Evaluation of 

College Possible 

Postsecondary 

Outcomes, 

2007-2012 

Prepared by: 

Caitlin Howley, Ph.D.

Kazuaki Uekawa, Ph.D. 

August 2013

Prepared for: 

College Possible 

540 N Fairview Ave, Suite 304 

Saint Paul, MN 55104 
Evaluation of 

College Possible 

Postsecondary 

Outcomes, 

2007-2012 

Prepared by: 

Caitlin Howley, Ph.D.

Kazuaki Uekawa, Ph.D. 

August 2013

Prepared for: 

College Possible 

540 N Fairview Ave, Suite 304 

Saint Paul, MN 55104 
ii

Table of Contents 

Table of Contents .............................................................................................................................ii

Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... iii

Study Purpose ............................................................................................................................. iii

Study Methods ............................................................................................................................ iii

Findings ....................................................................................................................................... iv

Recommendations ......................................................................................................................vi

I. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1

II. Methods ...................................................................................................................................... 2

2.1 Evaluation Questions ....................................................................................................... 2

2.2 Methods to Address Evaluation Questions ...................................................................... 3

III. Findings ...................................................................................................................................... 6

3.1 Outcomes by Cohort ........................................................................................................ 6

3.2 Outcomes by Student Subgroups ................................................................................... 11

3.3 Outcomes by College Possible Coaching Amount and Type .......................................... 14

3.4 Multivariate Regression Results ..................................................................................... 19

IV. Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................................................ 27

4.1 Conclusions..................................................................................................................... 27

4.2 Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 31

V. Appendix A ................................................................................................................................ 34

VI. Appendix B ............................................................................................................................... 48

Description of Variables ................................................................................................................ 48

Student Outcomes .................................................................................................................... 48

Coaching-Related Variables ...................................................................................................... 49
iii

Executive Summary 

Study Purpose 

College Possible is a nonprofit organization providing college 

preparation, enrollment, persistence and completion assistance 

to low-income students in Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon and 

Wisconsin. In February of 2013, College Possible contracted with 

ICF International (hereafter, ICF) to analyze key postsecondary 

outcomes and identify factors associated with student success in 

college.

Specifically, the purpose of this study is to analyze the college 

preparation, enrollment, persistence, and graduation rates of 

College Possible students and identify variables that are 

correlated with positive student outcomes. Findings from this 

evaluation will help College Possible staff and stakeholders to 

better understand program impact and to gain insight into the 

factors than enable or constrain student outcomes. In addition, 

study results can inform programmatic improvements and 

support communication with College Possible audiences. 

To achieve the study goals, the following evaluation questions 

guided data analyses and interpretation: 

 What are college outcomes for students in the College 

Possible program? 

 Do student outcomes vary by the type of institution that 

College Possible students attend or by the coaching 

services they receive? 

 What other factors appear to influence student success? 

Study Methods 

College Possible provided to ICF data collected and maintained 

by the organization for high school graduation cohorts 2007 

through 2012. Data hailed from several sources, including 

Naviance (a college and career readiness student tracking 

platform used by College Possible), the College Possible student 

enrollment profile, and student postsecondary information from 

the National Student Clearinghouse. 

In addition, with the assistance of College Possible staff, 

evaluators used National Center for Education Statistics 

institutional codes to obtain college data. These data included 

Highlights 

College Possible students enroll in 

college at much higher rates than do 

students nationally. 

College Possible students persist in 

college at high rates, with Fall to 

Spring persistence rates ranging from 

93% to 86% and Spring to Fall 

persistence ranging from 89% to 79%. 

44% of students from the 2007 

College Possible high school cohort 

earned a Bachelor’s degree within 5 

years, compared to only 11% in a 

national study of low-income, firstgeneration college students. 

Only 10% of students from the 2007 

College Possible high school cohort 

pursuing an Associate’s degree 

attained one within 3 years. 

College Possible coaching exerts a 

significant and positive influence on 

college success. The more hours of 

coaching students receive, the more 

likely they are to enroll in, persist 

throughout, and complete college. 

ACT scores, high school grade point 

averages (GPA), and the ratio of fullto part-time students at the colleges 

students attend are significantly 

associated with college success. 

While certain student demographic 

characteristics (such as racial/ethnic 

minority status or first-generation 

college attendee status) can be 

negatively correlated with college 

success, College Possible coaching 

appears to help overcome those 

disparities. 
iv

information about the institutional characteristics of the postsecondary institutions in which 

College Possible students enrolled, such as status (public vs. private) and type (2-year vs. 4-

year). 

Analyses conducted by ICF include 

 descriptive statistics (percentages, means, cross tabulations) for key outcomes, and 

 multivariate logistic regression models to explore the individual and combined effect of 

various College Possible, college, and student factors on key outcomes. 

Findings 

What are college outcomes for students in the College Possible program? 

 College Possible students enroll in college at much higher rates than do similar students 

nationally. The immediate college enrollment rate for high school graduates from lowincome families is 52%, compared to 82% for students from high-income families.1

College Possible students’ immediate enrollment rates ranged from 82% to 88%. 

 College Possible students tend to persist between Fall and Spring semesters at high 

rates (ranging from a high of 93% to low of 86%). 

 The transition between the first Spring semester and the second Fall semester appears 

especially challenging for students, regardless of whether students are enrolled at 4-

year or 2-year colleges. The lowest persistence rates for both groups appear at this 

transition point. 

 Associate’s degree completion rates are very low among College Possible cohorts. Ten 

percent (10%) of those pursuing such a degree in the 2007 cohort earned one within 3 

years; 7% of students in the 2008 and 2009 cohorts did so. 

 Bachelor’s degree attainment rates are much higher, with 44% of students in the 2007 

cohort earning their degree within 5 years. Total completion rates (that is, the percent 

of students earning either an Associate’s degree within 3 years or a Bachelor’s degree 

within 5) were 41% among the 2007 cohort. 

Do student outcomes vary by the type of institution that College Possible 

students attend or by the coaching services they receive? 

 The majority of College Possible students enrolled in 4-year rather than 2-year colleges, 

and in public rather than private institutions. 

 

1

 Source: National Center for Education Statistics. (2012). Percentage of recent high school completers enrolled in 

2-year and 4-year colleges, by income level: 1975 through 2011. Retrieved from 

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d12/tables/dt12_236.asp
v

 Semester-to-semester persistence rates for College Possible students were far higher 

for those attending 4-year institutions and for those enrolled in private colleges. 

 College Possible students attending private institutions tend to persist between 

semesters at higher rates than students enrolled in public colleges. Among the 2007 

cohort, for example, semester-to-semester persistence rates ranged from 100% to 85% 

for students enrolled in private schools, while rates for those attending public colleges 

ranged from 93% to 82%. 

 Students attending private 4-year institutions were more likely to earn a Bachelor’s 

degree than were those enrolled in public 4-year colleges. 

 Students who received more hours of College Possible coaching during their junior and 

senior years of high schools were 1.65 times more likely to enroll in college than 

students who received fewer hours. 

 Students who received more hours of College Possible coaching during their junior and 

senior years of high schools were 1.29 times more likely to persist between the first and 

second years of college and 1.45 times more likely to persist between the second and 

third years than their peers receiving fewer hours. 

 Students who received more College Possible coaching during their third year of college 

were 1.58 times more likely to transition successfully from their third to their fourth 

years of college than were their counterparts who received less coaching. 

 Students who received more hours of College Possible coaching over the course of their 

college career were 1.59 times more likely to attain a Bachelor’s degree within 4 years 

than their peers who received fewer hours. 

 Students who received more hours of College Possible coaching over the course of their 

college career were 3.85 times more likely to attain a Bachelor’s degree within 5 years 

than their peers who received fewer hours. 

What other factors appear to influence student success? 

 Higher ACT scores are strongly and positively associated with enrollment, persistence 

through the third year of college, and completion of a Bachelor’s degree within 4 years.

 High school grade point average (GPA) is the most consistent predictor of the likelihood 

that College Possible students will achieve positive postsecondary outcomes. 

 Students attending schools with higher ratios of full-time to part-time students were 

approximately two times more likely to earn a Bachelor’s degree within four or five 

years than their peers at schools with lower ratios of full-time students. 
vi 

 While certain student demographic characteristics (such as racial/ethnic minority status 

or first-generation college attendee status) can be negatively associated with college 

success, College Possible coaching appears to help overcome such disparities. 

Recommendations 

 Findings from this study provide considerable support for program continuation.

 Program staff might consider strategies for maximizing the amount of coaching students 

receive, given the strong correlation between hours of College Possible coaching and 

positive postsecondary outcomes.

 College Possible staff should continue to stress the importance of academic 

achievement during high school. Both GPAs and ACT scores were correlated with 

positive college outcomes.

 College Possible staff may want to consider providing additional support to students at 

2-year schools, public institutions, and colleges with low ratios of full- to part-time 

students. 
1

I. Introduction

College Possible is a nonprofit organization providing coaching and mentoring services to lowincome high school and college students in Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon and Wisconsin. Such 

services are designed to help students prepare for and succeed in college. Since 2007, College 

Possible has assisted 3,812 students as they pursued college degrees, the majority of whom are 

racial/ethnic minorities (32% are Black, 32% of various Asian extractions, and 10% are Hispanic), 

do not speak English as a first language (42%), and are first-generation college attendees (72%). 

In February of 2013, College Possible contracted with ICF International (hereafter, ICF) to 

analyze key student outcomes and identify factors associated with student success in college. 

Specifically, the purpose of this study is to analyze the college preparation, enrollment, 

persistence, and graduation rates of College Possible students and identify factors that are 

correlated with positive student outcomes. Findings from this evaluation will help College 

Possible staff and stakeholders better understand program impact, and gain insight into the 

variables that enable or constrain student postsecondary success. In addition, study results can 

inform programmatic improvements and be employed by College Possible staff to 

communicate program impacts to stakeholders through the Executive Summary or other 

documents. 

The following sections of this report discuss the core evaluation questions guiding the study, 

the data and analytic methods employed, key findings, and conclusions and recommendations 

based on findings. 
2

II. Methods

2.1 Evaluation Questions 

To achieve study goals, the following evaluation questions guided data analysis and 

interpretation: 

 What are college outcomes for students in the College Possible program? 

 Do student outcomes vary by the type of institution that College Possible students 

attend or by the coaching services they receive? 

 What other factors appear to influence student success? 

The first evaluation question examines 1) whether College Possible students enrolled in 

postsecondary institutions and 2) how those students who enrolled in college performed (as 

measured by persistence and graduation). This evaluation question is important because the 

College Possible program theory of action suggests that social support and mentoring, 

information sharing, college-level academic skills development, and community services will 

impact the postsecondary performance of students favorably. 

The second question asks whether student outcomes vary by college type or by the College 

Possible mentoring services participating students received. Colleges differ in a range of 

measurable ways that might influence student outcomes. These differences include sector 

(public vs. private), size of enrollment, and curriculum focus (e.g., liberal arts college vs. 

comprehensive university system vs. technical college). For the purposes of this study, the 

association between sector and 2- vs. 4-year programming and key student outcomes were 

investigated in particular. 

The second evaluation question also explores the correlation between College Possible 

coaching and outcomes. Because coaching is the signature feature of College Possible, but 

because individual students may access coaching services in different ways—online or face-toface, and in varying amounts of time—it is also important to explore how service type and 

dosage (that is, the amount of time students participate in coaching) are correlated with 

student outcomes. 

The third evaluation question is intended to help College Possible consider other student or 

college factors or conditions that may influence students’ success. Such variables might include 

high school grade point average (GPA), gender, race/ethnicity, and English as a Second 

Language (ESL) status. College-level characteristics might likewise influence College Possible 

students’ outcomes. Such factors could include enrollment size and sector (public vs. private). 

Analysis of these factors can help College Possible staff balance program effort and resources to 

target students in need of additional support. 
3

2.2 Methods to Address Evaluation Questions 

2.2.1 Data Sources 

Databases 

College Possible provided data collected and maintained by the organization for high school 

graduation cohorts 2007 through 2012. Program staff compiled data from several sources, 

including Naviance (a college and career readiness student tracking platform used by College 

Possible), the College Possible student enrollment profile, and student postsecondary 

information from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC). Such data included college success 

indicators, as well as a variety of student and program information. 

In addition, with the assistance of College Possible staff, evaluators used National Center for 

Education Statistics (NCES) institutional codes to obtain high school and college data. These 

data included information about the institutional characteristics of the postsecondary 

institutions in which College Possible students enrolled, such as status (public vs. private) and 

type (2-year vs. 4-year). 

Sample 

The sample analyzed included students from six high school graduation cohorts who then 

received College Possible services, 2007 through 2012, when they attended college. Full 

analysis of outcomes was only possible for the 2007 and 2008 cohorts, for whom sufficient time 

had elapsed to enroll, persist, and complete college degrees. 

As shown in Table 1, the number of students served by College Possible has increased with each 

successive cohort. Whereas 321 students comprised the 2007 high school graduation cohort 

served by the program, 760 were included in the 2011 cohort. 

Across cohorts, approximately two-thirds of students served by College Possible were female, 

and roughly a third was Black (African-American or immigrant). Between 7% and 13% of College 

Possible students across cohorts were Hispanic, and approximately a third was Asian, primarily 

from the Hmong community of refugees from southeast Asia. It is notable that the percent of 

students identifying their racial or ethnic identity as “other” declined substantially among the 

2009 and later cohorts. Between 29% (of the 2007 cohort) and 55% (of the 2009 cohort) 

indicated that they had received ESL services, and the majority of College Possible students in 

each cohort reported that they would be first-generation college graduates. 
4

Table 1: College Possible Cohort Demographics

High 

School 

Graduation 

Cohort

N % 

Female

% 

White

% 

Black

% 

Hispanic

% 

Asian

% 

Other

% Race 

missing

% 

ESL

% 

NonESL

% ESL 

Missing

% 1st 

gen.

% Not 1st 

gen.

% Gen. 

Info 

Missing

2007 321 62% 4% 30% 10% 30% 25% 1% 29% 48% 24% 55% 23% 22%

2008 566 63% 7% 23% 7% 22% 37% 4% 36% 56% 8% 83% 15% 2%

2009 619 57% 7% 35% 9% 38% 5% 6% 55% 35% 11% 74% 20% 7%

2010 719 64% 7% 36% 10% 35% 6% 5% 51% 33% 16% 75% 16% 8%

2011 760 64% 6% 34% 11% 32% 5% 12% 41% 35% 24% 71% 10% 18%

2012 827 62% 8% 32% 13% 33% 6% 7% 39% 43% 18% 72% 17% 12%

Measures

This section reviews the outcomes, predictors, and service variables (i.e., dosage and type of 

College Possible services students received) employed in this evaluation.

Outcome Variables: Key outcomes included college enrollment, persistence (semester-tosemester and year-to-year), and graduation (Bachelor’s degree completion with 4 and 5 years, 

and Associate’s degree completion with 2 and 3 years) rates. These outcomes are expressed in 

analyses as dichotomous values—that is, students were either enrolled in college or not, 

remained enrolled or not, and graduated or did not graduate. 

Student-Level Predictors: To examine the extent to which student factors contributed to key 

outcomes, evaluators focused on the following variables. 

 Gender

 Race/ethnicity/immigrant status

 ESL status 

 High school GPA

 ACT score

College-level Predictors: Several college-level predictors were employed as well, downloaded 

from NCES. These included:

 Enrollment size

 Ratio of full-time to Part-time students

 Public versus private status

 2-year versus 4-year status

Service Information: College Possible collects data on the type and amount or dosage of 

coaching that participating students received since 11th grade and during college. Such data 

include whether coaching services were campus-based (CB) (such as coaching provided on-site) 

or technology-based (TB) (such as via text messages and email, for instance), and the frequency 

of contact between coaches and students expressed in hours.
5

2.2.2 Data Analyses

Analysis of the data was conducted in several phases, as described in the following subsections.

Quality Assurance of Data

ICF has an established set of quality assurance procedures to apply against data before analysis 

and reporting. This involves the inspection of memory size, data structure, number of cases, 

identifier variables, duplicate records, and the relational structures of individual and group-level 

data. Evaluators began analyses by examining any out-of-range values and outliers, and 

requesting clarification from College Possible staff about any identified anomalies. Using simple 

correlational statistics, the team inspected basic correlation among variables to determine if 

the results met common sense expectation. No anomalies were identified, although evaluators 

did request clarification on the meaning of several codes, which College Possible staff 

elucidated.

After data were cleaned, the analysis team calculated descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, 

means, and standard deviations, to explore the basic structure of sample characteristics and 

outcome data.

Analytic Plan

To address the first evaluation question, evaluators calculated percentage values for students’ 

college enrollment, persistence, and graduation rates. Results were then disaggregated by 

subgroups defined by gender, race/ethnicity/immigrant status, ESL status, and other student 

characteristics determined in concert with College Possible staff to be important. 

The second evaluation question focuses on student outcomes by type of postsecondary 

institution and coaching services students received. College enrollment, persistence, and 

completion rates were compared by institution type (public vs. private, and 2-year vs. 4-year). 

Evaluators then compared the type of College Possible coaching (campus-based vs. technologybased coaching), as well as the average number of College Possible coaching hours received for 

those students enrolling, persisting, and completing college programs and those failing to do so. 

To answer the third evaluation question, the evaluation team constructed logistic regression 

models to explore the individual and combined effect of various student, service, and college 

factors on key outcomes. Logistic regression models were employed because the outcome 

measures are dichotomous values (e.g., persisted vs. not persisted). Although these analyses 

are not causal, they do permit College Possible staff to consider how services and other 

predictors may jointly explain observed outcomes.
6

III. Findings

Key findings are presented in this section. Outcomes by cohort are first reported, followed by 

analyses of key outcomes for specific student subgroups. Finally, the individual and combined 

influence of student, coaching, high school, and college factors on the attainment of key 

outcomes is examined via logistic regression analyses. 

3.1 Outcomes by Cohort 

3.1.1 Enrollment 

As shown in Table 2, the percent of College Possible students in each cohort enrolling in a 

postsecondary institution within the first academic year following high school graduation 

remained relatively stable over time. 

The enrollment rates of College Possible students well exceed those of students nationally. The 

national rates for first semester enrollments between 2007 and 2010 ranged from 67% to 70%; 

College Possible students’ immediate enrollment rates ranged from 82% to 89%. In addition, 

College Possible enrollment rates are considerably higher than rates for low-income students 

nationally, and somewhat higher than those for high-income high school graduates as well. 

Table 2: College Possible and National Enrollment Rates 

College Possible High 

School Graduation 

Cohort

Postsecondary 

Enrollment Rate: 

College Possible

Postsecondary 

Enrollment Rate: 

National

Postsecondary 

Enrollment Rate: 

National Lowincome

Postsecondary 

Enrollment Rate: 

National Highincome

2007 89% 69% 56% 81%

2008 87% 70% 53% 83%

2009 89% 68% 53% 83%

2010 88% 68% 52% 82%

2011 89%

2012 82%

Note: The number of students for cohorts 2007 to 2012 is, in order, 319, 556, 606, 700, 741, and 805. The number 

of cases varies across analysis, depending on the pattern of missing values found in the variables used. National 

data source: National Center for Education Statistics. (2012). Percentage of Recent High School Completers Enrolled 

in 2-year and 4-year Colleges, By Income Level: 1975 through 2011. Retrieved from 

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d12/tables/dt12_236.asp

On average across cohorts, 82% of College Possible students enrolled in 4-year institutions as 

opposed to 2-year institutions (see Table 3). Rates of enrollment in 4-year colleges were higher 

in 2007 and 2008, but they appear to have stabilized at approximately 80% among the most 

recent four cohorts. 
7

Table 3: Total Enrollment in 2-year vs. 4-year Institutions

College Possible High 

School Graduation 

Cohort

N of Students Enrolled % Students Enrolled in 4- year 

Institutions (vs. 2 year)

2007 286 91%

2008 487 85%

2009 544 78%

2010 633 80%

2011 664 79%

2012 679 81%

Note: The number of students enrolled corresponds to the number of enrolled students who are 

not missing 2-year and 4-year institution information.

On average across cohorts, 53% of College Possible students enrolling in college enrolled in 

public 4-year institutions as opposed to private 4-year institutions (see Table 4). The rate 

initially fluctuated around 50% for early cohorts, but reached 65% in the 2012 cohort. 

Table 4: Total Enrollment in Public vs. Private 4-year Institutions

College Possible High 

School Graduation Cohort

N. of Students Enrolled % Students Enrolled in 

Public 4-Year Institutions 

(vs. Private 4-Year)

2007 257 54%

2008 400 50%

2009 406 45%

2010 489 48%

2011 508 55%

2012 679 65%

Note: The number of students enrolled corresponds to the number of enrolled students who are not 

missing public and private 4-Year institution information.

3.1.2 Persistence

Across all five College Possible cohorts analyzed, Fall to Spring semester persistence rates 

ranged from 86% to 93%, as presented in Table 5. Spring to Fall persistence rates are somewhat 

lower, ranging from 79% to 89%.
8

Table 5: Semester-to-Semester Persistence Rates2

Reenrollment Period 2007 Cohort 2008 Cohort 2009 Cohort 2010 Cohort 2011 Cohort

Fall 2007 - Spring 2008 92% 

Spring 2008 - Fall 2008 83%

Fall 2008 - Spring 2009 93% 93%

Spring 2009 - Fall 2009 88% 85%

Fall 2009 - Spring 2010 91% 92% 93%

Spring 2010 - Fall 2010 84% 86% 88%

Fall 2010 - Spring 2011 93% 89% 89% 93%

Spring 2011 - Fall 2011 89% 87% 82% 86%

Fall 2011 - Spring 2012 86% 93% 89% 89% 91%

Spring 2012 - Fall 2012 79% 83% 83% 84%

Note: Number of students: Cohort 2007 (from top to bottom rows), 279, 258, 228, 232, 216, 215, 195, 114, 107; 

Cohort 2008, 460, 452, 414, 404, 378, 356, 334, 221; Cohort 2009, 508, 496, 455, 426, 390, 367; Cohort 2010, 581, 

569, 517, 471; Cohort 2011, 611, 584.

For cohort 2007, persistence rates were substantially higher among students attending 4-year 

institutions that for those attending 2-year institutions. A similar pattern is evident among all 

the cohorts (see Appendix A, Table A1 for additional data).

Table 6: Semester-to-Semester Persistence in 2-year vs. 4-year Institutions: Cohort 2007

Reenrollment Period 4-Year 2-Year

Fall 2007 - Spring 2008 92% 88%

Spring 2008 - Fall 2008 85% 63%

Fall 2008 - Spring 2009 96% 77%

Spring 2009 - Fall 2009 90% 76%

Fall 2009 - Spring 2010 95% 78%

Spring 2010 - Fall 2010 89% 65%

Fall 2010 - Spring 2011 97% 75%

Spring 2011 - Fall 2011 93% 85%

Fall 2011 - Spring 2012 93% 78%

Note: See data on numbers of students in Appendix A, Table A1.

Among the 2007 College Possible cohort, with the exception of the first to the second semester 

transition in 2007, persistence rates were higher for those attending private institutions than 

for those enrolled in public institutions, as presented in Table 7. The average difference among 

cohorts was 4%. A similar pattern was observed among the 2008 to 2012 cohorts (see 

Appendix A, table A1 for further information).

 

2

A persistence rate was calculated for each of the transitions between a pair of adjacent semesters (e.g., Fall 2007-

Spring 2008, or Spring 2008-Fall 2009). The sample for calculation included students who were enrolled in the first 

semester (of the pair of semesters) and who needed to continue to the next semester to pursue a credential.
9

Table 7: Semester-to-Semester Persistence in Public vs. Private Institutions: Cohort 2007

Reenrollment Period Year-to-Year Transition Public Private

Fall 2007 - Spring 2008 93% 90%

Spring 2008 - Fall 2008 First year to second year 82% 85%

Fall 2008 - Spring 2009 92% 95%

Spring 2009 - Fall 2009 Second year to third year 86% 91%

Fall 2009 - Spring 2010 90% 94%

Spring 2010 - Fall 2010 Third year to fourth year 82% 88%

Fall 2010 - Spring 2011 89% 100%

Spring 2011 - Fall 2011 Fourth year to fifth year 92% 88%

Fall 2011 - Spring 2012 86% 95%

Note: See data on numbers of students in Appendix A, Table A1. Completion

As shown in Table 8, the percent of College Possible students earning an Associate’s degree 

within three years was relatively low. The Associate’s degree attainment rate ranged from 10% 

among the 2007 cohort to 7% among the 2008 and 2009 cohorts.

Table 8: 3-year Associate’s Degree Attainment Rates

College Possible 

High School 

Graduation Cohort

Total Number of AA 

Candidates

N of Students 

who Obtained 

AA

%

2007 96 10 10%

2008 200 13 7%

2009 243 16 7%

Note: For the purpose of concision, AA will be employed in tables to indicate Associate’s degree.

Bachelor’s degree attainment rates within 4 years after first enrollment was similar for cohorts 

2007 and 2008 at 30% and 28%, respectively (see Table 9). Among the 2007 cohort, 44% of 

College Possible students completed Bachelor’s degrees within 5 years. By comparison, only 

11% of low-income, first-generation college students in a national study earned a Bachelor’s 

degree within 6 years.3

Table 9: 4- and 5-year Bachelor’s Degree Attainment Rates

College Possible High 

School Graduation 

Cohort

Outcome Total Number of BA 

Candidates

N of Students 

who 

Obtained BA

%

2007 BA within 4 years 265 79 30%

2008 BA within 4 years 424 119 28%

2007 BA within 5 years 265 117 44%

Note: For the purpose of concision, BA will be employed in tables to indicate Bachelor’s degree.

 

3

Source: The Pell Institute. (2011). 6-Year Degree Attainment Rates for Students Enrolled in a Post-Secondary 

Institution. Retrieved from http://www.pellinstitute.org/downloads/fact_sheets-6-Year_DAR_for_Students_PostSecondary_Institution_121411.pdf
10

As presented in Table 10, 41% of all College Possible students in the 2007 cohort who enrolled 

in college earned an Associate’s degree within 3 years or a Bachelor’s degree within 5 years. 

The percent of students in the 2007 cohort completing an Associate’s program within 3 years or 

a Bachelor’s within 4 was lower at 29%. Similarly, 25% of students in the 2008 cohort who 

enrolled in college earned an Associate’s degree within 3 years or a Bachelor’s degree within 4.

Table 10: Total Degree Completion Rates

College Possible High 

School Graduation 

Cohort

Outcome Total Number of 

BA or AA 

Candidates

N of Students 

who Obtained 

BA or AA

%

2007 Complete AA within 3 years or BA 

within 4 years

306 89 29%

2007 Complete AA within 3 years or BA 

within 5 years

306 126 41%

2008 Complete AA within 3 years or BA 

within 4 years

528 131 25%

The following analysis of differences in graduation outcomes between public and private 

institutions does not include 2-year institutions as the private sector was composed almost 

entirely of 4-year colleges (see Table 11). Bachelor’s degree attainment (within 4 years) rates 

were higher among students from the 2007 and 2008 cohorts who enrolled in private 

institutions than among their counterparts who attended public institutions. The completion 

rates for students attending private and public 4-year institutions were, respectively, 39% and 

23%. Among the 2008 cohort, 4-year Bachelor’s degree completion rates were 44% for students 

attending private colleges, whereas the completion rate was only 17% for students enrolled at 

public institutions. Likewise, students attending private institutions were more likely to earn an 

Associate’s degree within 3 years or a Bachelor’s degree within 5 than were their peers 

attending public colleges. As shown in Table 11, more than half (54%) of students from the 

2007 cohort who attended private colleges attained an Associate’s degree within 3 years or a 

Bachelor’s degree within 5, compared to 37% of those attending public schools.

Table 11: Completion of Bachelor’s Degrees in Public vs. Private Institutions

Postsecondary Institution 

Type

Total Number of BA or 

AA Candidates

N of Students who 

Obtained BA or 

AA

%

Cohort 2007: BA within 4 years

Private 4 year 111 43 39%

Public 4 year 154 36 23%

Cohort 2007: BA within 5 years

Private 4 year 111 60 54%

Public 4 year 154 57 37%

Cohort 2008: BA within 4 years

Private 4 year 174 76 44%

Public 4 year 250 43 17%
11

3.2 Outcomes by Student Subgroups 

3.2.1 Outcomes by Gender 

As shown in Chart 1, among the 2007 College Possible cohort, female students tended to 

demonstrate stronger outcomes than their male peers. Female students had higher enrollment 

rates, some higher year-to-year persistence rates (1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd), and higher completion 

rates (as measured by 3-year Associate’s degree attainment or 5-Year Bachelor’s degree 

attainment). Male students had slightly higher persistence rates for 2nd to 3rd year and 4th to 5th

year transitions. Three-year Associate’s and 4-year Bachelor’s attainment rates were the same 

for male and female students. 

In other cohorts, female students generally exhibited higher rates of enrollment, year-to-year 

persistence, and completion (please refer to Appendix A, Table A2). 

Chart 1: Cohort 2007: Gender and Rates of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Completion 

3.2.2 Outcomes by Race/Ethnicity 

Analyses of postsecondary outcomes across racial/ethnic groups returned revealed no clear 

patterns. For example, among student subgroups in the 2007 cohort, year-to-year persistence 

rates fluctuate widely. The enrollment rate among Black immigrants, for another example, was 

86% in 2007 and was lower than rates across most other racial/ethnic groups. However, the 

enrollment rate of Black immigrant students improved to 97% in 2010 and before declining to 

76% in 2012. 
12

Because eight racial/ethnic subgroups were examined, divided by cohort, the number of cases 

in each group analyzed became relatively small, and the resulting percentages were not stable. 

In addition, as no patterns of sufficient consistency to inform program recommendations were 

identified, results are presented in Appendix A, Table A3. 

3.2.3 Outcomes by English as a Second Language (ESL) Status 

College Possible students in the 2007 cohort who did not report their ESL status had 

substantially higher rates of enrollment, persistence, and completion rates than students who 

either affirmatively indicated that they did or did not receive ESL services (see Table 12). 

Non-ESL students generally persisted and completed at a higher rates than ESL students, 

although both ESL and non-ESL students enrolled in college at similar rates. Non-ESL students 

tended to persist from year to year at higher rates than ESL students; for instance, 73% of ESL 

students transitioned successfully from the first to second year of college, compared to 82% of 

non-ESL students. Nearly a third of non-ESL students earned an Associate’s degree within 3 

years or a Bachelor’s within 5, whereas only 24% of ESL students did so.

However, the comparative advantage of students for whom ESL information is missing does not 

appear on other cohorts. In addition, differences in outcomes between students who 

affirmatively identified themselves as ESL or non-ESL were also far less pronounced in later 

cohorts. In fact, ESL students outperformed non-ESL students on several measures. For 

example, 27% of ESL students in the 2008 cohort completed an Associate’s degree within 3 

years or a Bachelor’s degree within 4 years, compared to 24% of non-ESL students. Additional 

data are presented in Appendix A, Table A4. 

Table 12: ESL Status and Rates of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Completion: 

Cohort 2007 

ESL Status Total 

enrollment

1st to 

2nd

2nd to 

3rd

3rd to 

4th

4th to 

5th

Completion 

AA (3 

years) and 

BA (4 

years)

Completion 

AA (3 

years) and 

BA (5 

years)

ESL info missing 97% 95% 97% 96% 90% 74% 79%

ESL student 87% 73% 79% 74% 88% 14% 24%

Non ESL student 86% 82% 86% 82% 89% 15% 31%

Note: See Appendix A, Table A4 for data on numbers of students. 

3.2.4 Outcomes by ACT Score 

Among students in the 2007 cohort, those with an ACT score of equal to or higher than 18 

points had substantially higher rates of college enrollment and completion than students with 

lower scores (see Table 13). 
13

Table 13: ACT Scores and Rates of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Completion: 

Cohort 2007 

Cohort ACT Score 

Categories

Total 

Enrollment

1st to 

2nd

2nd to 

3rd

3rd to 

4th

4th to 

5th

Completion 

AA (3 years) 

or BA (4 

years)

Completion 

AA (3 years) 

or BA (5 

years)

2007 (a)1-13 70% 54% 78% 82% 80% 11% 11%

2007 (b)14 82% 83% 64% 88% 50% 19% 19%

2007 (c)15 91% 87% 88% 80% 100% 29% 44%

2007 (d)16 85% 79% 87% 75% 85% 23% 28%

2007 (e)17 85% 88% 88% 67% 100% 13% 31%

2007 (f)18 96% 83% 91% 90% 93% 34% 50%

2007 (g)19 96% 88% 100% 95% 78% 40% 60%

2007 (h)20-36 95% 86% 89% 89% 94% 38% 51%

Among students in the 2008 cohort, a similar pattern was apparent. Students with ACT scores 

of 18 or above tended to enroll, persist, and complete their programs of study at much higher 

rates than their peers earning lower ACT scores. See Table 14 for details. 

Table 14: ACT Scores and Rates of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Completion: 

Cohort 2008 

ACT Score 

Categories

Total 

Enrollment

1st to 2nd 2nd to 3rd 3rd to 4th 4th to 5th Completion 

AA (3 years) 

or BA (4 

years)

(a)1-13 76% 77% 64% 91% 67% 4%

(b)14 82% 93% 74% 74% 62% 8%

(c)15 81% 81% 71% 88% 85% 9%

(d)16 84% 84% 87% 87% 89% 17%

(e)17 84% 82% 82% 85% 76% 14%

(f)18 90% 88% 93% 83% 81% 28%

(g)19 94% 87% 90% 89% 81% 37%

(h)20-36 95% 84% 96% 91% 77% 42%

3.2.5 Outcomes by GPA

As shown in Table 15, students in the 2007 cohort who earned GPAs higher than 3.0 had 

substantially higher college enrollment, persistence, and completion rates. For instance, 

whereas only 10% of students who earned a high school GPA of less than 2.0 completed an 

Associate’s degree within 3 years or a Bachelor’s within 5, 44% of students attaining a 3.0 to 3.5 

GPA did so and 60% of students earning a 3.5 and higher did so. 
14

Table 15: GPA and Rates of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Completion: Cohort 2007 

GPA Total 

Enrollment

1st to 

2nd

2nd to 

3

rd

3rd to 

4th

4th to 

5th

Completion 

AA (3 years) 

or BA (4 

years)

Completion 

AA (3 years) 

or BA (5 

years)

(a)Below 2.0 50% 40% 83% 60% 67% 0% 10%

(b)2.0-2.5 76% 62% 83% 58% 100% 16% 32%

(c)2.5-3.0 88% 82% 85% 82% 91% 15% 27%

(d)3.0-3.5 94% 87% 86% 84% 93% 34% 44%

(e)3.5 & above 96% 91% 91% 92% 84% 43% 60%

Similarly, students in the 2008 cohort who earned GPAs 3.0 and above had markedly higher 

enrollment, persistence, and completion rates (see Table 16). For example, none of the 

students in the 2008 cohort earning a GPA of 2.0 or lower completed an Associate’s degree 

within 3 years or a Bachelor’s within 4, while 26% of those earning a 3.0 to 3.5 GPA and 45% of 

those earning a 3.5 and above did so. 

Table 16: GPA and Rates of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Completion: Cohort 2008 

GPA Total 

Enrollment

1st to 2nd 2nd to 3rd 3rd to 4th 4th to 5th Completion 

AA (3 years) 

or BA (4 

years)

(a)Below 2.0 89% 71% 80% 75% 100% 0%

(b)2.0-2.5 82% 75% 64% 71% 56% 10%

(c)2.5-3.0 83% 85% 82% 85% 76% 17%

(d)3.0-3.5 89% 88% 88% 88% 85% 26%

(e)3.5 & above 95% 88% 99% 94% 80% 45%

3.3 Outcomes by College Possible Coaching Amount and Type 

3.3.1 Total Enrollment Rate by Junior and Senior Year Coaching Time: Cohorts 2008 to 2012 

Table 17 compares the average coaching time students from each cohort received during high 

school for those who enrolled in college and those who did not. Students who successfully 

enrolled in college received substantially larger average amounts of coaching time in high 

school than those who did not enroll. For the 2009 through 2012 cohorts, both senior year and 

junior year coaching data were available; mean differences between the two groups ranged 

from 13.3 hours to 21.3 hours. Only senior year coaching information was available for students 

in the 2008 cohort. Among students in this cohort, the mean difference in coaching hours 

between those who enrolled and those who did not enroll in college was 8.3 hours. 
15

Table 17: Comparison of Average College Possible Coaching Hours 

Received by Students Enrolling and Not Enrolling in College: Cohort 2008-2012

Average Coaching Time (in Hours): High School 

Junior And Senior Year Combined*

College Possible 

High School 

Graduation Cohort

Students Who Did Not 

Enroll in College

Students Who 

Enrolled in College

Difference in Average 

Coaching Time

2008 19.2

(n=66)

27.5

(n=478)

8.3

2009 41.5

(n=51)

54.7

(n=413)

13.3

2010 49.9

(n=70)

66.4

(n=541)

16.4

2011 54.7

(n=83)

75.9

(n=649)

21.3

2012 67.2

(n=141)

81.7

(n=655)

14.6

Note: Coaching time data were only available from the high school senior year for students in the 2008 

cohort. Data from both the junior and senior years was available for all other cohorts. 

3.3.2 Completion Rates by Senior Year Coaching Time: Cohort 2008 

As shown in Table 18, students in the 2008 cohort who completed postsecondary degrees 

received somewhat more hours of coaching during high school than their peers who did not 

complete postsecondary degrees. For instance, students who completed an Associate’s degree 

within 3 years or a Bachelor’s within 4 received an average of 3.8 hours more high school 

coaching than students who did not earn degrees within that time period. 

Table 18: Completion Rates by High School Senior Year College Possible 

Coaching Time: Cohort 2008 

Average Coaching Time (in hours)

from High School Senior Year

Outcome Students Who Did 

Not Complete 

Postsecondary 

Programs

Students Who 

Completed 

Postsecondary 

Programs

Difference in 

Average Coaching 

Time

Completion (AA within 3 years 

and BA within 4 years) 

26.1

(n=388)

29.9

(n=129)

3.8

BA within 4 years 27.7

(n=301)

30.8

(n=118)

3.1

Note: Coaching time data were only available from the high school senior year for students in the 2008 

cohort. 

3.3.3 Year-to-Year Persistence Rates by Coaching Program Type (Campus-Based vs. 

Technology-Based) 

In general, students who received at least one semester of Campus-based (CB) program in the 

given school year exhibited a higher persistence rate to the next school year. Table 19 presents 
16

the year-to-year transition points for cohorts for which coaching data were available. For 

example, students from the 2008 cohort who were exposed to the CB program had very high 

persistence rate (98%) between the second and third years of college. This was 14 percentage 

points higher than those who participated in the TB program. With two exceptions, students 

participating in the CB program tended to persist at higher rates than their peers in the TB 

program. 

Table 19: Year-to-Year College Persistence Rates by College Possible Coaching Program Type 

Cohort Semester-to-Semester Transition TB Program CB Program 

at least 1 

semester 

Difference in 

%

2007 Spring 2010- Fall 2010 3rd to 4th 

year

84%

(n=177)

84%

(n=38)

0%

2007 Spring 2011 - Fall 2011 4th to 5th 

year

86%

(n=96)

100%

(n=18)

14%

2008 Spring 2010 - Fall 2010 2nd to 3rd 

year

84%

(n=342)

98%

(n=62)

14%

2008 Spring 2011 – Fall 2011 3rd to 4th 

year

86%

(n=304)

94%

(n=52)

8%

2008 Spring 2012 - Fall 2012 4th to 5th 

year

80%

(n=191)

73%

(n=30)

-6%

2009 Spring 2010 - Fall 2010 1st to 2nd 

year

87%

(n=383)

93%

(n=113)

6%

2009 Spring 2011 - Fall 2011 2nd to 3rd 

year

81%

(n=330)

86%

(n=96)

6%

2009 Spring 2012 - Fall 2012 3rd to 4th 

year

81%

(n=281)

88%

(n=86)

7%

2010 Spring 2011 - Fall 2011 1st to 2nd 

year

85%

(n=422)

90%

(n=147)

5%

2010 Spring 2012 - Fall 2012 2nd to 3rd 

year

81%

(n=347)

89%

(n=124)

8%

2011 Spring 2012 - Fall 2012 1st to 2nd 

year

82%

(n=434)

89%

(n=150)

8%

3.3.4 Year-to-Year Persistence Rates by Average Coaching Time 

Overall, College Possible students who persisted from one college year to the next tended to 

have received more coaching during the preceding year than did their counterparts who did not 

persist. 

Table 20 presents year-to-year transitions among cohorts for which coaching data were 

available. For example, students from the 2008 cohort who successfully persisted from the 

second to the third year in college received an average of 6.5 hours of coaching during the 

preceding school year; those who did not persist from the second to the third year received an 

average of 3.2 hours less of coaching at 3.3 hours. Across all transition points reported, 

students who persisted tended to have received an average of one additional coaching hour 

compared to their counterparts who did not persist year-to-year. The only exception to this 

pattern is for the fourth to fifth year transition among the 2008 cohort; students in this group 
17

who did not persist received very slightly more coaching time than their counterparts who did 

persist.

Table 20: Year-to-Year College Persistence Rates by Average College Possible Coaching Time

Average Coaching Time

(in Hours)

Cohort Semester-to-Semester Transition Students 

Who Did 

Not Persist

Students 

Who 

Persisted

Difference 

in Average 

Coaching 

Time

2007 Spring 2010 - Fall 2010 3rd to 4th year 6.2

(n=34)

6.4

(n=181)

0.2

2007 Spring 2011 - Fall 2011 4th to 5th year 4.3

(n=13)

8.0

(n=101)

3.7

2008 Spring 2010 - Fall 2010 2nd to 3rd year 3.3

(n=55)

6.5

(n=349)

3.2

2008 Spring 2011 - Fall 2011 3rd to 4th year 6.0

(n=46)

8.3

(n=310)

2.2

2008 Spring 2012 - Fall 2012 4th to 5th year 3.8

(n=47)

3.7

(n=174)

-0.2

2009 Spring 2010 - Fall 2010 1st to 2nd year 5.9

(n=58)

8.9

(n=438)

2.9

2009 Spring 2011 - Fall 2011 2nd to 3rd year 7.9

(n=77)

9.1

(n=349)

1.2

2009 Spring 2012 - Fall 2012 3rd to 4th year 2.9

(n=63)

4.5

(n=304)

1.6

2010 Spring 2011 - Fall 2011 1st to 2nd year 9.1

(n=80)

9.5

(n=489)

0.4

2010 Spring 2012 - Fall 2012 2nd to 3rd year 4.0

(n=81)

5.2

(n=390)

1.2

2011 Spring 2012 - Fall 2012 1st to 2nd year 4.0

(n=96)

4.9

(n=488)

0.9

Note: Coaching hour information used for this analysis was based on the sum of Fall and Spring Semesters.

3.3.5 Degree Completion Rates by Coaching Program Type

Students who were exposed to the CB program were more likely to complete their degrees 

than were students in the TB program. Table 21 summarizes several graduation outcomes for 

cohorts 2007 and 2008. Most notably, whereas 63% of students who participated in the CB 

program for at least one semester earned an Associate’s degree within 3 years or a Bachelor’s 

within 5, only 37% of those in the TB program did so.
18

Table 21: Postsecondary Degree Completion Rates by College Possible Coaching Program Type

Cohort Outcome TB program CB program

at least

1 semester

Difference in %

2007 BA in 4 years 27%

(n=221)

43%

(n=44)

16%

2007 BA in 5 years 39%

(n=214)

65%

(n=51)

25%

2007 AA in 3 years or BA in 4 years 27%

(n=260)

43%

(n=46)

17%

2007 AA in 3 years or BA in 5 years 37%

(n=252)

63%

(n=54)

26%

2008 BA in 4 years 27%

(n=345)

33%

(n=79)

6%

2008 AA in 3 years or BA in 4 years 23%

(n=444)

32%

(n=84)

9%

3.3.6 Degree Completion Rates by Coaching Time

Students who completed their Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree program tended on average to 

have received more College Possible coaching than students who did not earn their degrees 

(see Table 22). For example, students in the 2007 cohort who earned a Bachelor’s degree within 

4 years had received an average of 3.8 hours of College Possible coaching, whereas their peers 

who did not earn a Bachelor’s within the same timeframe received an average of 2.7 hours.

Table 22: Degree Completion Rates by College Possible Coaching Time

Average Coaching Time

(in Hours)

Cohort Outcome Students Who 

Did Not 

Complete 

Postsecondary 

Programs

Students Who 

Completed 

Postsecondary 

Programs

Difference in 

Average 

Coaching Time

2007 BA in 4 years 2.7

(n=186)

3.8

(n=79)

1.1

2007 BA in 5 years 1.8

(n=148)

3.8

(n=117)

2.0

2007 AA in 3 years or BA in 4 

years

2.5

(n=217)

3.5

(n=89)

1.1

2007 AA in 3 years or BA in 5 

years

1.7

(n=180)

3.6

(n=126)

1.9

2008 BA in 4 years 2.5

(n=305)

3.3

(n=119)

0.9

2008 AA in 3 years or BA in 4 

years

2.2

(n=397)

3.1

(n=131)

0.9
19

3.4 Multivariate Regression Results 

The analyses reported thus far suggest that College Possible students achieving college success 

received more coaching than students experiencing less success. In this section of the report, 

the association between College Possible coaching and positive postsecondary outcomes will be 

further evaluated via multivariate regression models. 

A key question these analyses will address is whether the correlation between amount of 

College Possible coaching and positive outcomes remain—even when other predictors of 

student success are controlled for statistically. It is possible that the statistical correlation is 

influenced by self-selection; for instance, it may be that female students elect to access 

significantly more College Possible coaching than their male peers, in which case the apparent 

association between coaching and college success would not appear in a multivariate 

regression analysis but instead a significant correlation between gender and college success 

would be found. On the other hand, should a correlation between coaching and postsecondary 

success persist even when other factors (such as gender, ESL status, or racial/ethnic minority 

status) are taken into account statistically, this would serve as additional evidence that College 

Possible coaching plays a meaningful role in facilitating positive college outcomes. 

It is important to stress that because the research design employed herein is not experimental, 

the resultant analysis will not establish a causal link between coaching and outcomes. If the 

relationship between amount of coaching and college success withstands the statistical controls 

employed in the following multivariate analyses, however, it will be established that 1) 

coaching is correlated with positive postsecondary outcomes and 2) it is unlikely that such an 

association is due to self-selection. In addition, any such positive findings will add support for a 

possible causal link that could be tested by a more rigorous research design, such as a 

randomized control trial. 

Key independent variables included the amount of high school- and college-level coaching 

students received and the type of college coaching program in which students participated (CB 

vs. TB). To explore the influence of various factors identified as important by previous research, 

the final model included ACT scores and GPAs, and cohort years. Other variables were included 

only when they achieved statistical significance at the p=.10 level in exploratory analysis. Such 

predictors were gender, race/ethnicity variables, ESL status, first-generation college attendee 

status, college enrollment size, ratio of full-time and part-time students at the college attended, 

public/private/2-year/4-year college differences, and college enrollment size. 

3.4.1 Total Enrollment 

Coaching: As shown in Table 23, the amount of high school College Possible coaching received 

was statistically significant in the multivariate model. Students receiving more coaching time 

were 1.65 times more likely to enroll in college than their peers who received less coaching 

time. The proportion of students at each high school who participated in the College Possible 

summer bridge program did not play a significant role in the likelihood that students would 

enroll in college. 
20

Student Predictors: ACT, GPA, and cohort year played a statistically significant role in college 

enrollment. Students with higher ACT scores and GPAs were, respectively, 1.53 and 1.37 times 

more likely to enroll in college when compared to a student with a mean ACT and GPA score. In 

terms of odds of college enrollment, students from the 2012 were 0.33 times less likely to 

enroll in college than students from the 2009 cohort. The reason for this difference is unclear 

for the available data. 

Table 23: Total Enrollment: Results from Multivariate Logistic Regression 

Variables Logit 

Coefficient

Standard Error Sig. Odds Ratio

Intercept -2.35 0.44 *** .

Sum of junior and senior year coaching 

time

0.02 0.00 *** 1.65

ACT score 0.12 0.02 *** 1.53

GPA 0.55 0.12 *** 1.37

Cohort 2010 -0.20 0.21 0.82

Cohort 2011 -0.33 0.20 0.72

Cohort 2012 -1.10 0.20 *** 0.33

 Number of observations used 2504

 R-square .14

Note: Cohort 2009 students were the reference category in the model. Asterisks indicate the level of statistical 

significance: * < 5%, ** < 1%, *** 0.1%. Odds ratios for continuous variables are standardized such that it 

compares the odds of a subject whose value is one standard deviation above the mean against a subject whose 

value is the mean. Cohort 2009 to 2012 data allowed the use of high school junior and senior year coaching hours 

as a predictor. See Appendix A, Table A7 for descriptive statistics. 

3.4.2 First-to-Second Year Persistence 

Coaching: The amount of College Possible high school coaching a student received played a 

significant role in the likelihood that she or he would persist from the first to second year of 

college (see Table 24). Students who received more coaching time were 1.29 times more likely 

to transition successfully from their first to their second year of college than students who 

received the average coaching time. On the other hand, neither the amount nor the type of 

College Possible coaching students received during their first year of college was statistically 

significantly associated with first-to-second year persistence. 

Student Predictors: ACT score, GPA, and race and race/ethnicity appear to influence first-tosecond year persistence. Students with higher ACT scores or GPAs were, respectively, 1.36 and 

1.44 times more likely to transition successful from the first to the second year of college than 

were their peers with lower ACT scores and GPAs. In addition, Hmong students and those who 

identified themselves as “other” persisted between the first and second years at significantly 

lower odds ratios than their White peers (odds ratios of 0.35 and 0.24). 

Institutional Predictor: Attendance at a public postsecondary institution exerted a significantly 

negative influence on first-to-second year persistence, with students at public institutions 
21

persisting to a lesser degree than those at private colleges. The odds of successful persistence 

were 1.59 times higher for students attending 4-year private colleges than for students at 4-

year public colleges. 

Table 24: First-to-Second Year Persistence: Results from Multivariate Logistic Regression 

Variables Logit Coefficient Standard 

Error

Sig. Odds Ratio

Intercept -1.56 0.88 .

Sum of junior and senior year coaching 

time

0.01 0.00 ** 1.29

Coaching hours in 1styear 0.03 0.02 1.20

Coaching type: Campus based at least 

one semester

-0.04 0.24 0.96

ACT score 0.08 0.03 ** 1.36

GPA 0.66 0.16 *** 1.44

Black -0.86 0.50 0.42

Black immigrant -0.03 0.57 0.97

Hispanic -0.81 0.54 0.44

Asian -0.59 0.55 0.55

Hmong -1.06 0.50 * 0.35

Other -1.42 0.55 ** 0.24

Race info missing -0.73 0.56 0.48

Cohort 2010 -0.29 0.22 0.75

Cohort 2011 -0.40 0.22 0.67

Private 2-year college -0.65 0.52 0.52

Private 4-year college 0.47 0.21 * 1.59

Public 2-year college 0.29 0.21 1.33

 Number of observations used 1392 1.29

 R-square 0.13

Note: Cohort 2009 students, white students, and public 4 year college students were the reference category in 

the model. Asterisks indicate the level of statistical significance: * < 5%, ** < 1%, *** 0.1%. Odds ratios for 

continuous variables are standardized such that it compares the odds of a subject whose value is one standard 

deviation above the mean against a subject whose value is the mean. Cohort 2009 to 2011 data allowed the 

use of high school junior and senior year coaching hours as a predictor. Only one semester of enrollment data 

were available for students in the 2012 cohort. See Appendix A, Table A8 for descriptive statistics. 

3.4.3 Second-to-Third Year Persistence 

Coaching: As with first-to-second year college persistence, the amount of coaching students 

received during high school continued to be significantly correlated with persistence between 

the second and third years of college. Students who participated in more hours of College 

Possible coaching during their junior and senior years of high school were 1.45 times more 

likely to be successful at the transition between the first and second year of college than their 

peers participating in fewer hours. However, when other factors were controlled for, the 

amount and the type of College Possible coaching students received during their second year in 
22

college were not statistically significantly associated with successful transition from the second 

to third year. See Table 25 for additional information. 

Student Predictors: Both ACT scores and GPAs were correlated with second-to-third year 

persistence. In terms of odds of success, students with higher ACT scores or GPAs were, 

respectively, 1.31 and 1.37 more likely to transition from their second to their third year of 

college than their counterparts with lower ACT scores or GPAs. 

Institutional Predictor: No college-level institutional predictor was found to be significantly 

associated with second-to-third year persistence. Sector differences, number of enrolled 

students, and ratio of full-time to part-time students did not achieve a statistical significance 

level of .10 in an exploratory model. 

Table 25: Second-to-Third Year Persistence: Results from Multivariate Logistic Regression 

Variables Logit Coefficient Standard 

Errors

Sig. Odds Ratio

Intercept -2.66 0.73 *** .

Sum of junior and senior year 

coaching time

0.01 0.00 ** 1.45

Coaching hours in 2nd year 0.05 0.03 1.26

Coaching type in 2nd year: Campus 

based at least 1 semester

0.08 0.30 1.08

ACT 0.07 0.03 * 1.31

GPA 0.57 0.21 ** 1.37

Cohort 2010 0.15 0.24 1.17

 Number of observations used 711 . .

 R-square 0.11

Note: Cohort 2009 students were the reference category in the model. Asterisks indicate the level of statistical 

significance: * < 5%, ** < 1%, *** 0.1%. Odds ratios for continuous variables are standardized such that it 

compares the odds of a subject whose value is one standard deviation above the mean against a subject whose 

value is the mean. 2009 and 2010 data allowed the use of high school junior and senior year coaching hours as 

a predictor. They also allowed the modeling of second-to-third year persistence. See Appendix A, Table A9 for 

descriptive statistics. 

3.4.4 Third-to-Fourth Year Persistence 

Coaching: As seen in Table 26, whereas the amount of College Possible coaching received 

during college was not significantly correlated with persistence between the first and second, 

and second and third, college years, it began to play a positive and significant role in transitions 

between the third and fourth years of college. Students who received more hours of College 

Possible coaching during their third year of college persisted at a rate 1.58 times higher than 

those who received less coaching time. 

Student Predictor: High school GPA continued to exert a positive and statistically significant 

influence on persistence. Students with a higher GPA were 1.56 times more likely to persist 

between their third and fourth years of college than were their peers with lower GPAs. 
23

Institutional Predictors: Institutional sector alone did not play a statistically significant role in 

the likelihood that a student would persist between the third and fourth years of college. 

However, a significant difference was found between 4-year public colleges and 2-year colleges, 

both public and private. Specifically, students attending 2-year private or 2-year public 

institutions who had not year earned an Associate’s degree were, respectively, 0.17 and 0.29 

times less likely to persist between their third and fourth years of college. 

Table 26: Third-to-Fourth Year Persistence: Results from Multivariate Logistic Regression 

Variables Logit 

Coefficient

Standard 

Error

Sig. Odds 

Ratio

Intercept -2.26 1.16 * .

Senior year coaching time 0.02 0.01 1.30

Coaching hours in 3rd year 0.10 0.04 * 1.58

Coaching type in 3rd year: Campus based at least 

1 semester

0.49 0.44 1.63

ACT 0.01 0.05 1.04

GPA 0.86 0.26 *** 1.56

Cohort 2009 0.12 0.30 1.12

Private 2-year college -1.75 0.77 * 0.17

Private 4-year college -0.42 0.41 0.66

Public 2-year college -1.25 0.38 ** 0.29

Ratio of full-time students 1.41 0.94 1.31

 Number of observations used 628 . .

 R-square 0.25

Note: Cohort 2008 students were the reference category in the model. Asterisks indicate the level of statistical 

significance: * < 5%, ** < 1%, *** 0.1%. Odds ratios for continuous variables are standardized such that it 

compares the odds of a subject whose value is one standard deviation above the mean against a subject whose 

value is the mean. Cohort 2008 and 2009 data allowed the use of senior year coaching hours as a predictor. They 

also allowed the modeling of third-to-fourth year persistence. See Appendix A, Table A10 for descriptive statistics. 

3.4.5 Bachelor’s Completion within 4 Years: Cohort 2007 and 2008

Analyses of Bachelor’s degree completion were conducted for only the 2007 and 2008 cohorts 

because insufficient time has elapsed to allow analyses of this outcome for later cohorts. 

Coaching: As presented in Table 27, the average amount of coaching hours students received 

each semester over the course of their postsecondary careers appears to have played a positive 

and significant role in Bachelor’s degree completion. Students who received more hours of 

coaching per semester were 1.59 times more likely to complete their Bachelor’s degrees within 

4 years than were their peers who received fewer average hours of coaching. On the other 

hand, the type of College Possible coaching (CB or TB) received did not have a significant effect 

on the probability that students would earn a Bachelor’s degree when other factors were 

controlled for. 
24

Student Predictors: ACT score, high school GPA, and first-generation college attendee status 

were all positively and significantly correlated with Bachelor’s degree completion with 4 years. 

Students with higher ACTs score or GPAs were, respectively, 1.25 and 1.70 times more likely to 

earn a Bachelor’s degree within 4 years than were their counterparts with lower ACT scores or 

GPAs. Interestingly, students who did not answer a College Possible enrollment survey question 

about whether they would be a first-generation college attendee completed their Bachelor’s 

degrees within 4 years at significantly higher rates (odds ratio of 10.77) than those who 

affirmatively indicated that they were not first-generation college students. The meaning of this 

finding is unclear. It is possible, for instance, that students who did not affirm their firstgeneration status were not, in fact, first-generation students—and any advantages associated 

with earlier family college attendance may have influenced the probability that students would 

complete their Bachelor’s programs. 

Institutional Predictors: The odds of success for students enrolled at institutions with high fulltime to part-time student ratios were 2.11 times higher than those for students at the 

institutions with lower full-time student ratios. Thus, it appears that attendance at a 

postsecondary institution with high proportions of full-time students plays a significant and 

positive role in degree completion. 

Table 27: Bachelor’s Degree Completion within 4 Years: 

Results from Multivariate Logistic Regression 

Variables Logit Coefficient Standard 

Error

Sig. Odds Ratio

Intercept -10.31 1.19 *** .

Semester average coaching hours (1st

year to 4th year) 

0.21 0.06 *** 1.59

Coaching type: Campus based at least 1 

semester (1styear to 4th year)

-0.37 0.36 0.69

ACT 0.06 0.03 * 1.25

GPA 1.09 0.25 *** 1.70

Female 0.41 0.23 1.51

First-generation college -0.24 0.28 0.79

First gen college info missing 2.38 0.44 *** 10.77

Cohort 2008 0.76 0.26 ** 2.13

Public institutions -0.30 0.23 0.74

Ratio of full-time students 4.39 0.87 *** 2.11

 Number of observations used 673 . .

 R-square 0.40

Notes: Cohort 2007 students were the reference category in the model. Asterisks indicate the level of statistical 

significance: * < 5%, ** < 1%, *** 0.1%. Odds ratios for continuous variables are standardized such that it 

compares the odds of a subject whose value is one standard deviation above the mean against a subject whose 

value is the mean. Only Cohorts 2007 and 2009 allowed the modeling of 4-year Bachelor’s degree attainment. See 

Appendix, Table A11 for descriptive statistics. 
25

3.4.6 Bachelor’s Degree Completion within 5 Years: Cohort 2007

Analyses of Bachelor’s degree completion within 5 years were conducted only for students in 

the 2007 cohort because insufficient time has elapsed to allow analyses of this outcome for 

later cohorts. In addition, high school coaching data were not collected for this cohort. 

Coaching: As shown in Table 28, the average amount of coaching hours students received each 

semester over the course of their postsecondary careers was positively associated with 

Bachelor’s degree completion within 5 years. Students who received more hours of College 

Possible coaching on average each semester were 3.85 times more likely to earn a Bachelor’s 

degree within 5 years than were their peers receiving fewer hours on average. However, the 

type of College Possible coaching students received (CB vs. TB) did not exert a statistically 

significant influence on 5-year Bachelor’s degree completion.

Student Predictors: High school GPA and missing first-generation college attendee status 

information were positively and significantly correlated Bachelor’s degree completion within 5 

years. Students with higher high school GPAs were 1.57 times more likely to earn their 

Bachelor’s degrees within 5 years than were students with lower GPAs. Interestingly, students 

who did not answer an enrollment survey question about whether they would be a firstgeneration college attendee completed their Bachelor’s degrees within 5 years at significantly 

higher rates (with an odds ratio value of 3.85) than those who affirmed that they were not firstgeneration college students. 

Institutional predictors: Attendance at a postsecondary institution with high proportions of 

full-time students appears to play a significant and positive role in Bachelor’s degree 

completion within 5 years. Students enrolled at colleges with higher ratios of full-time to parttime students were 1.86 times more likely to earn a Bachelor’s degree within 5 years than were 

their peers attending schools with lower ratios. 

Results from this analysis are particularly notable, given that the R-square value indicates that 

the variables employed account for 52% of the variance in the outcome. In other words, more 

than half of the variability in the likelihood that students will earn a Bachelor’s degree within 5 

years is explained by the independent variables used in the regression model presented in 

Table 28. An R-square value of this size is generally considered high in the social sciences. 
26

Table 28: Bachelor’s Degree Completion within 5 Years: 

Results from Multivariate Logistic Regression 

Variables Logit 

Coefficient

Standard 

Error

Sig. Odds Ratio

Intercept -7.35 1.62 *** .

Semester average coaching hours (1st year 

to 5th year) 

0.62 0.12 *** 3.85

Coaching type: Campus based at least 1 

semester (1st year to 5th year)

-0.90 0.61 0.40

ACT -0.01 0.05 0.98

GPA 0.99 0.41 * 1.57

First-generation college -0.71 0.42 0.49

First-gen. college info missing 1.35 0.53 * 3.85

Ratio of full-time students 3.58 1.17 ** 1.86

 Number of observations used 251 . .

 R-square 0.52

Note: Asterisks indicate the level of statistical significance: * < 5%, ** < 1%, *** 0.1%. Odds ratios for continuous 

variables are standardized such that it compares the odds of a subject whose value is one standard deviation 

above the mean against a subject whose value is the mean. Only cohort 2007 allowed the modeling 5-year 

Bachelor’s degree attainment. 
27

IV. Conclusions and Recommendations

4.1 Conclusions 

4.1.1 Enrollment 

 College Possible students enroll in college at much higher rates than do similar students 

nationally. College Possible students’ immediate enrollment rates ranged from 82% to 

89%, compared to rates of 52% to 56% for low-income students across the nation. 

Moreover, enrollment rates for College Possible students exceeded those for highincome students nationally, which ranged from 81% to 83%. 

 The majority of College Possible students enrolled in 4-year rather than 2-year 

institutions. The percent of students enrolling in 4-year colleges ranged from 91% of 

students in the 2007 cohort to 78% of students in the 2009 cohort. 

 Across cohorts, College Possible students were more likely to enroll in public rather than 

private institutions. The percent of students enrolling in public colleges ranged from 

approximately two-thirds of students in the 2011 cohort to 58% of students in the 2007 

and 2010 cohorts. 

 Multivariate modeling facilitates analysis of whether various factors collectively and 

individually exert statistically significant influences on key outcomes. Such analyses 

indicate that, when the effect of all included variables are taken into account, three 

factors play a significant and positive role in postsecondary enrollment, as follows. 

o Students who received more hours of College Possible coaching during their 

junior and senior years of high schools were 1.65 times more likely to enroll in 

college than students who received fewer hours. 

o Students with higher ACT scores were 1.53 times more likely to enroll in college 

than their peers with lower scores. 

o Students with higher GPAs were 1.37 times more likely to enroll in college than 

their counterparts with lower GPAs. 

4.1.2 Persistence 

 College Possible students tended to persist between Fall and Spring semesters at high 

rates (ranging from a high of 93% to low of 86%). However, persistence rates were 

lower between Spring and Fall semesters, ranging from 89% to 79%. 

 Semester-to-semester persistence rates for College Possible students were far higher 

for those attending 4-year institutions and for those enrolled in private colleges. For 

instance, students in the 2007 cohort attending 4-year colleges persisted between 

semesters at rates ranging between 97% and 85%, whereas their peers attending 2-year 

colleges persisted at rates ranging from 88% to 63%. 
28

 The transition between the first Spring semester and the second Fall semester appears 

especially challenging for students, regardless of whether students are enrolled at 4-

year or 2-year colleges. The lowest persistence rates for both groups appear at this 

transition point. 

 College Possible students attending private institutions tend to persist between 

semesters at higher rates than students enrolled in public colleges. Among the 2007 

cohort, for example, persistence rates ranged from 100% to 85% for students enrolled in 

private schools, while rates for those attending public colleges ranged from 93% to 82%. 

In addition, students at public institutions were slightly less likely to persist between the 

first Spring and the second Fall semesters than their peers at private colleges. 

 Multivariate analyses confirm that, even when the influence of other factors is 

considered, students with higher high school GPAs and ACT scores are significantly more 

likely to persist between the first and second years of their postsecondary careers. 

 However, ACT scores do not predict the likelihood that students will persist in college 

between their third and fourth years. 

 A few postsecondary institutional characteristics also influence persistence when 

analyzed in the context of other student and College Possible factors. 

o The odds of successful persistence from the first to the second year of college 

were 1.59 times higher for students attending 4-year private college than for 

those attending 4-year public institutions. 

o Students attending a private 2-year institution who had not yet earned an 

Associate’s degree were .17 times less likely to persist between a third and 

fourth year than were their peers attending 4-year colleges. Similarly, students 

attending a public 2-year institution who had not yet earned an Associate’s 

degree were .29 times less likely to persist between a third and fourth year than 

were their peers attending 4-year colleges. 

4.1.3 Completion 

 Associate’s degree completion rates were very low among College Possible cohorts. Ten 

percent (10%) of those pursuing such a degree in the 2007 cohort earned one within 3 

years; 7% of students in the 2008 and 2009 cohorts did so. 

 Bachelor’s degree attainment rates were higher, with 44% of students in the 2007 

cohort earning their degree within 5 years. In contrast, only 11% of low-income, firstgeneration college students in a national study earned a Bachelor’s degree within 6 years. Total 

completion rates (that is, the percent of students earning either and Associate’s degree 

within 3 years or a Bachelor’s degree within 5) were 41% among the 2007 cohort.
29

 Students attending private 4-year institutions were more likely to earn a Bachelor’s 

degree than were those enrolled in public 4-year colleges. For instance, whereas 54% of 

students in the 2007 cohort who attended private postsecondary institutions completed 

their Bachelor’s degree within 5 years, 37% of those attending public institutions did so. 

 A similar pattern is apparent in total completion rates. Among the 2007 cohort, for 

example, 52% of students attending a private institution earned an Associate’s degree 

within 3 years or a Bachelor’s within 5, whereas only 34% of those attending public 

institutions did so. 

 Multivariate analyses indicate that several factors exert a significant and positive 

influence on completion of a Bachelor’s degree within 4 years of enrollment, as follows.

o Students who received more hours of College Possible coaching over the course 

of their college career were 1.59 times more likely to attain a Bachelor’s degree 

within 4 years than their peers who received fewer hours. 

o Students attending schools with higher ratios of full-time to part-time students 

were 2.11 times more likely to earn a Bachelor’s degree within four years than 

their peers at schools with lower ratios of full-time students. 

o Students with higher ACT scores were 1.25 times more likely to earn a Bachelor’s 

degree within 4 years, and students with higher high school GPAs were 1.70 

times more likely to do so. 

o Students who did not answer a College Possible enrollment survey question 

about whether they would be a first-generation college attendee were 10.77 

times more likely to complete a Bachelor’s degree than those positively affirming 

such a status. The meaning of this finding is unclear. 

 ACT scores do not play a significant role in the likelihood that students will earn a 

Bachelor’s degree within 5 years. However, the other factors influencing 4-year 

Bachelor’s degree completion also influence 5-year completion. 

o Students who received more hours of College Possible coaching over the course 

of their college career were 3.85 times more likely to attain a Bachelor’s degree 

within 5 years than their peers who received fewer hours. 

o Students attending schools with higher ratios of full-time to part-time students 

were 1.86 times more likely to earn a Bachelor’s degree within 5 years than their 

peers at schools with lower ratios of full-time students. 

o Students with higher high school GPAs were 1.57 times more likely to complete a 

Bachelor’s degree within 5 years than their counterparts with lower GPAs.

o Students who did not answer a College Possible enrollment survey question 

about whether they would be a first-generation college attendee were 3.85 

times more likely to complete a Bachelor’s degree than those positively affirming 

such a status. 
30

4.1.4 Student Subgroup Outcomes 

 Across all cohorts, female College Possible students tended to have better outcomes 

than their male peers. Women were more likely to enroll in, persist in, and complete 

postsecondary programs of study. 

 Results of race and ethnicity analysis were inconsistent across outcomes and cohort. 

The relatively small number of students, when data were broken down by race and 

ethnicity subgroup, may explain the mixed findings. 

 In the multivariate model for first to second year persistence, Hmong students and 

those students selecting the “other” racial/ethnic category were significantly less likely 

to persist than were White students. The reason for this is unclear. 

 College Possible students in the 2007 cohort who did not report their ESL status had 

substantially higher rates of enrollment, persistence, and completion rates than 

students who affirmatively indicated that they did or did not receive ESL services—

suggesting that those not reporting ESL status were likely nor ESL students. The college 

enrollment rates of ESL and non-ESL students were similar; however, non-ESL students 

tended to persist in and complete their programs of study at higher rates than ESL 

students. 

 In multivariate analyses, with the exception of that for first to second year persistence, 

student demographic factors did not have a significant impact on outcomes when 

College Possible, postsecondary institutional, and student achievement variables were 

taken into account. 

4.1.5 The Effect of College Possible Coaching 

 Across all cohorts analyzed, students who enrolled in college tended to have received 

much more college preparation coaching from College Possible than students who did 

not enroll. Students who persisted from year to year in college tended to have 

participated in slightly more College Possible coaching (an average of one additional 

hour) than their peers who did not persist. Similarly, students who completed their 

programs of study received slightly more College Possible coaching than those who did 

not complete college. 

 CB services appear to assist College Possible students to persist in and complete their 

postsecondary programs better than TB services. Higher percentages of students 

persisting successfully across postsecondary years had received CB services than TB 

services, and higher percentages of those earning postsecondary degrees participated in 

CB services. 

 Even when the effect of other variables is taken into account, College Possible coaching 

continues to play a significant and positive role in student postsecondary outcomes. 
31

o Students who received more total hours of College Possible coaching during 

their junior and senior years of high school were 1.65 times more likely to enroll 

in college, 1.29 times more likely to persist between their first and second 

postsecondary years, and 1.45 times more likely to persist between their second 

and third years than their peers who received fewer hours of coaching. 

o Students who received more hours of College Possible coaching during their 

third year in college were 1.58 times more likely to persist from their third to the 

fourth year of college. 

o Students who received more College Possible hours of coaching on average over 

their four years of enrollment were 1.59 times more likely to earn a Bachelor’s 

degree within 4 years than their peers who received fewer hours on average. 

o Students who received more College Possible hours of coaching on average over 

their five years of enrollment were 3.85 times more likely to earn a Bachelor’s 

degree within 5 years than their peers who received fewer hours on average. 

4.2 Recommendations 

Overall, the multivariate findings clearly indicate that both secondary and postsecondary 

College Possible coaching improves student outcomes. Moreover, College Possible coaching 

may help limit the negative correlation between various student demographic characteristics 

such as racial/ethnic minority status, ESL status, and first-generation college attendee status 

and postsecondary success. Given that College Possible’s goal is to dramatically improve college 

access and success for the low-income and otherwise disadvantaged students its staff serves, 

these findings provide considerable support for program continuation. 

Specifically, the findings suggest that high school coaching (defined in terms of dosage/time) 

plays an important role in early college outcomes such as enrollment and persistence through 

the first three years of college. Given this, it appears that the high school coaching component 

supports early success. However, College Possible coaching during students’ postsecondary 

tenures appears to have a significant impact on later college success, including transition to the 

senior year and Bachelor’s degree completion. Thus, College Possible may want to consider the 

importance of continuing to provide students a comprehensive program of services at both 

the secondary and postsecondary levels to strengthen the likelihood that students have the 

support needed to achieve an array of outcomes. 

Given that the amount of coaching received by students is significantly and positively correlated 

with positive postsecondary outcomes, College Possible staff should also explore strategies for 

maximizing how much coaching students receive (without sacrificing the quality of such 

support). Such approaches might include assigning two coaches to each student, to ensure 

additional opportunities for interaction; conducting regular follow-ups with students failing to 

access services; or establishing a peer-to-peer support component to the College Possible 

program, such that students can access assistance from individuals in addition to coaches. 

Campus-based (CB) coaching that supports face-to-face interaction was related to higher 

success rates, at least in simple descriptive analyses. The results were attenuated in complex 

regression models, possibly because the number of students exposed to the direct service was 
32

lower across cohorts and lack of variance might have made this variable less predictive. 

Nonetheless, because the larger percent of students who experienced college success had 

accessed the CB program, College Possible staff might consider expanding face-to-face service 

to more campuses as feasible. 

College Possible staff should continue to stress the importance of academic achievement 

during high school. Both GPA and ACT scores were correlated with positive college outcomes, 

while in the regression model high school GPA seemed to predict the outcomes even more 

robustly than ACT scores. It is possible that multitudes of related factors, such as students’ 

study skills, aspirations, and academic engagement enhanced the postsecondary success of 

students with strong high school GPAs. Broadly summarized, ACT scores of 18 or higher and 

GPAs of 3.0 and higher are strongly correlated with college success. 

Several student characteristics were found to have some impact on outcomes, although they no 

longer exerted significant influences on outcomes when other variables were controlled. For 

instance, although female students achieve better outcomes than males, once other factors are 

considered, the differential is not significant. However, it is possible that another factor 

mediates the relationship between gender and outcomes. Exploratory analysis indicates that 

male College Possible students received slightly less coaching time in college than female 

students; for example, the semester average time for 2008 male students was 2.4 hours, while 

females received 2.9 hours. Thus, disparities in coaching time among male and female students 

may help account for disparate outcomes. Given this, program staff should consider ensuring 

that males receive at least as much support as their female counterparts. 

It is notable that Hmong students were significantly less likely to persist from the first to second 

years of college. College Possible staff should consider examining the reasons for such a finding. 

For example, staff might learn that linguistic difficulties or cultural barriers make early college 

persistence particularly challenging for such students. Students who selected the “other” 

racial/ethnic category were also significantly less likely to persist into their second year of 

college. College Possible staff might also examine the difficulties such students faced during 

their early college experiences. Findings from analyses could then be used by program staff to 

develop services and supports targeting identified challenges specific to those student 

populations. 

The findings also suggest that some college characteristics are correlated with student 

outcomes. For instance, students attending 4-year colleges had far more positive outcomes 

than those enrolled in 2-year institutions. College Possible staff may want to consider providing 

additional support to students at 2-year schools. 

Furthermore, because students attending private institutions experienced better outcomes 

than their peers at public colleges, College Possible staff might analyze what factors at private 

entities facilitate college success and what factors at public schools constrain such success. 

Given the findings from such further analyses, program staff might consider encouraging 

students to apply to more private than public institutions. In addition, staff should analyze 

whether particular private schools appear to facilitate better student outcomes (and whether 

particular public schools seem to constrain positive outcomes). Similarly, College Possible staff 
33

may also want to guide students toward colleges with high proportions of full-time students, 

as this factor too appears to support later college persistence and completion. 

Another recommendation is that program staff might develop differentiated coaching

approaches to accommodate the needs of students at different sorts of campuses. For instance, 

College Possible could offer more hours of coaching to students at 2-year institutions or public 

colleges, and expand CB services to more schools. 

In sum, this study suggests that College Possible coaching is associated with postsecondary 

success, as measured by enrollment, persistence, and graduation rates. Program staff and 

stakeholders should celebrate their achievements, while also identifying strategies that 

maximize the effects of those factors that appear to enhance college outcomes.
34

V. Appendix A

Table A1: Semester-to-Semester Persistence in 2-Year vs. 4-Year and Public vs. Private 

Institutions 

4-Year Intuitions 2-Year Intuitions Public Intuitions Private Institutions

Transition N of 

students

% 

persisted

N of 

students

% 

persisted

N of 

students

% 

persisted

N of 

students

% 

persisted

Cohort 2007

Fall 2007-Spring 2008 254 92% 24 88% 158 93% 120 90%

Spring 2008-Fall 2008 223 85% 27 63% 148 82% 104 85%

Fall 2008-Spring 2009 197 96% 30 77% 131 92% 94 95%

Spring 2009-Fall 2009 192 90% 34 76% 130 86% 91 91%

Fall 2009-Spring 2010 174 95% 36 78% 123 90% 89 94%

Spring 2010-Fall 2010 173 89% 40 65% 123 82% 84 88%

Fall 2010-Spring 2011 162 97% 28 75% 113 89% 77 100%

Spring 2011-Fall 2011 82 93% 27 85% 75 92% 33 88%

Fall 2011-Spring 2012 68 93% 32 78% 80 86% 21 95%

Spring 2012-Fall 2012 42 60% 28 75% 57 68% 12 50%

Cohort 2008

Fall 2008-Spring 2009 375 95% 70 83% 252 93% 195 93%

Spring 2009-Fall 2009 338 87% 81 73% 254 83% 169 86%

Fall 2009-Spring 2010 297 94% 105 88% 254 90% 152 96%

Spring 2010-Fall 2010 278 92% 110 73% 249 84% 139 93%

Fall 2010-Spring 2011 272 93% 96 79% 232 86% 138 96%

Spring 2011-Fall 2011 258 93% 90 71% 212 86% 133 92%

Fall 2011-Spring 2012 251 96% 67 84% 203 91% 122 98%

Spring 2012-Fall 2012 135 81% 75 76% 160 83% 48 69%

Cohort 2009

Fall 2009-Spring 2010 389 94% 109 87% 271 92% 229 94%

Spring 2010-Fall 2010 346 90% 125 80% 274 86% 203 90%

Fall 2010-Spring 2011 311 93% 128 80% 265 85% 179 96%

Spring 2011-Fall 2011 286 87% 127 72% 240 77% 171 90%

Fall 2011-Spring 2012 258 96% 110 73% 212 84% 158 96%

Spring 2012-Fall 2012 254 92% 98 63% 193 76% 156 94%

Cohort 2010

Fall 2010-Spring 2011 452 94% 110 90% 324 91% 243 95%

Spring 2011-Fall 2011 412 87% 132 81% 324 82% 225 92%

Fall 2011-Spring 2012 364 93% 136 76% 290 85% 212 93%

Spring 2012-Fall 2012 331 88% 123 67% 262 76% 192 92%

Cohort 2011

Fall 2011-Spring 2012 465 91% 124 89% 381 90% 217 91%

Spring 2012-Fall 2012 401 86% 154 78% 374 80% 185 90%
35

Table A2: Gender and Rates of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Completion by Cohort 

Year-to-Year Transition

Cohort Gender/

n

Total 

enrollment

1st to 2nd 2nd 

to 3rd

3rd 

to 

4th

4th 

to 

5th

5th 

to 

6th

Completion 

AA (3 years) 

and BA (4 

years)

Completion 

AA (3 years) 

and BA (5 

years)

2007 Female 93% 85% 87% 85% 88% 67% 29% 43%

n 199 164 151 137 74 43 194 194

2007 Male 83% 80% 89% 83% 90% 62% 29% 38%

n 120 94 81 78 40 29 112 112

2008 Female 89% 85% 87% 87% 81% 29%

n 347 289 257 227 135

2008 Male 85% 84% 85% 87% 76% 18%

n 209 163 147 129 86 197

2009 Female 90% 90% 83% 84%

n 343 285 244 218

2009 Male 87% 86% 81% 81%

n 263 211 182 149

2010 Female 89% 87% 85%

n 450 373 315

2010 Male 87% 83% 78%

n 250 196 156

2011 Female 91% 84%

n 478 388

2011 Male 86% 83%

n 263 196

2012 Female 83%

n 50

2012 Male 81%

n 304
36

Table A3: Race/Ethnicity and Rates of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Completion by 

Cohort 

Total Enrollment Rate

Cohort %/n White Black Black 

Immigrant Hispanic Asian Hmong Other Missing

2007 % 93% 88% 86% 84% 100% 83% 96% 100%

n of cases 14 65 29 32 14 80 81 4

2008 % 85% 88% 84% 78% 96% 86% 88% 100%

n of cases 41 94 31 40 24 96 210 20

2009 % 93% 88% 90% 85% 92% 88% 90% 82%

n of cases 40 147 67 55 83 149 31 34

2010 % 96% 86% 97% 88% 90% 87% 93% 81%

n of cases 47 194 59 72 107 143 41 37

2011 % 96% 91% 93% 83% 92% 86% 89% 84%

n of cases 45 171 85 81 65 168 36 90

2012 % 81% 85% 76% 80% 85% 80% 88% 75%

n of cases 64 218 41 106 156 115 50 55

First-to-Second Year Persistence

Cohort %/n White Black Black 

Immigrant Hispanic Asian Hmong Other Missing

2007 % 83% 73% 88% 81% 86% 78% 93% 75%

n of cases 12 49 24 21 14 59 75 4

2008 % 88% 88% 85% 72% 77% 79% 89% 83%

n of cases 32 76 26 29 22 77 172 18

2009 % 97% 86% 96% 78% 90% 88% 92% 84%

n of cases 34 120 55 46 69 122 25 25

2010 % 93% 83% 91% 88% 89% 85% 74% 89%

n of cases 41 152 56 57 88 112 35 28

2011 % 97% 77% 82% 88% 93% 84% 65% 86%

n of cases 38 132 73 60 55 131 31 64
37

Table A3: Continued 

Second-to-Third Year Persistence

Cohort %/n White Black Black 

Immigrant Hispanic Asian Hmong Other Missing

2007 % 91% 81% 74% 91% 92% 82% 96% 100%

n of cases 11 37 23 22 12 50 73 4

2008 % 97% 81% 81% 85% 89% 90% 86% 88%

n of cases 30 69 26 20 19 60 164 16

2009 % 84% 78% 82% 83% 85% 82% 74% 95%

n of cases 32 99 51 35 59 106 23 21

2010 % 82% 82% 89% 85% 87% 80% 77% 77%

n of cases 38 123 44 47 77 90 26 26

Third-to-Fourth Year Persistence

Cohort %/n White Black Black 

Immigrant Hispanic Asian Hmong Other Missing

2007 % 100% 69% 86% 94% 100% 73% 91% 100%

n of cases 11 35 21 18 12 48 66 4

2008 % 93% 87% 85% 67% 89% 89% 87% 91%

n of cases 30 53 20 18 19 56 149 11

2009 % 79% 81% 79% 81% 94% 84% 83% 72%

n of cases 28 83 42 27 51 100 18 18

Total Completion (AA within 3 years, BA within 4 years)

Cohort %/n White Black Black 

Immigrant Hispanic Asian Hmong Other Missing

2007 % 15% 16% 21% 21% 57% 16% 56% 25%

n of cases 13 64 28 29 14 75 79 4

2008 % 36% 21% 13% 19% 24% 27% 26% 25%

n of cases 39 89 30 36 25 92 197 20

Total Completion (AA within 3 years, BA within 5 years)

Cohort %/n White Black Black 

Immigrant Hispanic Asian Hmong Other Missing

2007 % 31% 28% 36% 38% 64% 27% 67% 25%

n of cases 13 64 28 29 14 75 79 4
38

Table A4: ESL Status and Rates of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Completion 

Cohort ESL Status Total 

enrollment

1st to 

2nd

2nd to 

3rd

3rd to 

4th

4th to 

5th

Completion 

AA (3 years) 

and BA (4 

years)

Completion 

AA (3 years) 

and BA (5 

years)

2007 ESL info missing % 97% 95% 97% 96% 90% 74% 79%

n 76 73 71 67 10 76 76

ESL student % 87% 73% 79% 74% 88% 14% 24%

n 90 71 56 53 33 87 87

Not ESL % 86% 82% 86% 82% 89% 15% 31%

n 153 114 105 95 71 143 143

2008 ESL info missing % 91% 83% 84% 77% 91% 19%

n 43 35 32 26 22 43

ESL student % 86% 82% 88% 90% 76% 27%

n 201 164 141 125 67 191

Not ESL % 88% 87% 86% 87% 78% 24%

n 312 253 231 205 132 294

2009 ESL info missing % 87% 94% 88% 71%

n 62 49 43 41

ESL student % 89% 89% 81% 85%

n 331 276 236 199

Not ESL % 88% 85% 82% 83%

n 213 171 147 127

Table A4: Continued 

Cohort ESL Status Total 

enrollment

1st to 

2nd

2nd to 

3rd

2010 ESL info missing % 85% 83% 80%

n 110 86 71

ESL student % 88% 87% 85%

n 362 295 248

Not ESL % 90% 85% 80%

n 228 188 152

2011 ESL info missing % 86% 83%

n 181 128

ESL student % 88% 85%

n 302 246

Not ESL % 91% 82%

n 258 210

2012 ESL info missing % 81%

n 143

ESL student % 81%

n 320

Not ESL % 84%

n 342
39

Table A5: ACT Scores and Rates of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Completion 

Cohort ACT score %/n Total 

enrollment

1st to 

2nd

2nd to 

3rd

3rd to 

4th

4th to 

5th

Completion AA (3 

years) or BA (4 

years)

Completion AA (3 

years) or BA (5 

years)

2007 (a)1-13 % 70% 54% 78% 82% 80% 11% 11%

2007 (a)1-13 n 20 13 9 11 10 19 19

2007 (b)14 % 82% 83% 64% 88% 50% 19% 19%

2007 (b)14 n 17 12 14 8 8 16 16

2007 (c)15 % 91% 87% 88% 80% 100% 29% 44%

2007 (c)15 n 35 31 24 25 14 34 34

2007 (d)16 % 85% 79% 87% 75% 85% 23% 28%

2007 (d)16 n 47 33 30 24 13 43 43

2007 (e)17 % 85% 88% 88% 67% 100% 13% 31%

2007 (e)17 n 33 26 26 24 13 32 32

2007 (f)18 % 96% 83% 91% 90% 93% 34% 50%

2007 (f)18 n 45 40 34 30 15 44 44

2007 (g)19 % 96% 88% 100% 95% 78% 40% 60%

2007 (g)19 n 26 24 20 21 9 25 25

2007 (h)20-36 % 95% 86% 89% 89% 94% 38% 51%

2007 (h)20-36 n 92 78 73 71 31 90 90

2008 (a)1-13 % 76% 77% 64% 91% 67% 4%

2008 (a)1-13 n 25 13 14 11 12 25

2008 (b)14 % 82% 93% 74% 74% 62% 8%

2008 (b)14 n 55 40 38 27 21 49

2008 (c)15 % 81% 81% 71% 88% 85% 9%

2008 (c)15 n 62 48 41 33 27 57

2008 (d)16 % 84% 84% 87% 87% 89% 17%

2008 (d)16 n 74 57 53 45 36 69

2008 (e)17 % 84% 82% 82% 85% 76% 14%

2008 (e)17 n 64 51 44 33 21 58

2008 (f)18 % 90% 88% 93% 83% 81% 28%

2008 (f)18 n 68 59 54 48 31 67

2008 (g)19 % 94% 87% 90% 89% 81% 37%

2008 (g)19 n 51 45 41 37 16 51

2008 (h)20-36 % 95% 84% 96% 91% 77% 42%

2008 (h)20-36 n 155 139 119 122 57 151
40

Table A5: Continued 

Cohort ACT score %/n Total 

enrollment

1st to 

2nd

2nd to 

3rd

3rd to 

4th

2009 (a)1-13 % 80% 88% 73% 50%

2009 (a)1-13 n 25 17 15 12

2009 (b)14 % 76% 88% 66% 77%

2009 (b)14 n 58 40 35 26

2009 (c)15 % 82% 85% 65% 67%

2009 (c)15 n 73 48 46 33

2009 (d)16 % 88% 78% 83% 76%

2009 (d)16 n 59 49 36 38

2009 (e)17 % 96% 91% 77% 81%

2009 (e)17 n 74 65 53 43

2009 (f)18 % 86% 92% 92% 100%

2009 (f)18 n 74 61 49 44

2009 (g)19 % 95% 88% 82% 85%

2009 (g)19 n 64 59 50 39

2009 (h)20-36 % 92% 90% 90% 87%

2009 (h)20-36 n 178 156 141 131

2010 (a)1-13 % 72% 84% 68%

2010 (a)1-13 n 39 25 19

2010 (b)14 % 80% 84% 77%

2010 (b)14 n 51 38 31

2010 (c)15 % 89% 82% 83%

2010 (c)15 n 82 67 46

2010 (d)16 % 84% 72% 79%

2010 (d)16 n 79 61 47

2010 (e)17 % 90% 86% 80%

2010 (e)17 n 88 72 60

2010 (f)18 % 91% 87% 82%

2010 (f)18 n 82 69 57

2010 (g)19 % 90% 85% 87%

2010 (g)19 n 73 59 46

2010 (h)20-36 % 93% 94% 88%

2010 (h)20-36 n 201 174 162
41

Table A5: Continued 

Cohort ACT score %/n Total 

enrollment

1st to 

2nd

2011 (a)1-13 % 75% 74%

2011 (a)1-13 n 59 39

2011 (b)14 % 76% 81%

2011 (b)14 n 50 32

2011 (c)15 % 84% 73%

2011 (c)15 n 74 56

2011 (d)16 % 89% 83%

2011 (d)16 n 82 64

2011 (e)17 % 89% 75%

2011 (e)17 n 92 73

2011 (f)18 % 96% 95%

2011 (f)18 n 68 55

2011 (g)19 % 94% 88%

2011 (g)19 n 77 66

2011 (h)20-36 % 93% 90%

2011 (h)20-36 n 219 180

2012 (a)1-13 % 51%

2012 (a)1-13 n 51

2012 (b)14 % 68%

2012 (b)14 n 66

2012 (c)15 % 83%

2012 (c)15 n 69

2012 (d)16 % 83%

2012 (d)16 n 95

2012 (e)17 % 84%

2012 (e)17 n 89

2012 (f)18 % 90%

2012 (f)18 n 77

2012 (g)19 % 87%

2012 (g)19 n 69

2012 (h)20-36 % 87%

2012 (h)20-36 n 282
42

Table A6: GPA and Rates of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Completion 

Cohort GPA %/n Total 

enrollment

1st to 

2nd

2nd to 

3rd

3rd to 

4th

4th to 

5th

Completion 

AA (3 years) 

or BA (4 

years)

Completion 

AA (3 years) 

or BA (5 

years)

2007 (a)Below 2.0 % 50% 40% 83% 60% 67% 0% 10%

2007 (a)Below 2.0 n 12 5 6 5 3 10 10

2007 (b)2.0-2.5 % 76% 62% 83% 58% 100% 16% 32%

2007 (b)2.0-2.5 n 29 21 12 12 12 25 25

2007 (c)2.5-3.0 % 88% 82% 85% 82% 91% 15% 27%

2007 (c)2.5-3.0 n 83 65 54 51 32 79 79

2007 (d)3.0-3.5 % 94% 87% 86% 84% 93% 34% 44%

2007 (d)3.0-3.5 n 101 85 81 69 29 99 99

2007 (e)3.5 & abo % 96% 91% 91% 92% 84% 43% 60%

2007 (e)3.5 & abo n 77 70 67 65 32 77 77

2008 (a)Below 2.0 % 89% 71% 80% 75% 100% 0%

2008 (a)Below 2.0 n 9 7 5 4 3 8

2008 (b)2.0-2.5 % 82% 75% 64% 71% 56% 10%

2008 (b)2.0-2.5 n 84 61 45 35 27 78

2008 (c)2.5-3.0 % 83% 85% 82% 85% 76% 17%

2008 (c)2.5-3.0 n 153 113 106 87 55 141

2008 (d)3.0-3.5 % 89% 88% 88% 88% 85% 26%

2008 (d)3.0-3.5 n 194 164 149 131 89 187

2008 (e)3.5 & abo % 95% 88% 99% 94% 80% 45%

2008 (e)3.5 & abo n 115 106 99 98 46 113
43

Table A6: Continued 

Cohort GPA %/n Total 

enrollment

1st to 

2nd

2nd to 

3rd

3rd to 

4th

2009 (a)Below 2.0 % 68% 94% 72% 78%

2009 (a)Below 2.0 n 34 18 18 9

2009 (b)2.0-2.5 % 85% 76% 70% 69%

2009 (b)2.0-2.5 n 94 74 56 45

2009 (c)2.5-3.0 % 86% 84% 77% 71%

2009 (c)2.5-3.0 n 182 139 115 97

2009 (d)3.0-3.5 % 91% 91% 85% 89%

2009 (d)3.0-3.5 n 172 146 126 112

2009 (e)3.5 & abo % 99% 98% 92% 94%

2009 (e)3.5 & abo n 117 113 107 98

2010 (a)Below 2.0 % 79% 70% 62%

2010 (a)Below 2.0 n 39 27 13

2010 (b)2.0-2.5 % 82% 74% 73%

2010 (b)2.0-2.5 n 137 98 73

2010 (c)2.5-3.0 % 88% 83% 77%

2010 (c)2.5-3.0 n 178 142 119

2010 (d)3.0-3.5 % 89% 92% 88%

2010 (d)3.0-3.5 n 204 168 146

2010 (e)3.5 & abo % 99% 95% 94%

2010 (e)3.5 & abo n 114 110 100
44

Table A6: Continued 

Cohort GPA %/n Total 

enrollment

1st to 

2nd

2011 (a)Below 2.0 % 70% 65%

2011 (a)Below 2.0 n 33 17

2011 (b)2.0-2.5 % 86% 79%

2011 (b)2.0-2.5 n 131 96

2011 (c)2.5-3.0 % 89% 79%

2011 (c)2.5-3.0 n 185 145

2011 (d)3.0-3.5 % 89% 84%

2011 (d)3.0-3.5 n 205 165

2011 (e)3.5 & abo % 95% 92%

2011 (e)3.5 & abo n 169 150

2012 (a)Below 2.0 % 52%

2012 (a)Below 2.0 n 27

2012 (b)2.0-2.5 % 79%

2012 (b)2.0-2.5 n 146

2012 (c)2.5-3.0 % 77%

2012 (c)2.5-3.0 n 205

2012 (d)3.0-3.5 % 86%

2012 (d)3.0-3.5 n 236

2012 (e)3.5 & abo % 92%

2012 (e)3.5 & abo n 160

Table A7: Descriptive Statistics for Total Enrollment: 

Results from Multivariate Logistic Regression (n=2504) 

Variables Mean SD Min. Max.

Total enrollment (outcome) 0.87 0.34 0.00 1.00

Sum of junior and senior year coaching time 69.66 28.18 0.00 148.50

ACT score 18.26 3.68 9.00 34.00

GPA 2.96 0.57 1.21 4.20

Cohort 2009 0.18 0.39 0.00 1.00

Cohort 2010 0.24 0.42 0.00 1.00

Cohort 2011 0.28 0.45 0.00 1.00

Cohort 2012 0.30 0.46 0.00 1.00

Note: Cohort 2009 to 2012 allowed the use of high school junior and senior year coaching hours as a predictor. 
45

Table A8: Descriptive Statistics for First-to-Second Year Persistence: 

Results from Multivariate Logistic Regression (n=1392) 

Variables Mean SD Min. Max.

First-to-second year 

persistence (outcome)

0.86 0.35 0.00 1.00

Sum of junior and senior year 

coaching time

68.47 28.13 1.00 148.50

Coaching hours in 1styear 7.50 5.94 0.00 41.50

Coaching type in 1styear: 

Campus-based at least 1 

semester

0.26 0.44 0.00 1.00

ACT score 18.46 3.63 10.00 32.00

GPA 3.00 0.56 1.21 4.03

White 0.07 0.26 0.00 1.00

Black 0.23 0.42 0.00 1.00

Black immigrant 0.12 0.32 0.00 1.00

Hispanic 0.09 0.29 0.00 1.00

Asian 0.13 0.33 0.00 1.00

Hmong 0.23 0.42 0.00 1.00

Other 0.06 0.23 0.00 1.00

Race info missing 0.08 0.27 0.00 1.00

Cohort 2009 0.27 0.44 0.00 1.00

Cohort 2010 0.34 0.47 0.00 1.00

Cohort 2011 0.39 0.49 0.00 1.00

Private 2-year college 0.01 0.12 0.00 1.00

Private 4-year college 0.38 0.49 0.00 1.00

Public 2-year college 0.24 0.43 0.00 1.00

Public 4-year college 0.37 0.48 0.00 1.00

Note: Cohort 2009 to 2011 allowed the use of high school junior and senior year coaching hours as a predictor. 

Cohort 2012 only had one semester of enrollment data. 
46

Table A9: Descriptive Statistics for Second-to-Third Year Persistence: 

Results from Multivariate Logistic Regression (n=711) 

Variables Mean SD Min. Max.

Second-to-third year persistence (outcome) 0.84 0.37 0.00 1.00

Sum of junior and senior year coaching time 63.87 26.22 2.50 133.50

Coaching hours in 2ndyear 6.79 4.59 0.00 27.00

Coaching type in 2nd Year: Campus-based at least 

1 semester

0.26 0.44 0.00 1.00

ACT score 18.79 3.67 12.00 32.00

GPA 3.03 0.55 1.44 4.02

Cohort 2009 0.55 0.50 0.00 1.00

Cohort 2010 0.45 0.50 0.00 1.00

Note: Cohort 2009 and 2010 allowed the use of high school junior and senior year coaching hours as a predictor. 

They also allowed the modeling of second-to-third year persistence. 

Table A10: Descriptive Statistics for Third to Fourth Year Persistence: 

Results from Multivariate Logistic Regression (n=628) 

Variables Mean SD Min. Max.

Third-to-fourth year 

persistence (outcome)

0.86 0.35 0.00 1.00

Senior year coaching 

time

24.18 15.64 0.00 63.00

Coaching hours in 3rd

year

6.38 4.55 0.00 33.49

Coaching type in 3rdyear: 

Campus-based at least 1 

semester

0.19 0.39 0.00 1.00

ACT score 18.71 3.54 12.00 32.00

GPA 3.13 0.52 1.46 4.00

Cohort 2008 0.55 0.50 0.00 1.00

Cohort 2009 0.45 0.50 0.00 1.00

Private 2-year college 0.01 0.12 0.00 1.00

Private 4-year college 0.41 0.49 0.00 1.00

Public 2-year college 0.25 0.43 0.00 1.00

Public 4-year college 0.33 0.47 0.00 1.00

Ratio of full-time 

students

0.71 0.19 0.32 1.00

Note: Cohort 2008 and 2009 allowed the use of senior year coaching hours as a predictor. 

They also allowed the modeling of third-to-fourth year persistence. 
47

Table A11: Descriptive Statistics for Bachelor’s Completion within 4 Years: 

Results from Multivariate Logistic Regression (n=673) 

Variables Mean SD Min. Max.

Obtaining BA within 4 years 

(outcome)

0.28 0.45 0.00 1.00

Semester average coaching hours 

(1st year to 4th year) 

2.81 2.18 0.00 14.00

Coaching type: Campus-based at 

least 1 semester (1st year to 4

th

year)

0.18 0.39 0.00 1.00

ACT score 18.55 3.43 12.00 32.00

GPA 3.14 0.49 1.54 4.00

Female 0.64 0.48 0.00 1.00

First-generation college attendee 0.71 0.45 0.00 1.00

First-gen. college info missing 0.10 0.30 0.00 1.00

Cohort 2007 0.37 0.48 0.00 1.00

Cohort 2008 0.63 0.48 0.00 1.00

Public institutions 0.59 0.49 0.00 1.00

Ratio of full-time students 0.73 0.17 0.23 1.00

Note: Only Cohort 2007 and 2009 allowed the modeling of within 4 year Bachelor’s degree completion. 

Table A12: Descriptive Statistics for Bachelor’s Completion within 5 Years: 

Results from Multivariate Logistic Regression (n=251) 

Variables Mean SD Min. Max.

Obtaining BA within 5 years 

(outcome)

0.44 0.50 0.00 1.00

Average coaching hours (1styear 

to 5th year) 

2.65 2.16 0.00 10.58

Coaching type: Campus-based at 

least 1 semester (1st year to 5th

year)

0.19 0.39 0.00 1.00

ACT score 18.55 3.47 12.00 32.00

GPA 3.17 0.45 1.79 4.00

First-generation college attendee 0.51 0.50 0.00 1.00

First-gen. college info missing 0.24 0.43 0.00 1.00

Ratio of full-time students 0.71 0.17 0.35 1.00

Note: Only Cohort 2007 allowed the modeling of within-5 year Bachelor’s degree completion. 
48

VI. Appendix B

Description of Variables

Student Outcomes 

Total Enrollment: Students were considered enrolled when they were accepted at a postsecondary 

institution and were enrolled within the first academic year following high school graduation. Students 

were classified not enrolled if they withdrew during the semester. Furthermore, students were 

considered enrolled even when they were enrolled in the first semester but were not enrolled in the 

second semester of that year. To calculate the rate of total enrollment, the denominator was defined as 

the number of students who were accepted at a postsecondary intuition. Students were not included in 

the denominator if a) their enrollment status was not confirmed, b) they already obtained an Associate’s 

degree or a Bachelor’s degree and were not enrolled, c) they had an allowable exclusion status, or d) 

they had a leave of absence status. The numerator was the number of students who were enrolled as 

defined above. This enrollment was operationalized as the number of students who enrolled in college 

within the first academic year following high school graduation divided by the number of students 

accepted at a postsecondary institution. 

Semester-to-Semester and Year-to-Year Persistence: If a student was enrolled during one semester and 

was also enrolled in the next semester, he or she was considered to have persisted from one semester 

to the next. This excludes (the albeit unusual) cases in which a student graduated in the first semester. 

The persistence between a spring semester and a fall semester is also considered to be year-to-year 

persistence. To derive the persistence rate, the denominator included the number of students enrolled 

in one semester who did not graduate during that semester. The numerator was the number of students 

who successfully enrolled in the next semester. 

Completion of Associate’s Degree and Bachelor’s Degree: When students completed an Associate’s or a 

Bachelor’s degree, they were classified as either Associate’s- or Bachelor’s-completers. For the 

Associate’s degree completion analyses, the “within 3 year Associate’s completion” variable was derived 

for cohorts 2007, 2008, and 2009. For the Bachelor’s degree completion analyses, the “within 4 year 

Bachelor’s completion” variable was derived for cohort 2007 and 2008 and “within 5 year completion of 

Bachelor’s degree” was derived for cohort 2007. The length of year was defined as the duration 

between the semester a student first enrolled and the semester he/she completed a degree. To 

calculate the completion rate, the denominators were the number of Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s 

degree candidates. Because some students transferred between 2-year and 4-year colleges or pursued 

both degrees, the candidate variables were not mutually exclusive. If students were enrolled at least 

one semester in a 2-year college or in a 4-year college, they were defined, respectively, as Associate’s or 

Bachelor’s candidates. The numerator was the number of students who completed the degree.

Total Completion (Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degree Completion Combined): As a summary measure, 

a variable combining Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees was derived. To calculate the rate of total 

completion, the denominator was the number of students who were either Associate’s degree or 

Bachelor’s degree candidates (as defined in the section above). The numerator was the number of

students who completed an Associate’s degree, a Bachelor’s degree, or both. For the 2007 cohort, two 

versions of the variable were prepared: a) completion of an Associate’s degree within 3 years or of a 

Bachelor’s degree within 4 years and b) completion of an Associate’s degree within 3 years or of a 
49

Bachelor’s degree within 5 years. For the 2008 cohort, the variable, “completion of an Associate’s 

degree within 3 years or a Bachelor’s degree within 4 years” was prepared.

Coaching-Related Variables 

High School Junior Year and Senior Year Coaching Hours: Coaching hour data from the junior and senior 

years of high school were available for students from cohorts 2009 through 2012. Among the 2008 

cohort, coaching hour data were only available for students’ high school senior years, and no high school 

coaching data were available for students in the 2007 cohort. Measurement of coaching received was 

expressed in hours. For analysis, some extremely large values were set to the value of 4 standard 

deviations away from the mean. For analysis of cohorts with both years of high school data, the sum of 

junior and senior year hours received was used. 

Campus-based and Technology-based: Students received two types of College Possible coaching while 

in college: campus-based (CB) and technology-based (TN) programs. A CB program is based on face-toface direct interaction. A TB program is an online program wherein coaches and students communicate 

digitally. There is an additional hybrid program wherein coaches were located on campus but 

communication occurred online. For analysis, this type was classified as a TB program. The availability of 

CB was limited for cohorts studied in this report. Students who were exposed to CB at least for one 

semester were classified as CB-exposed students. 

College Year Coaching Variables: While coaching at the college level was available for all students in 

this study, collection of data on coaching hours began only in the Fall of 2009. Cohorts 2009, 2010, 2011, 

and 2012 had coaching hour information for all semesters in which students were enrolled. Only partial 

data were available for students in the 2007 and 2008 cohort. Data were available for each semester. 

Extremely large values were set to the value at 4 standard deviations away from the mean. For the 

analysis of year-to-year persistence, the sum of coaching hours received during the Fall and Spring 

semesters of the preceding school year was used as a predictor. For example, for the analysis of first-tosecond year persistence, the sum of first year Fall and Spring semester hours was used. For graduation 

outcomes, coaching hours averaged across all semesters up to the graduation year were employed as a 

predictor. For example, to analyze 4-year Bachelor’s degree completion rates, all data available up to 

the spring semester of the fourth year per student were used in the calculation. Students who stopped 

enrolling earlier than the graduation semester/year were assigned values based on the available data up 

to the last semester in which he/she was enrolled. Because hours were averaged across semesters, the 

resulting variable is not correlated with the number of semesters in which students were enrolled and 

thus does not bias the results of regression analyses.