| Stefanie DeLuca
Johns Hopkins University
The decision not to attend college: School, work, and opportunities in the lives of contemporary high school graduates
Garnering attention within both academic and policy circles is the troubling trend of under prepared students entering college (Rosenbaum, 2001; Schneider and Stevenson, 1999). Termed the "college for all" ethos (Rosenbaum, 2001), the high social and economic value placed on postsecondary degrees along with the expansion of non selective schools has encouraged even poorly prepared students to attend college. Lacking the academic wherewithal, many of these students will eventually encounter standards they cannot meet, and consequently drop out without postsecondary credentials. It seems reasonable, particularly given the financial payoff associated with a bachelor's degree and an economy that increasingly values analytical skills, that contemporary youth at least give college a try. Many, however, do not enroll in college. Given both the economic incentives and the breadth of non selective postsecondary programs available to youth, we ask: why do some youth forgo college? Part of this answer might lie in the fact that there are jobs available for youth without a college degree, and the number of jobs in the employment sectors that do not require college is growing (Cohen and Besharov, 2004). Do youth recognize these opportunities and make apparently "rational" decisions about whether to attend college? This project will examine the motivation underlying this decision using data from a recent cohort of high school graduates and a framework that situates youth within their educational careers and changing economic contexts.
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