THE NATIONAL HISPANIC SCHOLAR AWARDS PROGRAM

The purpose of this study was to Describe the pool of National Hispanic Scholar Awards Program applicants in the program's initial year, 1983–84, and compare Hispanic Scholars (winners) with Hispanic Honorable Mentions (awardees) and Semifinalists who did not receive an award Examine the characteristics of high‐achieving Hispanic students Isolate the factors associated with success in college To fulfill this purpose, we used data from the Student Descriptive Questionnaire (SDQ), which includes background information on all SAT‐takers, and administered a 12‐page survey to 1983–84 applicants to the program. This survey collected additional information on applicants' academic and educational background, English language use, and experiences during the freshman year in college. High‐achieving Hispanic students, as represented by applicants to the program, resemble the white cohort of college‐bound students more than they do the Hispanic cohort in terms of socioeconomic background. They received a good academic preparation in high school, had high school GPAs and SAT scores substantially above the mean for either white or Hispanic SAT‐takers, and were well integrated into their high schools. These students attended selective four‐year colleges, where they lived on campus. A large portion majored in physical science and related areas. During their freshman year, although they found college somewhat more difficult than expected, the students encountered few problems, performed well academically, and were active in extracurricular activities. As a means of isolating factors associated with success in college, three outcome measures were selected to examine freshman‐year performance: academic performance as indicated by first‐year grades; social integration into the college as measured by the number of extracurricular activities during the freshman year; and adjustment to college life as indicated by responses to a question on problems of adjustment. Among the variables we examined, the best predictors of freshman grades were found to be high school GPA and SAT scores. A major in physical science, mathematics, or engineering was predictive of lower grades. Living on campus, number of activities in high school, being male, and living at a distance from the family home were the best predictors of the number of activities in which a student participated in college. High levels of English proficiency and father's education predicted fewer problems in adjustment, while greater distance from home was predictive of more problems. Implications of the findings are discussed, along with recommendations for program modification and general suggestions for further research.