How colleges can help more students thrive
This post was written with college admission leaders in mind. Here is a post written for high school educators.
At most colleges and universities, the admission office serves a multifaceted role. It not only represents the “face” of the university to prospective students and families, it also determines the characteristics, qualities, and skills of the student body. While admission offices often want to bring unique and diverse perspectives to campus, they are also looking to admit students who are going to thrive within the institution, graduate on time, and be meaningful members of the alumni community.
Easier said than done. Student needs and expectations have changed dramatically over the years, matching the heightened cost of attendance. Mental health support, learning accommodations, and even free-speech policies are increasingly salient to students’ calculus on where to attend. While students may need to impress institutions in their application, admission offices are well aware that they, too, need to win over the hearts and minds of their applicants. As we enter the beginnings of the “demographic cliff” (the forecasted decline in traditional college-aged students as a result of lower birth rates during the Great Recession), colleges will be competing among a smaller pool of students to fill the same amount of seats. The pressure is high.
What’s a Thrivers Study, and How Can it Help?
The Thrivers Study, a tool developed by Kristína Moss G. Gunnarsdóttir and Making Caring Common, is uniquely positioned to support universities in articulating the qualities and characteristics of their students most likely to thrive. The Thrivers Study offers a scaffolded protocol that brings together interdepartmental campus leaders to explore what it means to be “thriving” at an institution, who the students are that are currently thriving, and how do colleges can leverage this information to attract and support future thrivers.
Because these questions intersect with multiple aspects of the student experience, your Thrivers research team should be comprised of faculty and staff from across campus. Beyond admission, consider incorporating leaders from student life, academic advising, and even career services and alumni engagement to get a 360 degree view of student success. This may even be a unique opportunity to elevate some of your own student leaders to help spearhead the initiative.
“The Thrivers Study offers a scaffolded protocol that brings together interdepartmental campus leaders to explore what it means to be “thriving” at an institution, who the students are that are currently thriving, and how do colleges can leverage this information to attract and support future thrivers.”
After identifying your Thrivers Study Leadership team, it’s important to define what you consider to be the markers of a successful student. Is it a student who successfully graduates in four years? Is a thriving student one who participates in internships or study abroad? Defining these terms may allow you to understand the population you are attempting to study.
Once you have identified who your campus thrivers are, you’ll want to engage these students in interviews and surveys to understand which factors compelled them to your institution and, equally importantly, what conditions have allowed them to thrive. You may find that their decision to attend was swayed by a powerful campus visit or a unique academic program. It’s possible that your campus’ residential living communities contributed to them finding their stride and emerging as a campus thriver.
As an admissions office, you may find that grade inflation and test-optional policies have made it more difficult to predict which applicants are most likely to find academic success at your institution. Findings from the Thrivers Study may give your office evidence of the characteristics among students most likely to succeed. These might be students with a penchant for social justice or campus activism, or students who were drawn to the geographic context and location. It’s important to consider how your application process communicates these values to students as well as how your application readers are trained to identify these values in their review. Similarly, knowing the who’s and how’s behind your thriving students allows you to better showcase the unique qualities of your institution and identify prospective students who resonate with the student body.
“...by vocalizing what ‘thriving’ looks like, you can make sure that every office is contributing to that shared vision of success by providing students with equitable access to the skills, characteristics, and experiences that thrivers possess.”
However, the results from your Thrivers Study extend far beyond admission. If you find that your highest impact students all share a deep interest in applied research, consider the ways your majors accommodate this. Is a senior thesis required for all students? Would adding an independent research component to your curriculum allow you to pull in and retain top performing students? Do your internship opportunities reflect the current interests of your student populations? The Thrivers Study is a great way to assess whether the professional partnerships you currently offer are relevant for your campus community and to consider how you plan to keep your highest impact students engaged after graduation.
Students matriculating to any higher education institution will be met with a fair amount of challenge. Even thriving students will need support at varying times throughout their experience. However, by vocalizing what “thriving” looks like, you can make sure that every office is contributing to that shared vision of success by providing students with equitable access to the skills, characteristics, and experiences that thrivers possess. In better understanding your own student population, you can more authentically convey your institution’s priorities for prospective students and shape a class centered around shared values, objectives, and expectations.
The Thrivers Study allows school leaders to take an asset-based approach in identifying best practices for high-performing students and incorporating these practices to meet the needs of all students. It also allows diverse school stakeholders to grapple with important, challenging questions and differing opinions about what constitutes school success and to build shared understanding through student voice and data. It empowers interdepartmental collaboration and leadership throughout the school, giving voice to educators, parents and students. Most importantly, though, it is meant to be customizable. Rather than a prescriptive application, the Thrivers Study can be customized to meet the needs of your school.
Posted by Julius DiLorenzo, College Admission Program Coordinator
