and why they led them to the institution they chose. I also considered the support their high school counselors offered them in their college choice process. This study was guided by the following research questions: How do first-generation Latinx students who attend a 2-year college make meaning of their college choice process? How do first-generation Latinx students who attend a 4-year university make meaning of their college choice process? To what extent did students feel supported by their high school counselors in their college choice process? Why or why not? The findings showed the participants felt various conflicting emotions, such as stress, anxiety, fear, and discouragement, related to being first-generation Latinx students. In addition, results showed the extent to which these feelings were exacerbated by participants' high school counselors. Hence, future research regarding the college choice process should include not only a lens of higher education but also holistic counseling practices. Consequently, this should incite changes in policy and preparation requirements for school counselors to improve the supports racially minoritized populations receive.
Recommended Citation
Franco Carrera, Lillianna Shantey, ""Stop Giving Up on Us": The Experiences of First-Generation Latinx Students in their College Choice Process" (2021). Dissertations. 3887.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/3887
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2021 Lillianna Shantey Franco Carrera
