Student Characteristics and Summer Enrollment: A Comparison of Earlier Research with Findings from Nationally Representative Data

Earlier research on small samples of students has identified certain characteristics of students who enroll in summer programs. This study analyzed these previously identified characteristics using enrollment data from a large, nationally representative sample from the 2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study. Our research confirmed that the previously identified relationships of some characteristics such as age, class level, and residence hold true in the nationally representative data. Other prior findings about gender and choice of major, and their relationships to summer enrollment, were not confirmed. This study provides a background for institu tions to compare the characteristics of their own populations of students with national patterns and to shape curriculum, marketing, and student support efforts to increase summer enrollment.