Parents and College

Paper Summary:

The paper explores to what extent parents impact their children's college academic performance. This paper asserts that parental support, both before and during college, is a strong determinant for a student's college success. The paper provides a literature review and concludes that parents have a strong influence on a student's performance in college. This is due to various reasons, the most important being the alignment of educational goals between parent and child. When the parents and their child agree regarding the importance of college, this alignment often trumps any obstacles raised by a parent's socioeconomic status or lack of college degree.

Outline:
Abstract
Review of Literature
Deciding to Go to College
Parental Influence on Quality of Education
The Road to College
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"A study conducted by Dayton (2005) showed that in addition to initiative and individual effort, students found that having supportive networks -- friends and families -- was vital in ensuring academic success. This study ties in with previous ones that saw a strong correlation between financial support and college success. Schneider and Stevenson (1999) found that parents could be effective agents of socialization, imparting to their children the standards and values they will need to be successful in college and beyond."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Astone, Nan Marie, Constance A. Nathanson, Robert Schoen and Young J. Kim. 1999. "Family Demography. Social Theory, and Investment in Social Capital." Population and Development Review 25:1-31.
• Ben-Porath, Yoram. 1980. "The F-connection: Families, Friends, and Firms and the Organization of Exchange." Population and Development Review 6:1-30.
• Dayton, Elizabeth. 2005. "Factors that influence adult success at community college." The Community College Enterprise. 11:1. Spring. 45-61.
• Ethington, C and J. Smart. 1986. "Persistence to Graduate Education." Research in Higher Education 24: 287 to 303.
• Goyette, K and A Mullen. 2002. "College for what? Social background and the choice and consequences of Liberal Arts and Pre-professional fields of study." Sociology of Education 72:22-36.

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