Upward Bound Students Compared to Other College-Bound Students: Profiles of Nonacademic Characteristics and Academic Achievement

Profiles of 2,538 Upward Bound (UB) students who completed the ACT college admissions test in 1998 were compared to those of 997,069 non-UB students in the ACT-tested 1998 high school graduating class. Demographic and achievement variables compared were: gender; race/ethnicity; family income; ACT Composite scores; and years of English, mathematics, social studies, science, and foreign language courses taken. Although issues related to causality were beyond the study's scope, several patterns of similarities and differences emerged from these comparisons. On average, educational aspirations of UB students were as high as those of non-UB students; however, UB participants may have gained better understandings of available college support options, as evidenced by their greater willingness to seek formal assistance in key skill areas.