A First Look at First-Gen: Characteristics of First-Generation Undergraduates at UW-Madison

1. WACRAO Annual Conference – November 2008 A First Look at First-Gen: Characteristics of First-Generation Undergraduates at UW-Madison Clare Huhn Policy and Planning Analyst, UW-Madison

2. Transition to College The likelihood of going to college is related to the level of parental educational

3. State Context Wisconsin has a below-average proportion of adults with bachelors degrees

4. National Studies First-generation students are different in many respects from their peers whose parents have college degrees • Three large national studies: • Straight from the Source: What Works for First-Generation College Students • The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education, December 2006 • First-Generation Students in Postsecondary Education: A Look at their College Transcripts • National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Education, 2005 (pub. 171) • Students whose Parents did not Go to College: Postsecondary Access, Persistence, and Attainment (Findings from the Condition of Education – 2001) • National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 2001 (pub. 126)

5. Framework • Equity • Economic Development • Student Services • Communication

6. National Studies First-generation students are different in many respects from their peers whose parents have college degrees • Compared to other students, first-generation students are more likely to: • Be academically under-prepared for college • Start college at a two-year institution • Be female • Be older • Be a racial/ethnic minority • Come from a low-income family • Work while in college • Attend college part-time • Delay choosing a major • Major in a non-technical field • Drop and repeat courses more frequently • Have lower college GPAs • Drop out and stop out more frequently • Not graduate

7. New UW-Madison Students 21% of new freshmen and 33% of new transfers

8. Race/Ethnicity Asians are the most and least likely to be first-generation students

9. Gender First-generation students are slightly more likely to be female.

10. Age First-generation transfer students are older than other transfer students.

11. State Residency First-generation students are more likely to be from Wisconsin.

12. WI Geographic Distribution First-generation students come from all over Wisconsin.

13. WI Geographic Distribution First-generation students are more likely to come from rural high schools.

14. Transfer Sending Institutions First-generation transfer students are more likely to transfer from two-year institutions.

15. Socioeconomic Indicators First-generation students are more likely to come from lower income families.

16. Academic Preparation First-generation students take fewer AP tests.

17. UW-Madison vs. National Studies First-generation students at UW-Madison are similar in many respects to first-generation students nationally, but also different in other ways. • Compared to other students, first-generation students are more likely to: • Be academically under-prepared for college • Start college at a two-year institution -  • Be female -  • Be older -  (transfer starts) • Be a racial/ethnic minority -  • Come from a low-income family -  • Work while in college -  • Attend college part-time • Delay choosing a major • Major in a non-technical field • Drop and repeat courses more frequently - ? • Have lower college GPAs - ? • Drop out and stop out more frequently - ? • Not graduate - ?

18. Next Steps • Outcomes • Recruiting/college selection • Context in Wisconsin • Math • Integration into standard reports

19. WACRAO Annual Conference – November 2008 Thank you! For more information, see www.apa.wisc.edu or email chuhn@vc.wisc.edu Clare Huhn Policy and Planning Analyst, UW-Madison