The UTC Graduate School is pleased to announce that Charlie Folsom will present Doctoral (EdD) research titled, An Examination of the Relationship Between a University Sponsored High School Pre-Collegiate Preparatory Program and the Corresponding Admissions, Enrollment, and Student Success of Participants at a Sponsoring Institution on 10/21/2026 at 2:00pm ET in https://tennessee.zoom.us/j/83359596822. Everyone is invited to attend.
Learning and Leadership
Chair: Dr. Elizabeth K. Crawford
Co-Chair:
Abstract:
AN EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A UNIVERSITY SPONSORED HIGH SCHOOL PRE-COLLEGIATE PREPARATORY PROGRAM AND THE CORRESPONDING ADMISSIONS, ENROLLMENT, AND STUDENT SUCCESS OF PARTICIPANTS AT A SPONSORING INSTITUTION ABSTRACT Pre-collegiate summer programs represent a critical strategy for increasing college access and success among underrepresented students. This mixed-methods study examined the relationship between participation in the University of Tennessee Summer College Orientation and Recruitment Events (UT SCORE) and participants’ subsequent application to, enrollment in, and student success at the sponsoring institution. The study was grounded in Perna and Thomas (2008) multilayered conceptual model of student success, which posits that college access is shaped by individual, family, school, and broader social contexts. Two research questions guided the study: Research Question 1 (RQ1): Is there a relationship between underrepresented high school students’ application to, enrollment in, and student success at a university and their participation in the university’s sponsored pre-collegiate summer program? Research Question 2 (RQ2): What are participants’ perceptions of the program’s efficacy in relation to their application to, enrollment in, and student success at the sponsoring institution? The population included 313 applicants from 37 Memphis-area high schools, of whom 131 participated in the 2016 UT SCORE program. Quantitative data came from a 2023 follow-up survey of 50 former participants; qualitative data came from semi-structured interviews with 10 participants. T-tests and one-way ANOVAs found no statistically significant differences across demographic variables including gender, ethnicity, college legacy status, and GPA. Descriptively, 54% of survey respondents applied to the sponsoring institution, 34% were admitted, 14% enrolled, and 100% of enrollees graduated — substantially exceeding national benchmarks. Qualitative analysis identified three perception domains. Regarding application, the most valued components were campus tours (80%), career exploration (60%), standardized test preparation (40%), and connections to additional recruitment programs (50%). Regarding enrollment, nearly all participants (90%) were college-intending before the program, with UT SCORE reinforcing rather than creating those aspirations. Regarding student success, participants credited networking skills (60%), knowledge of campus resources (60%), and near-peer mentorship (50%) as contributors to persistence and degree completion. These findings suggest pre-collegiate programs are most impactful at the retention-to-completion stage. Recommendations include aligning programming with financial aid, prioritizing near-peer mentorship, addressing non-academic factors such as mental health and time management, and implementing longitudinal evaluation systems.