The Thrivers Study: A Tool for Understanding the Characteristics of Successful Students

This “how-to” document includes information about the benefits of conducting Thrivers research and concrete tips for colleges considering this work.

At its core, a Thrivers Study is a form of appreciative inquiry research, research designed to uncover what is working and why. In the admission context, this means studying which students are doing well, and understanding what characteristics those students have in common.

In this document you will learn what a Thrivers Study is, how it might look in practice, and why you might consider doing one at your institution. The resource is organized into two sections.

Part I:  briefly overviews the concept of a Thrivers Study and is designed to build a shared understanding among campus leadership.

Part II: dives deeply into implementation—what it might look like to actually get a Thrivers Study done.  

This resource is part of Character Assessment in College Admission Guide. Read more →

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What does the full Character Assessment in College Admission guide include?

• Character Assessment in College Admission Guide Overview

• Definitions of Key Character/Non-Cognitive Terms and Skills for Use in Admission

• The Thrivers Study: A Tool for Understanding the Characteristics of Successful Students

• Character Assessment Readiness: An Audit Tool for College Admission Offices

• Sharing Institutional Values: Examples from College Admission Websites

• Examples of Character-Focused Essay Questions in College Admission

• Examples of Language that Articulate the Importance of Family Responsibilities in College Admission

• Exploring Character through Recommendation Forms: New Ideas for College Admission Leaders

• Ideas Worth Testing: Innovation in Character Assessment In College Admission

• Examples of College Admission Character Assessment Tools

• Deans Commitment Letter

• Character Assessment in High Schools: Recommendations for the College Admission Process and Beyond (for high schools)

• Writing Character-Conscious Letters of Recommendation: Tips for High School Counselors and Teachers (for high schools)

We welcome feedback as you engage with this resource and in this meaningful work. If you develop additional tools or wisdom to share, we hope you will tell us, so that we can share widely and better guide others. Please email collegeadmissions@makingcaringcommon.org to connect with our team.