Top Student, Top School?: How Social Class Shapes Where Valedictorians Go to College

by Alexandria Walton Radford

Most of us think that valedictorians can write their own ticket. By reaching the top of their class they have proven their merit, so their next logical step should be to attend the nation’s very best universities. Yet in Top Student, Top School?, Alexandria Walton Radford, of American Institutes for Research, reveals that many valedictorians do not enroll in prestigious institutions. Employing an original five-state study that surveyed nine hundred public high school valedictorians, she sets out to determine when and why valedictorians end up at less selective schools, showing that social class makes all the difference. Radford traces valedictorians’ paths to college and presents damning evidence that high schools do not provide sufficient guidance on crucial factors affecting college selection, such as reputation, financial aid, and even the application process itself. Left in a bewildering environment of seemingly similar options, many students depend on their parents for assistance—and this allows social class to rear its head and have a profound impact on where students attend. Simply put, parents from less affluent backgrounds are far less informed about differences in colleges’ quality, the college application process, and financial aid options, which significantly limits their child’s chances of attending a competitive school, even when their child has already managed to become valedictorian. Top Student, Top School? pinpoints an overlooked yet critical juncture in the education process, one that stands as a barrier to class mobility. By focusing solely on valedictorians, it shows that students’ paths diverge by social class even when they are similarly well-prepared academically, and this divergence is traceable to specific failures by society, failures that we can and should address.Watch an interview of Alexandria Walton Radford discussing her book  

Genres: Nonfiction

296 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm 99% sure this was a dissertation, as it certainly reads like one. Long on data and very dry review/reporting of statistics, but shorter on substantive analysis that sheds new light on the broader concerns of college access and influence of socio-economic status on college enrollment. Decent starter for those not familiar with college access work, but for those of us in the profession, it didn't offer much beyond data on student behavior that confirms what we see in our yearly cycles.

[Mckinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting description of survey results about attending higher education by high school valedictorians. There are differences for low, middle and high socioeconomic students. Bright kids aren't getting the counseling they need. Applications decisions lead to the actual end destinations - "if you don't apply, you can't attend." So while admissions gets a lot of attention other factors are more important.
The majority of US colleges accept 80% or more of their applicant pool, only the top 150 institutions have acceptance rates low than 50%. That means 2/3 to 9/10 of students get their 1st choice. Note: students self-select where to apply.
Other factors influencing enrollment choice: academic preparation, family finances/paying, and information contraints. In this study low and high ses went to most-selective instutions while middle ses selected less selective places.
Exploration stage was key in final distination while financial packages during matriculation stage made less differnce. Thus family knowledge, related to social class, is important. On-campus visits very important in decision.
Suggestions - better publicize need-based finanical aid, encourage to consider net rather than sticker price, facilitate college comparisions based on quality and cost, quality college counseling, and improved college outreach to less-affluent.