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A semester late: a phenomenological study examining the experiences of spring admits in higher education

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A semester late: a phenomenological study examining the experiences of spring admits in higher education

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Content Running Head: EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS
1

A SEMESTER LATE: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY EXAMINING THE
EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

by
Chrissy Roth-Francis

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

December 2013

Copyright 2013 Chrissy Roth-Francis

EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS

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Dedication
This study is dedicated to my husband, William Francis, who has encouraged me and
served as the ultimate supporter throughout the doctoral program and the writing of this
dissertation. As a man who did not have the opportunity to enroll in higher education until much
later in life, he has inspired me to create access and opportunities for those who are
underprivileged, and to fight for equity for all. Thank you, William, for your patience, love, and
support over the years. I could not and would not have done this without you.

EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS

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Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I must thank the spring admits of Western University for sharing their
stories with me. The 18 informants opened their hearts to me and allowed me to view their
experiences through their eyes and walking in their shoes. Their stories were uplifting and
heartbreaking at the same time. They were honest in their emotions and experiences, curious
about the experiences of other spring admits and the purpose of the study, and through the telling
of their stories, they were dedicated to creating change for future spring admits. In addition to
the informants, I want to thank the 294 other spring admits who also completed the survey and
the nine spring admits who participated in the Spring Welcome observation. All these students
provided additional and essential context to the overall spring admit experience and helped
complete the study. Also, thank you to all the Western University administrators who granted
access to me for the reports and publications that were used in the document analysis.
Secondly, I give my utmost gratitude to my dissertation committee. Dr. Tracy
Tambascia, the chair, was integral throughout the entire process. Tracy- thank you for helping
me refine the topic, understand the benefits of spring admission, and keep the study focused. It
has been a pleasure working with you over the years, not only on this dissertation, but also as a
colleague. Additionally, Dr. Michael Jackson and Dr. Brian Harke served as important
committee members who pushed me beyond where I ever thought I would go with this study.
Thank you to the two of you for giving me honest, critical feedback, thinking outside the box,
and helping me make this study applicable and relevant.
I also want to acknowledge all the staff, students, and colleagues I have worked with over
the years. Thank you for all the productive, challenging, and amazing years working hand in
hand with all of you. The work you do is second to none, and I am thankful for all you have
EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS

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taught me. I look to you to continue to promote a positive experience for all students, including
the spring admit population. I would like to especially thank colleagues and classmates Sarah
Holdren and Janet Vera for their assistance and advice during various stages of this study.
Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not express my sincere gratitude to my family and close
friends. Thank you for all your love and support during the past few years as I focused on this
degree. Thanks for your patience, encouragement, and acceptance during this busy time in my
life, and I could not have completed this study without you.

EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS

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Table of Contents
List of Tables 7
List of Figures 8
Abstract 9
Chapter 1: Overview 10
Statement of the Problem 11
Purpose and Significance of Study 12
Research Questions 13
Definitions 13
Minority Construct 14
First-Year Experience 15
Theoretical Frameworks 16
Limitations 18
Conclusion 19
Chapter 2: Review of Literature 21
Introduction 21
Purpose of Study 22
Spring Admission Policy 23
Academic Calendar 27
Minority Construct 29
First-Year Experience 30
Theoretical Frameworks 35
Social Experiences and Engagement 45
Locus of Control 49
Self-Efficacy 51
Similarities to Transfer Students 53
Conclusion 56
Chapter 3: Methodology 58
Purpose 58
Research Questions 58
Phenomenology 59
Overview of Methodology 59
Sample and Population 62
Instrumentation and Tools 63
Data Collection 65
Data Analysis 67
Conclusion 68
Chapter 4: Informant Profiles 70
Conclusion 102
Chapter 5: Findings 104
Themes 104
Student Reactions 104
Myths of Spring Admission 107
Expectations of Being a Spring Admit 112
Fall Semester Activities 114
Housing Arrangements 121
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Social life 130
Involvement 138
Perceived Differences Between Fall and Spring Admits 143
The Impact on Students’ Self-Efficacy 148
Student Services 152
Academic Performance 156
Conclusion 164
Chapter 6: Discussion and Conclusion 167
Research Questions 167
Implications 169
Future Research 180
Conclusion 182
References 184
Appendix A: Survey Invitation 193
Appendix B: Online Survey 194
Appendix C: Interview Questions 199
Appendix D: Information Sheet 201

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List of Tables
Table 1: Informant Demographics 70
Table 2: Social Satisfaction During First Semester as Ranked in Survey 131
Table 3: First Semester Friends as Indicated in Survey 131
Table 4: GPA Comparison of Fall and Spring Admits 162
Table 5: Retention Comparison of Fall and Spring Admits 162
Table 6: Graduation and Cumulative GPA Comparison of Fall and Spring Admits 163

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List of Figures
Figure 1: Coping Resources: The 4 S’s 37
Figure 2: Bronfenbrenner's Levels of Context 39
Figure 3: Seidman Retention Formula 44

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Abstract
More than 25% of new college students begin their higher education careers outside of
the traditional fall start date (National Student Clearinghouse, 2012). This study examines the
social, personal, and academic experiences of spring admits at a large, private research institution
in the western United States. In this study, a spring admit is defined as a first-year student who
applied to a four-year institution, and was admitted for and enrolled in the spring semester.
Using a phenomenological framework and mixed methodology, the study was based on the
stories of 18 spring admits at Western University (pseudonym). Additional data were collected
using an online survey of 312 respondents, an observation, document analysis, report from the
registrar, and member checking. The findings of this study indicate the greatest struggles for
spring admits were in making friends, getting involved in the campus community, and in their
housing assignment. Additionally, according to a report from the registrar, spring admits
attained lower GPAs and retention rates compared to their fall counterparts. Implications from
this study include offering increased social support for spring admits, creating more involvement
opportunities, implementing improved housing arrangements, providing a streamlined academic
experience, and a conducting a thorough assessment of how spring admits fit within the
university’s mission, infrastructure, and communications.

EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS

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Chapter 1: Overview
Each fall marks a new year for colleges and universities across the United States. It is a
fresh start for everyone. Staff and faculty are ready to welcome countless new and returning
students to their institutions. Students and parents anxiously anticipate the start of a new school
year and wonder what the year will have in store for the students. Finally, many students who
graduated from high school three months prior have even more excitement and anxiety as they
prepare to leave for college for the first time.
However, not all incoming college students celebrate the “off to college” season during
the fall. Some students must wait until January to begin college as a result of being accepted by
the institution for the spring semester. Each year, admissions officers face the daunting task of
selecting the most qualified, hardworking students who will make a positive impact on their
schools and take advantage of all they have to offer. Additionally, they face the important duty
of accepting students who will eventually pay the tuition and fees that sustain institutions. While
endowments, federal grants, and state taxes subsidize institutional budgets, student tuition and
fees are the consistent source of funding for colleges and universities (Seidman, 2012). This
pressure drives colleges and universities to create policies, processes, and procedures that will
enable them to manage a consistent number of enrolled students to maximize tuition funding
from students.
One such process is the admission of new students for the spring semester. Each fall,
high school seniors apply to attend colleges and universities for the following fall. However,
some institutions choose to admit some of these students for the spring semester instead. This
type of admission allows the institution to admit more students annually and remain near or at
EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS

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full capacity throughout the entire year. Both of which provide the institution with additional
necessary income from the tuition and fees of the new students.
Statement of the Problem
Approximately 1.54 million first-year students began college at four-year institutions in
the fall of 2009 (U.S. Department of Education, 2009). Colleges and universities put much effort
into sufficiently welcoming the new students to the school and promoting their academic and
social success immediately through comprehensive services, programming, and events. Every
January, another group of first-year students begin their college careers at four-year institutions.
These students, called spring admits in this study, were admitted to the institution for the spring
semester instead of the fall semester. Since some students leave or graduate after the fall
semester, schools admit students for the spring semester to ensure the school is filled to capacity
throughout the year, and thereby is receiving the maximum amount of student tuition dollars
each semester. The spring admission strategy allows the institution to maintain consistent
student enrollment despite their inability to admit these students for the fall semester.
Students who are admitted for the spring semester are thrust into an uncertain position for
a number of reasons. Spring admits encounter different circumstances and may have different
challenges than those who enroll in the fall. Practitioners, researchers, and policymakers should
seek to understand those differences. The school year is halfway through, the residence hall
culture and social circles may already be established, and co-curricular activities are well
underway. Social, involvement, and academic differences may influence the collegiate
experiences of spring admits in positive and/or negative ways.

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Purpose and Significance of Study
Much research has been conducted to examine the experiences of first-year college
students (Baker & Pomerantz, 2000; Tinto, 1988; Upcraft, Gardner, & Barefoot, 2005; Zhao &
Kuh, 2004) as well as transfer students (Duggan & Pickering, 2007; Hoyt & Winn, 2004;
Ishitani, 2006; Townsend & Wilson, 2006). What remains to be examined, however, are the
experiences of spring admits, or students who start college a semester after their peers. In an
effort to begin the conversation about spring admits, their challenges, and special needs, this
study will focus on understanding how spring admits experience college life at Western
University (pseudonym), an institution where the vast majority of students begins school during
the fall semester.
This study focused on a population that receives little attention from academic scholars
and student affairs practitioners. National organizations, such as the National Center for
Education Statistics, only request and maintain higher education enrollment data about students
who begin college during the fall semester. The National Student Clearinghouse is seemingly
the only organization that tracks such data, which is derived from 3,300 participating
postsecondary institutions. According to the National Student Clearinghouse (2012), more than
25% of all new college students across the nation begin outside of the traditional fall term.
Lastly, even with a thorough review of books, journals, and other references, one will not be able
to find ample data, theories, or narratives about spring admits. Until now, the spring admit
population has never been put under the microscope of scholarly research.
Using a phenomenological framework for the study, I conducted individual interviews
with 18 spring admits to gain an in-depth understanding of their experiences. A mixed-methods
approach was used with a heavy emphasis on the qualitative methods. In addition to the in-
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person interviews, the qualitative portion included document analyses and observation. The
quantitative portion of the study consisted of an online survey sent to a large sampling of spring
admits. Lastly, an institutional report from the registrar’s office helped complete the picture with
data on the academic trends of the spring admit population at Western University, a large, private
research university where the majority of students has a traditional start date in the fall.
The findings of this study provide foundational information about the spring admit
population, which can be utilized in various levels and functions of higher education.
Policymakers can use the findings to help assess the value of the spring admission policy.
Practitioners will better understand the experiences of spring admits so they can create programs
and services to help students in their adjustment and success in college. Lastly, researchers can
use this study as a springboard for future studies about the spring admit population.
Research Questions
This study sought to understand factors that affect the success of spring admits in their
social and academic lives. The following research questions provided the framework for the
study:
1. What are the social, personal, and academic experiences of spring admits?
2. How do spring admits integrate into the campus community?
3. What student services do spring admits look for or utilize?
Definitions
The following are terms and definitions that are used throughout the study:
• Spring admission is a practice utilized by colleges and universities to maintain
maximum enrollment during the spring semester by counteracting the departure
of other students at the end of the fall semester. Admission officers admit
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students for the spring semester instead of accepting them for the fall semester.
Some institutions allow students to choose this option during the application
process, while others assign students to this status.
• Spring admit is a first-year student who applied to a four-year institution, and
was admitted for and enrolled in the spring semester.
• Fall admit is a first-year student who applied to a four-year institution, and was
admitted for and enrolled in the fall semester.
• Retention is an institutional measure of the institution’s ability to keep students
successfully enrolled from admission until graduation (Seidman, 2012). It is
often measured in the context of semester-to-semester or year-to-year enrollment.
• Persistence is a student measure for the student’s desire and action to remain
enrolled in college from the beginning through graduation (Seidman, 2012).
• Student Success is engagement in activities that are educationally purposeful,
self-reported increases in a number of desired outcomes, and overall satisfaction
with the collegiate experience (Zhao & Kuh, 2004).
The Minority Construct
Students enter college with a variety of characteristics that make them unique as well as
help them find common ground with other students. High school GPA, standardized test scores,
and graduation rank are all academic constructs incoming first-year students bring to college.
Institutions further categorize their students by residence hall assignments, special academic
programs, scholarship recipients, first-generation college students, underrepresented student
groups, etc. These categories or constructs can be helpful or harmful, based on the reason and
the way in which the student accepts the new identity.
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Admitting students for the spring semester is one more example of an institutionally
imposed construct. This form of identity automatically makes the student a minority on the
campus with the overwhelming majority of students beginning their college careers in the fall.
This study examined how being labeled as a spring admit may affect a student’s identity, self-
efficacy, and transition to college.
The First-Year Experience
In order to understand the experience of spring admits, it is imperative to understand the
role of student services for new students. This section will outline key resources traditionally
offered to new college students during their first year. While it is not within the scope of the
study to measure how many schools offer such services for spring admits, the study did
investigate which services would be beneficial for spring admits.
New Student Orientation
New student orientation is a vehicle for most colleges and universities to officially greet
their new students and help them continue their transition to college life. The goal of orientation
is to show students a holistic view of the collegiate experience, including academic life, culture,
traditions, and the surrounding community (Ward-Roof, 2010). Specifically, orientations
typically consist of introducing academic procedures and expectations, offering social
programming, and teaching students to navigate the campus.
First-Year Seminars
In an effort to continue to improve students’ transitions to college, many institutions offer
first-year seminars, or extended orientations, for their new students during their first semester.
First-year seminars are intended to continue the students’ growth on the campus through
fostering their understanding of the school, improving their academic interest, and enabling
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social integration (Upcraft et al., 2005). Seminars are taught by faculty, administrators, and peer
leaders, and can cover a variety of topics, including institutional resources, study skills, and
academic planning or advising (Ward-Roof, 2010).
Learning Communities
Higher education institutions offer learning communities to increase student retention and
success because they enrich and strengthen the connections between students, with their
professors, and with the subject matter (Upcraft et al., 2005). Learning communities are clusters
of related courses that link students together through block scheduling or co-registration. Some
institutions form clusters of two courses and others may link the entire first-semester curriculum
(Tinto, 2003). Learning communities are valuable tools for institutions and students.
Theoretical Frameworks
Knowledge of a variety of theories is necessary in order to understand the challenges,
experiences, and felt needs of the spring admit population. From transitioning to college, to
taking advantage of support services, to getting comfortable in one’s own environment, new
students require a lot of help when beginning college. Furthermore, support and assistance must
be maintained in order for institutions to get students involved into the campus community and
retain them until graduation (Seidman, 2012). The following are theoretical frameworks to guide
this discussion about spring admits, and they will be described further in the following chapter.
Transition Theory
Schlossberg’s Transition Theory (Goodman, Schlossberg, & Anderson, 2006) helps
higher education practitioners understand the issues college students may face when coming to
college and the different ways they may cope with the transition. The authors named three
different types of transitions: anticipated transitions, unanticipated transitions, and nonevents,
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which were supposed to occur but never did. Beginning college is considered an anticipated
transition. Additionally, there are four categories of factors that affect a person’s ability to
handle the transition well: situation, self, support, and strategies.
Human Ecology
Human Ecology Theory focuses on the student’s adaptation for survival in college
through man-made, social-cultural, and natural environmental ecosystems (Evans, Forney,
Guido, Patton, & Renn, 2010). Bronfenbrenner (2005) helps us examine how a student’s
development is influenced by four components: process, person, context, and time. To organize
the complexities and intricacies of a person’s contexts, Bronfenbrenner developed four levels of
context that surround the individual: the microsystem, or a pattern of relationships and activities;
the mesosystem, the links between and interactions amongst microsystems; the exosystem,
influences on the person’s environment; and the macrosystem, overarching cultural or structural
patterns (Evans et al., 2010). The four levels of contexts or systems are constantly interacting
with each other and with the individual. Such systems affect spring admits’ ability to flourish in
their new environment. Being a spring admit is an example of a student’s macrosystem, since it
is a structural construct that has the ability to influences the student’s entire collegiate
experience.
Retention and Persistence
Understanding how students are retained is important for every institution, and Tinto’s
Theory of Student Departure helps practitioners grasp the motives, pressures, and challenges of
retaining college students. According to Tinto (1998), there are three stages of passage for
college students’ quest toward graduation: separation, transition, and incorporation (also
described as integration). During these stages, students may fail to cope with the separation from
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their friends and family and/or may encounter difficulty integrating into the new community. As
a result, some students might choose to depart or leave the institution.
Involvement Theory
Alexander Astin (1999) developed an involvement theory that sought to understand the
behavioral aspects of student involvement in college. According to the theory, involvement is
about the investment of psychological and physical energy into a given object, such as a
leadership position or working on a group project. The quantity and quality of involvement in a
given program is directly proportional to the amount of learning and development that will take
place for the student (Astin, 1999).
No theories or frameworks exist to help us specifically understand the experiences,
environment, or development of spring admits. However, we can extrapolate from the
aforementioned theories to deduce what spring admits may experience in their college careers,
specifically during their first year. Schlossberg’s Transition Theory puts in context the various
ways a student may transition to college. Human Ecology Theory gives us a better perspective
of the challenges spring admits may face when navigating a new environment. Lastly, Tinto’s
Theory of Student Departure and Astin’s Involvement Theory demonstrate the importance of
student integration and involvement as strategies the institution may use to retain the student.
Limitations
There are inherent limitations in researching a topic or population that has never been
studied. As previously discussed, there is a plethora of information about first-year students,
transfer students, and their transitions to colleges and universities. However, there is no specific
research on the spring admit population. Instead of referring to studies about this specific
student population, this dissertation refers to studies about first-year students (presumably who
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begin college during the fall semester) and transfer students, and makes inferences about possible
connections between spring admits and these two populations. Since the phenomenon is not
widespread and only exists at schools that employ a spring admission policy or strategy, there is
no strong national dialogue about what to do with these students before or after they arrive at
college in the spring. Each school may treat the admission policy and spring admits differently
(Foderaro, 2011), and in turn, spring admits may experience college life in different ways based
on their school. This study only investigates the experiences of spring admit students at Western
University. While some of the findings may be applicable to other institutions, practitioners and
researchers should be careful to not assume the findings would be the same at other campuses.
Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to understand the social, personal, and academic
experiences of spring admits. Since there is no existing published research about this specific
population, this study drew relationships to various aspects of the collegiate experience, such as
the first-year experience and transfer student experience. It also utilized theoretical frameworks
of transition, human ecology, retention, and involvement as backdrops to understanding the
experiences of spring admits. Using a phenomenological framework, the study was based on the
experiences of 18 spring admits at Western University. The data were triangulated using an
online survey, an observation, document analysis, report from the registrar, and member
checking. The results of this study should encourage other researchers to study the spring admit
population in order to expand our knowledge of their experiences. In turn, practitioners will be
able to provide tailored services to this student population to ensure their collegiate success.
Chapter two reviews current literature that will shape our understanding of the spring
admit population. The chapter gives context to the situation, including an introduction to the
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spring admission policy and the impact of the academic calendar. Elements of the first-year
experience are discussed, such as traditional transitional programs offered by higher education
institutions in the United States. The chapter expands on the theoretical frameworks that will
give context to the spring admit experience, including transition theory, human ecology,
retention and persistence, and involvement. Various aspects of the social experience and co-
curricular involvement are reviewed to understand social and involvement opportunities for
spring admits. The literature review also examines how a student’s locus of control and self-
esteem can contribute to his or her adjustment to college and academic achievement. Lastly, a
comparison of the transfer student experience will help illuminate common variables to the
spring admit experience.
Chapter three outlines the phenomenological approach, mixed-methods research
methodology, and process for data collection of this study. It gives a thorough description of the
interview protocol, data analysis procedures, and triangulation methods. Chapter four provides
an overview of the 18 informants and profiles of each of their experiences, specifically during
their first semester. Chapter five describes all the data according to the 11 themes that emerged
from the interviews. The data presented in this chapter is derived from the interviews, survey,
observation, registrar’s report, and document analysis. Chapter six provides practical
implications that can assist practitioners, policymakers, and researchers in the improvement of
the experiences of spring admits. The chapter includes suggestions from Western University
spring admits as well as examples of current practices across the country.
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Chapter 2: Review of the Literature
Introduction
It is mid-August at Western University, a large, private research institution in the western
United States. Fall classes begin the following week. Today, 3,000 new first-year students are
arriving at the residential campus for move-in day. Cars, minivans, and SUVs are pulling onto
campus packed with clothing, bedding, and more importantly, excited, yet nervous students and
family members. They are greeted by volunteers eager to help them move in to their residences.
The campus is adorned in green and white balloons, welcome banners, and information tents.
Aside from football game tailgates and commencement, the campus has never looked so spirited
and blanketed in school colors. The proverbial red carpet has been rolled out.
The following week will be filled with exciting social events, meetings with academic
departments, and facilitated activities aimed to get students comfortable in their residence halls.
After this week of welcome activities, the students will be ready to begin their college classes.
They will have made some new friends, explored the campus, eaten in the dining halls, and
begun the process of getting to know their new roommate.
Fast-forward five months. It is January. School is out of session and most of the campus
is still in the midst of winter break. About 350 new students are arriving at the campus for move-
in day. They are moving into pre-decorated, occupied residence hall rooms. They will meet their
roommate in a few days when he or she returns from break. The new students are excited and
very nervous about beginning their college careers. The campus looks different than it did in
August. There is no welcoming committee, no volunteers to help them move in, no green and
white balloons, no welcome banners, and no information tents. There is no red carpet for these
students; the school’s spring admits.
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Although these students learned of their admission to Western University in March of
their senior year in high school, they were told they would have to wait until the following spring
semester to begin their college career at WU. Most spent the fall taking classes at community
colleges in hopes of transferring academic credits over to the university. Other students
traveled, worked, or simply enjoyed the time off from school. With more than six months to
prepare to arrive at WU since high school graduation, they still do not know what to expect. The
school year is halfway complete, the residence hall culture and social circles are already set,
and co-curricular activities are well underway.
How will the college careers of these spring admits look? How will their academic and
social lives be affected by beginning college a semester behind all the other students? This
literature review describes relevant theoretical frameworks, the traditional first-year experience,
the spring admission policy, as well as the potential impact of starting college in the spring
semester.
Purpose of Study
Statement of the Problem
Approximately 1.54 million first-year students began college at four-year institutions in
the fall of 2009 (U.S. Department of Education, 2009). Institutions put much effort into
welcoming them to the school and promoting their academic and social success immediately
through formal programming, introduction of services, and a myriad of activities and events.
Every January, another group of first-year students begins college within a very different
context. They are entering college in the middle of the year. Social cliques have already been
formed, students have become accustomed to living in residence halls, and clubs and
organizations are in full swing. However, everything is brand new for the spring admits who
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may encounter different circumstances and have different challenges than those who enroll in the
fall. Practitioners and researchers must seek to understand those differences in order to cater to
this student population and to ensure their student success.
Purpose of Study
Although admitting students for the spring semester is not a new phenomenon, it is
becoming increasingly popular, especially among small liberal arts colleges (Meade, 2005).
More than 25% of new college students begin their higher education careers outside of the
traditional fall start date (National Student Clearinghouse, 2012). In an attempt to begin the
conversation about spring admits and their challenges and special needs, this study primarily
focused on discovering how spring admits at Western University experience college life. For the
purposes of this study, a spring admit is defined as a first-year student who applied to a four-year
institution and was admitted for and enrolled in the spring semester. This study took place at an
institution where the greater majority of students begins school during the fall semester. Western
University has accepted spring admits since the late 1990s.
This dissertation sought to understand factors that affect the success of spring admits in
their social and academic lives. The research questions are:
1. What are the social, personal, and academic experiences of spring admits?
2. How do spring admits integrate into the campus community?
3. What student services do spring admits look for or utilize?
Spring Admission Policy
Institutions of higher education that engage in the practice of admitting students for the
spring semester do so primarily to ensure the school is at full capacity year round. Enrollment
managers estimate the number of students who will graduate in December, leave the school, or
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study abroad. These estimates are used to calculate the number of students who will need to
begin school in the spring semester in order to fill the open spots in the classroom and in the
residence halls. Each student enrollment provides the institution with thousands of dollars in the
form of tuition, activities fees, housing, meal plans, and other expenses. During the past two
decades, colleges have become increasingly dependent on students’ tuition and fees in order to
operate (Seidman, 2012). In a difficult economy and competitive industry, colleges and
universities take advantage of every opportunity they can create to maintain financial
equilibrium. According to David Hawkins of the National Association for College Admission
Counseling, “Colleges are jockeying the margins to get more students. It’s all about creating an
edge in students’ minds and an awareness that the university presents an alternative to regular
admission” (Meade, 2005).
Most college applicants are unaware of this possibility when they apply, but the authors
of Admission Matters forewarn applicants and parents. In their book, Springer, Reider, and
Franck (2009) explain, “Inundated with more good applicants than they can accept, some
colleges have found a creative solution so they can admit a few more students each year” (p.
220).
A secondary reason some institutions utilize a spring admission system is to avoid putting
students on a waitlist. When a student is waitlisted, it typically means: 1) the student was
qualified, but the school does not have enough spots; 2) admissions is having difficulty denying a
student outright; or 3) the college may believe the student will be accepted elsewhere (Springer
et al., 2009). Although the spring admit will have to delay their entrance to college, they have a
guaranteed spot at the university. They will not have to hope for the chance of someday moving
off the waitlist and being admitted to the college.
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College Rankings
College rankings, such as U.S. News and World Report, are considered a “collateral
benefit” to the spring admission policy (Foderaro, 2011, para. 11) as it helps colleges increase
their rankings. Institutional data is measured with the attributes of only the fall cohort. With the
exclusion of a portion of its entering class for the entire academic year, the institution’s reported
standardized tests scores, retention rates, and selectivity can be a bit misleading. Some
institutions admit students with the top admissions scores for the fall semester and admit students
with lower scores for the spring semester (Seidman, 2012). Since college rankings are partially
based on the ACT/SAT scores and GPAs of students entering the institution during the fall
semester, the scores and grades of spring admits, which may be lower than their fall counterparts,
are not reported by colleges nor included in college rankings (Foderaro, 2011). Institutional
retention rates of fall students are included in college ranking, but those of spring admits are not
included. Fall students admitted with higher scores are more likely to be retained than the spring
students with lower scores, thus giving institutions that use a spring admission policy one
additional advantage in rankings by having an incomplete student retention rate (Seidman, 2012).
On the contrary, institutions that only have students begin school in the fall semester are forced
to include data from all new students. Lastly, deferring a student’s admission to the second
semester lowers the institution’s fall admission rate, making the college appear more selective
(Foderaro, 2011). These collateral benefits may contribute to giving the institution a small, but
competitive edge in collegiate rankings.
Benefits for Students
Although there are potential challenges for students and institutions when admitting
students for the spring semester, there are also benefits associated with this admission policy.
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Admitting students for the spring increases access to higher education for those students. There
may not have been enough spots for the fall semester, but the spring admission policy gives
students another opportunity to still fulfill their educational dreams. Beginning school in January
can give the high school graduate four extra months to spend at their discretion before enduring
the rigor of college life. The incoming college student can get a job, travel, volunteer in their
community, or enjoy an extended break after high school. Students can also choose to be
academically productive during that time by taking classes at a local community college or four-
year college and eventually transferring in the units. This allows them to enter in January with a
completed semester and will not push back their graduation. Additionally, it allows them to save
money by taking community college courses instead of paying the going rate of tuition at their
four-year institution.
Gap Year
Incoming students who choose not to enroll in classes during the fall semester may opt
for exploration and service during the extended break. Taking a “gap year” is a growing trend in
the United States for students before they begin their college careers (Hulstrand, 2010). The gap
year is an opportunity for students to “gain confidence, a clearer direction, and invaluable life
experience” through cultural immersion, exploration of interests, or volunteer work (Hulstrand,
2010, p. 50). Students have the option to move overseas, explore a new location in the United
States, learn another language, or work in a variety of fields. Although gap year participants take
a break from formal and structured education, they continue to learn and challenge themselves
through various activities (White, 2009).
American universities are increasingly becoming proponents of the gap year. Many
schools, including Harvard University, formally or informally urge admitted students to take a
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gap year before enrolling at the institution (White, 2009). Princeton University recently started
its own program so admitted students can spend nine months at one of the university’s four
international locations in order to gain an international perspective, personal growth, intercultural
skills, and a deep appreciation for service (Princeton University, 2012).
White (2009) acknowledges the circumstance of spring admits in her book, Complete
Guide to the Gap Year: The Best Thing to Do Between High School and College. She explains,
“you may be surprised in April of your senior year, when a letter arrives from a college saying
you have been admitted, but also an announcement requiring a gap year or gap semester in order
for you to attend” (White, 2009, p. 25). Although not all schools may refer to the topic in the
admission letter as a “gap semester,” colleges do urge students to make the most of the
prescribed semester off. Proponents of the gap year believe there is much to be learned during
the experience.
The Academic Calendar
The academic calendar and institution type influence the frequency of start times for new
students. Traditional four-year colleges and universities usually adhere to a quarter or semester
system and welcome most new students in the fall. However, vocational schools, community
colleges, and for-profit institutions frequently offer multiple start dates to allow greater access
for new students. Institutions that enroll new students throughout the year are accustomed to
welcoming those students equitably, since there is no real start to the academic year and no
major welcome events. Each new term brings a new group of students; therefore students
typically do not feel any sense of disadvantage for starting in a term other than the fall.
The academic calendar also plays an indirect role in student success through the tradition
of summer vacation. Summer vacation serves as a long-awaited break for students and teachers
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in the K-12 system of education in the United States. However, there is growing concern about
the impact of summer vacation on students’ academic achievement, especially among low-
income students (Kneese & Ballinger, 2009). Such students lose “significant academic ground”
during the summer while their higher-income classmates are more likely to attend summer
camps, read, and maintain their academic standing (Kneese & Ballinger, 2009, p. 4). A meta-
analysis of 39 studies about the effects of summer vacation revealed many ways students are
negatively impacted by the break (Cooper, Nye, Charlton, Lindsay, & Greathouse, 1996). Over
the course of the summer, students lost about one month of knowledge on a grade-level
equivalent scale. Students lost the most skills in math computation and spelling. Additionally,
middle-class kids were able to make gains on reading recognition tests during the summer while
lower-class kids experienced losses on those tests. Lastly, the negative effects of summer break
increased with every grade level (Cooper et al., 1996). The researchers propose varying levels of
access to summer opportunities and income differences as reasons for the discrepancies among
students of varying socioeconomic statuses (Cooper et al., 1996). Learning decay over the
summer has led school districts to offer summer school and modify their academic calendars to
shorten the summer break. In the 2004-2005 school year, 3.5% of schools in the United States
operated on a modified calendar with the summer break no longer than eight weeks (Ballinger &
Kneese, 2006).
Despite the research about the effects of summer vacation on students in elementary and
secondary school, there is no similar research about college students. If the long summer break
can hinder a child’s academic achievement, can the same be said about that of incoming or
continuing college students? Furthermore, if a three-month break can be harmful to an incoming
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college student’s intellect, what are the effects of a six-month break that is experienced by
incoming college students who are admitted for the spring semester?
The Minority Construct
Students enter college with many characteristics that are cherished, celebrated, and may
even set them apart from others. High school GPA, standardized test scores, and graduation rank
are all academic constructs incoming first-year students bring to college. While institutions of
higher education accept and often boast about the various constructs of their incoming class, they
also put a few new constructs onto their students. Residence hall assignments, being placed into
a special academic program, or receiving a scholarship are constructs created by the institution.
These constructs can be helpful or harmful, based on the reason and the way in which the student
accepts the new identifier.
Admitting students for the spring semester is another example of an institutionally
imposed construct. This form of identity automatically makes the student a minority on the
campus with the overwhelming majority of students beginning their college careers in the fall.
Practitioners should consider how this construct affects spring admits. Are they seen as outcasts
on campus? Are they able to integrate into the campus community? Lastly, does being labeled
as a spring admit affect the student’s self-efficacy or self-esteem?
Tinto (1998) warns “institutional policies must be particularly sensitive to the separation
and transitional difficulties new students face in attempting to make the ‘jump’ to college” (p.
451). This study examined how the spring admission policy impacts the transition of students as
they make that “jump to college” during the spring semester.

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The First-Year Experience
Higher education in the United States began with Harvard College in 1636, and it was not
until 1888 that the first new student orientation took place at Boston University (Packwood,
1997). The concept of orientation continued to evolve and in 1923, the University of Maine
created the nation’s first freshman week, designed to give new students additional time to get
acquainted to the campus (Packwood, 1997). What began as faculty helping new students
transition into college life eventually developed into roles taken on by administrators and entire
departments. New Student Programs, Orientation Services, and Freshman Programs are
traditional departments that focus on the transitional needs for new students before they arrive on
campus, during their first few weeks of school, and even throughout their entire first year.
Despite the numerous institutional and national efforts to provide a positive experience for new
college students, there are still many challenges that exist. According to Upcraft et al. (2005),
current issues in the realm of the first-year experience are low academic success rates, providing
programming that addresses the diverse needs of today’s students, linking research to practice
and policy, debunking myths about new students, and gaining institutional support.
Student success for first-year students can be described using some or all of the following
elements: developing academic and intellectual competence, creating interpersonal relationships,
exploring one’s identity, choosing a career, being healthy and well, considering faith and
spirituality, becoming aware of multiculturalism, and developing a sense of civic responsibility
(Upcraft et al., 2005). This section introduces a variety of institutional efforts aimed to promote
student success during the first year of college.

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New Student Orientation
New student orientation is the vehicle used by most colleges and universities to officially
greet new students and help them begin their transition to college life. The goal of orientation is
to show students a holistic view of the collegiate experience, including academic life, culture,
traditions, and the surrounding community (Ward-Roof, 2010). Orientations typically consist of
introducing academic procedures and expectations, offering social programming, and teaching
students to navigate the campus. Structures of orientation vary among institutions, and they can
be hosted during the summer or immediately before the start of school. Some schools’
orientations take place in one day while others last an entire week.
Welcome Week is a form of new student orientation that takes place the week prior to the
start of the fall semester. Students are able to move into their residence halls early, meet with
their academic department’s faculty and staff, and delve into the campus community without
worrying about classes and homework. Institutions typically host a variety of events and
activities aimed to increase the comfort levels of the new students and to foster interactions
among new students.
The Association for Orientation, Transition and Retention in Higher Education (NODA)
hosts the NODA Databank to maintain records of its institutional members’ programmatic
offerings, staffing structures, and reporting lines. The 2011 NODA Databank contains the most
updated compilation of information regarding services, programming, and special populations.
Of 157 responding institutions, 148 institutions (94%) offer orientations between June and
August for fall admits. Conversely, 82 institutions (52%) offer orientations for first year students
between December and February, presumably for spring admits. Additionally, 42 of 76
institutions (55%) offer transition programs for first year students between September and
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November, while 18 respondents (23.68%) offer such programs during the winter months
(NODA, 2011).
First-Year Seminars
In an effort to continue to improve students’ transitions to college, many institutions offer
first-year seminars, or extended orientations, for their new students during their first semester.
First-year seminars are intended to continue the students’ growth on the campus through
fostering their understanding of the school, improving their academic interest, and enabling
social integration (Upcraft et al., 2005). Goals of these seminars typically include acclimating
students to campus resources, promoting personal development, fostering a common experience
for new students, and creating a support network (Ward-Roof, 2010). Seminars are taught by
faculty, administrators, and peer leaders, and can cover a variety of topics, including institutional
resources, study skills, and academic planning or advising (Ward-Roof, 2010).
First-year seminars are prevalent across the nation and institutions are able to track the
persistence of student participants through degree completion. Using four academic year
cohorts, Schnell and Doetkott (2002) compared the pre-enrollment characteristics, such as ACT
scores, high school rank, and major of an institution’s first-year seminar students with similar
students who did not participate in the seminar. During this four-year longitudinal study of 927
seminar participants and 927 non-participants, those who participated in the seminar were
retained at the institution at a higher rate than the non-participants during each academic year.
Since many studies show positive effects of first-year seminars on retention at various
institutions, Porter and Swing (2006) sought to discover which aspects of the seminars are most
helpful in this endeavor at 45 institutions and with more than 20,000 student respondents. Their
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study found that students were more likely to intend to remain at the institution when the first-
year seminars successfully taught study skills, academic engagement, and health-related matters.
Learning Communities
Learning communities are clusters of related courses that link students together through
block scheduling or co-registration. Colleges and universities offer learning communities to
increase student retention and success because they enrich and strengthen the connections
between students, with their professors, and with the subject matter (Upcraft et al., 2005). Some
institutions form clusters of two courses and others may link the entire first-semester curriculum
(Tinto, 2003). While learning communities at various campuses are structured differently and
focus on varying topics, they all have three aspects in common: shared knowledge, shared
knowing, and shared responsibility (Tinto, 2003). Through connecting related courses and
requiring students to take them together, learning communities seek to increase cognitive
complexity levels of students, thereby promoting shared knowledge of the coursework. Students
get to know one another faster and more intimately than in other classes. Learning community
participants are able to learn from one another as a result of their increased comfort levels and
degree of participation in class discussions, thus resulting in shared knowing. Lastly, students
share responsibility for their learning through group projects that require participation by all
group members (Tinto, 2003).
Baker and Pomerantz (2000) studied the impact of learning communities on students at
Northern Kentucky University (NKU) in 1998. NKU has 12,000 students with the majority of
them being commuter students. The institution’s persistence rate from first year to second year
was 63 percent and the overall six-year graduation rate was just 25 percent. The university
piloted their learning communities program as a way to “improve the learning environment for
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first-time freshmen and increase their opportunities to persist and graduate” (Baker &
Pomerantz, 2000, p. 116). The new program consisted of clustering three courses, one of which
was a first-year seminar called UNV 101 Freshman Orientation Course. Two of the courses
were capped at 25 students and the third course had more than 45 students.
In order to evaluate the effects of the learning communities, the researchers employed
focus groups, three different surveys, and a statistical comparison that included a control group
made up of non-participants (Baker & Pomerantz, 2000). The results demonstrated significant
differences between the two groups, with learning community participants showing substantially
more positive results on every measure. Participants had higher GPAs, higher fall to spring
semester retention rates, more earned credit hours, and had a higher percentage of students
represented on the Dean’s and Honors list. Additionally, participants were less likely to be on
probation and leave school mid-semester compared to the control group. Learning community
students also indicated higher levels of satisfaction with their college experience and showed
increased involvement in the campus. Results of this study demonstrated to the institution the
positive results of clustering classes for first-year students.
Similar results have been found nationwide. Zhao and Kuh (2004) utilized the National
Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), a survey distributed annually to first-year students and
seniors, to measure the link between learning community participation and student success. The
researchers defined student success as “student engagement in educationally purposeful
activities, self-reported gains in a variety of desired outcomes of college, and overall satisfaction
with their college experience” (Zhao & Kuh, 2004, p. 119). This study utilized a randomly
selected sample of more than 80,000 first-year students and seniors from 365 institutions who
completed the NSSE in 2002. The results indicated positive outcomes for learning community
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participants. Students enrolled in learning communities showed higher levels of academic
integration, academic effort, collaborative and active learning, faculty member interaction, and
engagement in diversity-related activities. In line with the Northern Kentucky University study,
learning community students also indicated more satisfaction with their college experience than
non-participants.
Theoretical Frameworks
Although there are no theories specifically about the spring admit population, it is
imperative to understand theories of transition, human ecology, retention, and involvement in
order to comprehend the experiences of spring admits. Viewing the spring admit experience
through the lenses of these theories will assist practitioners in providing adequate resources for
this population.
Transition Theory
Schlossberg’s Transition Theory (Goodman et al., 2006) helps higher education
practitioners understand the issues college students may face when coming to college and the
different ways they may cope with the transition. The authors named three different types of
transitions: anticipated transitions, unanticipated transitions, and nonevents, which were
supposed to occur but never did. Beginning college, regardless of the semester, is considered an
anticipated transition. Students have often spent many years preparing for college while in high
school, and they typically spend the summer after high school graduation preparing for the
change. They learn about their future school, purchase materials for their residence hall room,
and anticipate saying “good-bye” to their friends and family.
There are four sets of factors that affect a person’s ability to handle the transition well:
the situation variable, the self variable, the support variable, and the strategies variable. When
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appraising the student’s situation variable, we examine the cause, timing, and duration of the
transition. The student’s perception of control over the situation, whether or not his or her roles
will change, previous experience with transitioning, and any additional stress will also influence
the student’s situation (Evans et al., 2010). Practitioners must look at personal and demographic
characteristics as well as psychological resources when appraising the contributions the student
is making to their own transition, which falls under the self variable. For example,
characteristics such as gender, age, and state of health may affect the way the student handles the
transition. The support a student receives is integral to a smooth transition to college life. Social
support can come from a variety of people and places, including friends, families, institutions,
and communities (Evans et al., 2010). Lastly, the strategies the student or the institution
employs to deal with the transition can greatly affect the ease and success of the transition.
Strategies can range from modifying the situation, controlling the meaning of the problem, or
aiding in managing the stress afterward. In turn, the student may utilize one or more coping
modes to help with the transition: direct action, intrapsychic behavior, information seeking, or
inhibition of action (Goodman et al., 2006).
The timing of the transition is a central component under the situation variable that
deserves particular attention in regard to the transition of spring admits. According to the
authors, “to be off time, whether early or late, can make individuals feel uncomfortable. Certain
transitions…used to be linked in people’s minds to a certain age…Despite the more fluid
lifespan, many still use age to define how they are doing” (Goodman et al., 2006, p. 61). This is
especially relevant for spring admits as they become “off time” by one semester compared to
their peers and their expectations for when they would begin their college career. The timing for
spring admits may be a very large hurdle for them to overcome.
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This 4 S System is best understood through the lens of assets and liabilities. Each S
constitutes a variety of assets and liabilities based on the person and the context. In order to
accurately appraise a student’s ability to transition, one must understand the interrelationship of
the assets and liabilities. Figure 1 illustrates the coping resources or interrelationships of the
assets and liabilities of each S.

Figure 1
Coping Resources: The 4 S’s

Practitioners may consider how spring admits’ assets and liabilities differ from those of
fall admits. How are the situation, self, support, and strategies different or similar for each
population?
SUPPORT
• Social Support
• Types: intimate, family,
unit, friendship,
network, institution
• Convoy
• Functions
• Options
STRATEGIES
• Coping Responses
• Functions
• Strategies: information
seeking, direct action,
inhibition of action

SITUATION
• Event or Non-event Characteristics
• Trigger
• Timing
• Control Source
• Role Change
• Duration
• Previous Experience
• Concurrent Stress
• Assessment
SELF
• Personal Characteristics
• Psychological Resources

Note: Adapted from: J. Goodman, N. K. Schlossberg, and M. L. Anderson, 2006, Counseling
adults in transition (3
rd
ed.), p. 56. Copyright by Springer.

POTENTIAL ASSETS/LIABILITIES
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Human Ecology
Human Ecology Theory focuses on the student’s adaptation for survival in college
through man-made, social-cultural, and natural environmental ecosystems (Evans et al., 2010).
Bronfenbrenner, a leader in developmental ecology, claimed “development is a function of the
interaction of the person and the environment” (Evans et al., 2010, p. 160).
Bronfenbrenner’s (2005) assertions help us examine how a student’s development is
influenced by four components: process, person, context, and time. Process focuses on the forms
of interaction between the student and the environment and serves as the main mechanisms
producing development. In accordance with Sanford’s (1966) theory of challenge and support,
the forms of interaction should become progressively more complex over time while also being
tapered appropriately so as not to confuse or overwhelm the student. Similar to Schlossberg’s
Transition Theory (Goodman et al., 2006), the person’s attributes play a large role in the
Bronfenbrenner’s Human Ecology Theory. According to the theory, the student’s attributes can
affect how he or she interacts within the environment. Context also serves as a critical
component of the Human Ecology Theory.
To organize the complexities and intricacies of a person’s contexts, Bronfenbrenner
developed four levels of context that surround the individual: the microsystem, or a pattern of
relationships and activities; the mesosystem, the links between and interactions amongst
microsystems; the exosystem, influences on the person’s environment; and the macrosystem,
overarching cultural or structural patterns (Evans et al., 2010). The four levels of contexts or
systems are constantly interacting with each other and with the individual. Lastly, time plays a
crucial role in the Human Ecology Theory. Time can influence the process, person, and context
on a daily basis and even on a long-term basis.
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Understanding human ecology may help higher education practitioners work with spring
admits in a more productive manner. A student’s housing arrangement, residence hall neighbors,
involvement activities, and classes are all part of the student’s environment, specifically the
microsystem, which will interact with each other to form the students’ mesosystems, and
inevitable play a role in their development while in college. The following diagram represents
an example of the four levels of context that surround a college student (Figure 2).

Figure 2
Bronfenbrenner's Levels of Context

Macrosystem
Historical
trends and
events
Social
forces
Cultural
expectations
Micro-
system
classes
job
roommate
Friendship
groups
Student
Mesosystem
parents’ or
spouse’s
workplace
federal
financial aid
policy
institutional
policy
makers
immigration
policy
faculty
curriculum
committee
Exosystem
Note: Adapted from “Reconceptualizing research on college student peer culture” by K. A.
Renn and K. D. Arnold, 2003, Journal of Higher Education 74(3), p. 268. Copyright 2003 by
The Ohio State University Press.
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Human ecology provides a framework for investigating students’ levels of access to
various microsystems on a college campus (Renn & Arnold, 2003). Some microsystems require
official membership, such as a sports team or a fraternity, while others are less formal, like
friendship groups. The student’s ability to participate in multiple microsystems within their
mesosystem increases the possibility for development (Renn & Arnold, 2003). If fall admits
have greater access to new friendships, involvement opportunities, and on-campus jobs
compared to spring admits, does that mean the fall cohort of students may also have an increased
likelihood for development and growth compared to spring admits?
Lastly, while microsystems are the most apparent system for students, one cannot
underestimate the influence of exosystems and macrosystems. For example, although students
make the ultimate decision on where they will attend college, a variety of pressures help form
such decisions. Financial contributions from the family and financial aid offers are powerful
exosystems, and the notion of a spring admission policy is an example of a macrosystem, since it
“provides the structure and content of the inner systems and is specific to a given culture at a
given moment in history” (Renn & Arnold, 2003, p. 272).
How would Figure 2 be different for fall and spring admits? Would the microsystems
and mesosystems change? Would the fall admit have more microsystems as a result of starting
the year with other new students and more opportunities? Would the spring admit feel the
influence of the admission office, financial aid office, or other exosystems and macrosystems to
a greater degree? What is the link between human ecology and student retention? Practitioners
may consider utilizing human ecology to provide students, specifically spring admits, with
various systems that will offer support throughout their first year and until graduation.

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Retention and Persistence
The National Center for Education Statistics examined the number of students who began
school at a four-year institution in 2003 to see how many had obtained a degree by 2009.
Approximately half the students received a bachelor’s degree and nearly five percent were still
enrolled at the institution but had not graduated. One quarter of the students were enrolled at
another institution while almost 17 percent left the first institution and never enrolled in another
one (Radford, Berkner, Wheeless, & Shepherd, 2010).
According to Tierney (1992), there are at least three main benefits of retaining students at
an institution. First, the student will have the ability to enjoy all the rewards of obtaining a
college degree. Second, the institution will receive and maintain the income from that student’s
attendance. Third, society at large will benefit from the student’s skills and productivity as a
result of graduating from college (Tierney, 1992). Additionally, institutions value alumni loyalty
through continued campus involvement and fundraising contributions. It is no wonder student
retention and persistence have been highly researched and debated subjects in higher education.
Tinto’s Theory of Student Departure (1987 and 1993) is the most well known, but also
the most critiqued. Tinto applies social anthropology constructs to the study of college student
departure, and bases the theory on Van Gennep’s concept of rites of passage and Durkheim’s
analysis of suicide (Tinto, 1988). According to Tinto (1998), there are three stages of passage
for college students’ quest toward graduation: separation, transition, and incorporation (also
described as integration). In order for students to fully delve into the college experience, Tinto
suggests they disassociate themselves from their past communities, such as high school friends
and families. In this separation stage, families and friends may place demands on the student
that are not in line with those of the college. Students may feel stress and disorientation while
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undergoing the process of separating, and some may opt out of the process and fail to persist in
college. “In a very real sense, their staying in college depends on their becoming leavers from
their former communities” (Tinto, 1988, p. 443).
After a student separates from their previous community, they will undergo their
transition to the college, or “passage between the old and the new” (Tinto, 1988, p. 444). During
this state of flux, students have not created strong ties to their new environment or personal
bonds with members of the new community. This time can be especially stressful for students as
they attempt to cope with the transitional pressures they are experiencing. Some students will
choose to leave the institution during this stage due to their inability to cope effectively (Tinto,
1988).
Lastly, the students who make it through the separation and transition stages will
encounter the incorporation stage. Since the student is no longer associated with past
communities and norms, the student must find and adopt new norms, behavioral patterns, and
relationships with those in the new community. A student who does not establish contact with
members of the new community may not become integrated, which may lead the student to leave
the institution (Tinto, 1988).
Tinto’s assertions have been updated, questioned, refuted, and applied. Although
numerous researchers have sought to challenge or support Tinto’s Theory of Student Departure,
there have been no other theories that have been able to supplant Tinto’s as the leading student
retention and persistence model. Braxton (2000) used empirical studies to test Tinto’s theory
and found four propositions to be interconnected:
1. Students come to college with different characteristics that will influence their initial
commitment to the college.
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2. Their initial commitment to the college will influence their future commitment to the
college.
3. Students’ commitment to the college is enhanced by the degree of social integration
attained by the student early on.
4. The likelihood of the institution retaining the student through graduation is positively
related to the student’s level of commitment to the college.
Braxton’s research suggests social integration as the primary force behind student
departure instead of academic integration (Braxton, 2000). As researchers like Braxton continue
to improve upon Tinto’s theory, practitioners must strive to apply the most updated research to
their services. Fortunately, the importance placed on student retention has led researchers to
expand the study of retention into more specific areas. Many studies have been conducted to
measure the retention rates of underrepresented groups of students as well as trends at various
institutional contexts, such as historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving
institutions, and predominately white institutions (Seidman, 2012). Additionally, various
policies, programs, and support services have been instituted at colleges across the country to
ensure students persist to graduation. There are also special programs for students of
underrepresented groups, like students with disabilities, non-traditional students returning to
school, and women (Seidman, 2012).
The Seidman Retention Formula (Seidman, 2012), shown in Figure 3, operationalizes the
concepts of student retention for collegiate practitioners. Its goal is to help identify students who
are in need of academic or social assistance, and to provide them with an intervention until the
desired outcome is reached and it is no longer needed (Seidman, 2012).

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The formula states that retention (RET) equals early identification (E
ID
) plus early (E),
intensive (IN), and continuous (C) intervention (IV). In other words, an institution should be
successful in retaining a student if it invests the time in assessing or identifying the student’s skill
level prior to enrollment and immediately begins an intervention that is strong and intensive in
manner and is continuous.
Seidman’s formula gives practitioners a guideline for identifying which students need
additional attention, how to assess their needs and abilities, and finally how to offer the chosen
interventions for them. Institutions have the ability to cater such interventions to specific groups
of students. Programs offered during the first year, like learning communities and first-year
seminars are examples of interventions that meet the variables in the Seidman Retention
Formula. The programs identify which students should participate, and then assesses their
abilities at the start of the school year. The interventions are intensive and continuous, as they
last for at least a full semester.
Research on student retention and persistence is generated to understand who graduates
on time, who drops out, and the reasons for all possible scenarios. As discussed, researchers
have conducted studies to learn about retention patterns of specific groups of underrepresented
Figure 3
Seidman Retention Formula
RET = E
ID
+ (E + IN + C)
IV

Adapted from Seidman, A. (Ed.) (2012). College student retention: Formula for student
success (2
nd
ed.). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

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students. In turn, practitioners have been able to use the data to offer appropriate services and
programs for all students and specifically for the underrepresented students. As previously
discussed, there have been no studies conducted about spring admits nor have any data been
collected about their academic performance and ability to persist on a nationwide level. How
can practitioners provide adequate services for this student group if there is no information
available about them?
Social Experiences and Engagement
While academics are the main reason students pursue a higher education, the social
experiences and co-curricular activities are also important. From housing to involvement to
working part time, students will encounter many opportunities to enhance their life outside the
classroom. According to Pascarella and Terenzini (2005), the impact of college on a student is
largely based on the individual’s effort and involvement in the campus’s academic, co-curricular,
and interpersonal offerings. This finding is predicated on the understanding that the student, not
the institution, bears the responsibility of getting the most out of their college experience. This
section will provide an overview of the importance of living on campus, being engaged in the
institution’s offerings, and obtaining a job. It is important to keep in mind, however, that some
of these opportunities might not be available or as plentiful for spring admits.
Housing
Living on campus is critical to the success of first-year students and there is plenty of
research that demonstrates its importance (Astin, 1999; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Upcraft et
al., 2005). It can increase the likelihood of making a smooth transition to college life,
succeeding academically, persisting to graduation, and having a satisfying college career
(Upcraft et al., 2005). Compared to commuter students, on-campus residents are more likely to
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succeed in areas of leadership and athletics, and to find greater satisfaction with their overall
college experience (Astin, 1999). Additionally, on-campus residents participate in co-curricular
activities, have more interactions with peers and faculty, and undergo more development and
personal growth (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005).
While a safe, comfortable, and welcoming residential community is important to allow a
student to flourish in the residential environment, a good fit between roommates is also
important. Living arrangements can provide positive and negative influences for the residents.
Interpersonal orientation similarities between the roommates are important, and research
indicates students with similar personalities and attitudes should be matched as roommates,
especially among freshmen (Jones, McCaa, & Martecchini, 1980).
With all that said, spring admits may find greater difficulty integrating into the housing
community. Spring admits are filling the spots of students who have, for some reason, left the
institution. They are placed into residence hall rooms or apartments regardless of the fit and
desired specifications. For example, many institutions house students based on grade level- there
are typically first-year halls, sophomore halls, and upperclassmen halls. Gohn and Albin (2006)
warn that “students also can have a different experience when they room with a student who is of
a different class standing, has a different major, or has a different level of involvement on
campus,” (p. 216-217). If three seniors graduate after the fall semester, three first-year spring
admits may be assigned to fill the spots vacated by the graduating seniors. Thus the new student
may have to live with a senior. Since first-year and senior students have different academic,
social, and developmental needs, they may not be good matches for each other. Erwin (1983)
found when roommates of similar maturity are paired together, they will have a greater
awareness for their own experiences and values after one semester of living together compared to
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roommates who do not have the same level of maturity. When assigning roommates and
locations for spring admits, housing administrators must keep in mind the concept of human
ecology and the influences the environment and roommate can have on a student.
Co-Curricular Involvement and Leadership
Alexander Astin (1999) developed an involvement theory that sought to understand the
behavioral aspects of student involvement in college. According to the theory, involvement is
about the investment of psychological and physical energy into a given object, such as a
leadership position or working on a group project. No matter what the object is, involvement
takes place along a continuum. Different students demonstrate various levels of involvement on
a given object or one involvement opportunity, while students may exert various degrees of
involvement with multiple involvement opportunities. The quantity and quality of involvement
in a given program is directly proportional to the amount of learning and development that will
take place for the student (Astin, 1999).
Students are able to become involved in a variety of ways on a college campus. They can
join clubs and organizations, play intramural sports, become a research assistant, or take on
leadership positions through various departments. Students who participate in student
organizations score higher on Chickering’s vectors (Chickering & Reisser, 1993) than students
who are not involved in student organizations, and students with leadership roles are able to
sustain and improve developmental skills (Cooper, Healey, & Simpson, 1994). Students in
leadership positions are also able to improve their interpersonal and practical competencies,
humanitarianism, and cognitive complexity (Kuh, 1995). Students who are involved in the
campus community will be more likely to express satisfaction with their educational experiences
and be more committed to their school (Kuh, Schuh, Whitt, & associates, 1991).
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Berger and Milem (1999) conducted a study aimed to combine the research of Astin and
Tinto and to identify how involvement affects persistence. Their findings suggest that student
involvement during the fall semester predicts involvement in the spring semester. This
involvement has significant indirect influences on social and academic integration, persistence,
and institutional commitment. While being involved can strengthen a student’s perception of
their institution, social support, and persistence, not being involved can have the opposite effect
on a student. The researchers warn that not enough attention is given to students who are not
involved at the beginning of the school year.
As demonstrated, there are many benefits derived from being involved in one’s campus
community. Spring admits may encounter difficulty when looking for involvement opportunities
and leadership positions. With the school year already halfway complete, many clubs,
organizations, and programs are already established and in full swing. With seemingly less
opportunities available to them, are spring admits able to get involved and integrated into
activities of interest and thereby reap the rewards of involvement?
Additionally, fraternity and sorority involvement may serve as the focal point in many
students’ college careers. At Western University, about 20 percent of the 18,000 undergraduates
are members of a Greek organization. Approximately 1,800 and 500 students participate in
recruitment each fall and spring, respectively. Membership in a Greek organization has both
positive and negative effects on students. Participation in the Greek community has been found
to increase students’ cognitive development (Pascarella, Flowers, & Whitt, 2001; Pike, 2000),
improve their leadership ability (Astin, 1993), and get students more engaged on campus (Hayek,
Carini, O’Day, & Kuh, 2002).
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Additionally, studies have found joining a Greek organization can negatively affect
academic achievement (Astin, 1993; Blimling, 1989) and hinder participants from being open to
diverse college experiences (Pike, 2000). While Greek members persist to graduation at higher
rates than non-members (Astin, 1975; Moore, Lovell, McGann, & Wyrick, 1998; Tripp, 1997),
students who joined the Greek community during their first semester of college underperformed
academically compared to students who joined the following semester and overperformed
(DeBard, Lake, & Binder, 2006).
Employment
Obtaining an on-campus part-time job contributes to higher retention rates for students
(Astin, 1999). Students are able to find work-study, student assistant, and research assistant
positions on campus, thus increasing their levels of involvement within the campus community,
their ability to meet other students and institutional agents, and their attachment to the institution.
Employment is also positively correlated with increases in practical and interpersonal
competences (Kuh, 1995). However, similar to the possible difficulties of getting involved with
an organization or finding a leadership position, spring admits may face struggles finding a job in
the middle of the school year. Continuing students and fall admits have a head start on the
spring admits, and they may able to secure job opportunities at the beginning of the school year
before spring admits even have a chance to compete.
Locus of Control
Students’ levels of involvement and academic achievement may be advanced or hindered
by their locus of control, or the belief that their behavior is regulated by external or internal
factors (Astin, 1999). Internal individuals perceive outcomes that are both positive and negative
as being in their control or contingent on their behavior. On the contrary, external individuals
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perceive those outcomes as out of their control or as a result of fate or luck (Gifford, Briceno-
Perriott, & Mianzo, 2006).
In an effort to help college admissions administrators select students who will succeed
academically, researchers sought to measure the relationship between locus of control and
academic achievement, as measured by college GPA (Gifford et al., 2006). More than 3,000
students at one public university participated in the study. They completed a survey that
measured their locus of control during their summer orientation. The researchers then collected
the students’ cumulative GPAs after their first year as well as if they returned for their second
year. The study found that locus of control was positively related to the GPA. The first-year
students who had an internal locus of control obtained higher grades than those who had an
external locus of control (Gifford et al., 2006).
Estrada, Dupoux, and Wolman (2006) studied the impact of locus of control on personal-
emotional and social adjustment to college life. The sample consisted of 61 students from two
different institutions in Florida. Contrary to the findings on academic achievement, students
with an external locus of control were found to have adjusted better to college life compared to
students with an internal locus of control. Although contrary to studies with people of other
ages, this study demonstrates an external locus of control is ideal in facilitating social and
personal-emotional adjustment within the college context (Estrada et al., 2006).
Locus of control is an attribute not often discussed or assessed by college administrators.
However, these findings may be advantageous in assisting new students, specifically spring
admits, with their adjustment to and achievement in college. The results from the Gifford study
are positive for students with an internal locus of control and their academic achievement.
Spring admits, many of whom take time off during the fall semester or study at a local
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community college, must get accustomed to the academic rigor of a four-year university. Spring
admits with an internal locus of control may accept their spring admit circumstances with greater
ease than their counterparts with an external locus of control. The former students will make it
their responsibility to overcome any possible hurdles and succeed academically. The latter
students may blame admission counselors for their admission status and student affairs
practitioners for any potential problems with adjusting to college or getting involved. These
students must receive extra attention, especially academically, to ensure their success.
Practitioners may provide additional programming and services aimed at helping “externals”
connect with resources in order to succeed.
Additionally, the results of the Estrada study show benefits for students with an external
locust of control as they adjust to college life. While these students may struggle academically,
they may not struggle socially and emotionally. Students with an internal locus of control will
have to make it their own responsibility to seek out personal connections and emotional
satisfaction. Creating personal connections with fellow students may require additional effort on
their part given the time and context of starting college in the middle of the school year.
Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy, or someone’s personal beliefs about their own capabilities in a specific task
or action (Bandura, 1997), is another factor that may play a role in the success of a spring admit.
Self-efficacy is influenced by vicarious and mastery experiences, emotional and physiological
states, and social persuasion (Bandura, 1995). Success in a given situation can increase a
student’s self-efficacy, while failure can lower it. However, the impact of the failure on self-
efficacy is dependent on the person’s original level of self-efficacy. Someone with high self-
efficacy will be less affected by failure than someone with lower self-efficacy (Gredler, 2009).
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A person’s self-efficacy beliefs utilize four processes to influence performance: motivational,
cognitive, selection, and affective (Bandura, 1995). Students with high self-efficacy envision
successful scenarios while those with low self-efficacy envision unsuccessful scenarios (Gredler,
2009).
Several studies have been conducted to measure the impact of self-efficacy on academic
achievement (Bouffard-Bouchard, 1990; Cervone & Peake, 1986; Chemers, Hu, & Garcia, 2001;
Hsieh, Sullivan, Guerra, 2007; Zajacova, Lynch, & Espenshade, 2005). Zajacova et al. (2005)
utilized a sample of 107 nontraditional college first-year students to measure how student
success is influenced by stress and academic self-efficacy, which is the student’s confidence in
his or her ability to execute academic tasks like writing papers and studying for exams. The
researchers found a strong positive relationship between academic self-efficacy, credits, and
grades, but a weak relationship between academic self-efficacy and persistence in the sophomore
year. Of all the predictors measured in the study, including academic performance in high
school and demographic background, self-efficacy turned out to serve as the strongest predictor
of college GPA (Zajacova et al., 2005).
Two studies manipulated the self-efficacy of students by providing fictitious feedback to
them. The students who received the positive feedback set higher aspirations for themselves,
performed better, and were better able to accurately assess their level of performance compared
to their counterparts with the same ability but who received the negative feedback (Bouffard-
Bouchard, 1990; Cervone & Peake, 1986).
Receiving admission to a college or university is a significant event that can reinforce or
alter self-efficacy. When students are accepted to the university of their dreams, they receive
affirmation that they can excel at that particular institution. However, what happens to a student
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when they are accepted under the spring admission condition? Is this a form of negative
feedback, fictitious or not, that may impact the student’s self-efficacy about their ability to
succeed at the institution? When students with high self-efficacy enroll in college, they perform
academically better than those students with less confidence in their academic abilities (Chemers
et al., 2001). As a result of the their spring admission status, do spring admits come to college
with lower academic self-efficacy? Likewise, the researchers postulate a strong relationship
between self-efficacy and the perception of being able to respond well to college life. Confident
students saw college life as challenging instead of threatening (Chemers et al, 2001). Can high
self-efficacy help spring admits overcome any potential hurdles associated with starting college a
semester after their peers?
Similarities to Transfer Students
A high percentage of Western University’s spring admits enroll in a community college
during the fall semester in order to get a jumpstart in their college coursework. However, once
they arrive at WU, they are still considered first-year students instead of transfer students.
Despite the semantics, the fact is many spring admits do attend another college prior to
beginning at their “true” or “receiving” institution, and they are able to transfer in units from the
prior institution. Therefore, in order to understand the experiences of spring admits, it is also
important to consider contemporary research about the transfer student population.
Even for those spring admit who do not attend another college in the fall semester,
drawing comparisons between the two populations is appropriate. Both populations begin at the
true institution outside of the traditional start date. Transfer students may enroll at a new college
or university during their second semester of college or even during their junior year. Much like
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spring admits, they must acclimate to the new institution after seemingly everyone else has
acclimated months or even years before.
In a longitudinal study, Ishitani (2006) investigated the departure rates of transfer
students from their receiving institution. The study specifically focused on departure rates based
on when the student entered the institution between 1999-2001 and how retention was linked to
semester GPA. The sample consisted of 6,284 native students, or students who began the public,
four-year institution as freshmen, in addition to 1,347 transfer students. After five semesters,
only 36 percent of freshman transfer students remained at the university while 52 percent of the
native students persisted (Ishitani, 2006). Although students who transferred during their
sophomore and junior years had higher retention rates than the native and freshman transfer
students during the first four semesters, the native students eventually attained the highest
retention rate during the fifth and sixth semesters. Ishitani (2006) asserts GPA as the variable
most significantly related to transfer student departure. Hoyt and Winn (2004) provide support
for Ishitani’s findings when they found that transfer students demonstrate higher dropout rates
and lower GPAs when compared to native students. Complementary to Ishitani’s findings are
those of Duggan and Pickering (2007) who studied how non-cognitive factors can affect transfer
student persistence. The researchers identified several barriers to freshman transfer student
persistence, including academic integration, balancing school and a job, incongruence with
students’ beliefs of their abilities and their actual academic performance, and dissimilarity
between student attitudes and behaviors (Duggan & Pickering, 2007). These two studies help
paint a broad picture of the difficulties freshman transfer students face at their receiving
institutions.
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Townsend and Wilson (2006) took a different approach in evaluating the experiences of
transfer students. In their qualitative study of 19 students who transferred from various
community colleges to a large, research university, they examined factors that aided in the
success of those students. The researchers explored the actual transfer process and the resources
involved from the sending and receiving institutions, the receiving university’s services
specifically for transfer students, and comparisons of the students’ social and academic
experiences at both institutions. Townsend and Wilson (2006) claim the fit between the transfer
student and the receiving institution is highly impacted by the cultural differences in size and
mission of the sending and receiving institutions. Students transferring from a community
college “are used to a particular kind of institutional culture and may lack sufficient awareness of
differences between its culture and those of four year institutions” (Townsend & Wilson, 2006,
p. 454). Students in the study expressed difficulty with understanding the transfer process,
receiving transfer assistance from their community colleges, acclimating to the large number of
students in the university’s courses, navigating the new campus, and connecting with faculty
who have priorities other than teaching. The students also described their frustration in
integrating socially into the new campus community. Students were unable to find their own
niche or penetrate the groups that have been in existence since the freshman year (Townsend &
Wilson, 2006). Each fall, administrators put great effort into welcoming new first-year students,
providing opportunities for them to get to know one another, and then promoting close
friendships throughout the year. The researchers claim these efforts actually backfire in helping
transfer students integrate into the institution’s social arena. “Thus it may be that the university’s
efforts to help native students form friendships and connections may render more difficult
transfer students’ social integration with these students” (Townsend & Wilson, 2006, p. 450).
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The transitional experiences of transfer students and spring admits are comparable and
similar. Many spring admits attend a community college or another four-year institution before
starting at their intended institution. The spring admits who do not attend another school during
the fall semester may still encounter some of the academic and transitional difficulties faced by
transfer students. The spring admits may also endure difficulty when trying to find their niche
on campus or penetrating social groups that have been intact for the fall semester. Not only do
administrators and policymakers need to consider the retention rates and success of transfer
students, they must also do so for spring admits. They should also consider how their attempts to
create close social networks among students in the fall impede the ability of spring admits to
form friendships in January.
Conclusion
This literature review has highlighted many issues that may impact the collegiate
experiences of spring admits. Upon reading their admission letter, students may be surprised,
confused, but nevertheless excited. They may face difficulty deciding how to spend their fall
semester and anticipating what it will mean to enter an institution in the midst of the academic
year. Transitioning into the school, moving into a pre-established residence hall and room, and
joining a student organization well beyond the formal recruitment process may be difficult
hurdles to overcome. Academic and social integration are key accomplishments to strive for,
especially when considering the importance of persistence and retention.
Looking at the experiences of spring admits through the lens of Schlossberg’s Transition
Theory will allow the reader to understand how the students’ situation, self, support, and strategy
help them plan for and confront the anticipated transition of starting college during the spring
semester. The Human Ecology Theory produced by Bronfenbrenner urges administrators to
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consider the students’ surroundings in relation to their success. Lastly, Tinto’s Student Departure
Theory and Astin’s Involvement Theory are integral in the persistence and retention of spring
admits. Institutional administrators should consider committing to this student population in
order to ensure high levels of their retention.
Thus far this dissertation has merely suggested potential challenges for spring admits.
The remainder of the paper will outline the study’s research methodology, sample of spring
admits, findings and the implications for researchers, practitioners, and students. In chapter
three, I will describe the study’s research methods for data collection and manner of analysis. In
chapter four, I will tell the stories of the 18 informants. Chapter five is a review of the findings
of the study’s 11 themes, including direct quotations from interviews and data from documents.
In chapter six, I will detail the implications for practitioners and researchers regarding the spring
admit population.

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Chapter 3: Methodology
Purpose
In an effort to begin the conversation about spring admits, their challenges and special
needs, this study primarily focused on understanding how spring admits experience college life
at Western University, an institution where the vast majority of students begins school during the
fall semester. Much research has examined the experiences of first-year college students (Baker
& Pomerantz, 2000; Tinto, 1988; Upcraft et al., 2005; Zhao & Kuh, 2004) as well as transfer
students (Duggan & Pickering, 2007; Hoyt & Winn, 2004; Ishitani, 2006; Townsend & Wilson,
2006). What remains to be examined, however, are the experiences of spring admits, or students
who start college a semester after their peers.
The findings of this study provide foundational knowledge of the spring admit
population, which can be utilized in various levels and functions of higher education.
Policymakers can use the findings to help assess the value of the spring admission policy.
Practitioners will better understand the experiences of spring admits, and they can create
programs and services to help in their adjustment and continued success in college. Lastly,
researchers can use this study as a springboard for future studies about the spring admit
population.
Research Questions
This study sought to understand factors that affect the success of spring admits in their
social and academic lives. The research questions were:
1. What are the social, personal, and academic experiences of spring admits?
2. How do spring admits integrate into the campus community?
3. What student services do spring admits look for or utilize?
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Phenomenology
This study utilized a phenomenological approach in order to best capture “the essence of
human experiences about a phenomenon as described by participants” (Creswell, 2009, p. 13).
The importance of this study is not on the phenomenon of the spring admission policy. Instead it
focused on how students experience college life as a result of being a part of this specific
phenomenon. Phenomenology as an approach is particularly strong at illuminating the
perceptions and experiences of individuals through their own perspective while at the same time
challenging normative or structural assumptions (Lester, 1999). Simply put, phenomenology is
about:
How human beings make sense of experience and transform experience into
consciousness, both individually and as a shared meaning. This requires methodology,
carefully, and thoroughly capturing and describing how people experience some
phenomenon—how they perceive it, describe it, feel about it, judge it, remember it, make
sense of it, and talk about it with others. (Patton, 2002, p. 104)
The methods described below served as conduits to understanding the experiences of
students directly affected by the spring admission phenomenon, including how they feel about it,
judge it, remember it, make sense of it, and talk about it with others.
Overview of Methodology
This mixed methods study focused on understanding the social, personal, academic, and
transitional experiences of spring admit students. This was achieved through a variety of
qualitative and quantitative methods, including interviews, a survey, document analysis, and
observation. A mixed methods approach was ideal for this study as it possesses the strengths of
both qualitative and quantitative research and curtails their weaknesses. The qualitative aspects
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of the study provided rich descriptions of the phenomenon as experienced by a small number of
spring admits. The quantitative portions of the study contributed a more general overview of the
spring admit population and their experiences.
I chose to utilize the concurrent embedded strategy of mixed methods as outlined by
Creswell (2009). This method is characterized as having just one data collection phase when
both quantitative data and qualitative data are collected. Qualitative methods were the primary
form of research that directed the study, and quantitative methods served in a supporting role for
data triangulation. In chapter five, the quantitative results are embedded within the qualitative
data and provide a different level of information compared to the qualitative data (Creswell,
2009).
Qualitative Methods
A variety of qualitative methods were utilized throughout the course of this study. As
described previously, qualitative data functioned as the primary source of information. These
data were derived from individual interviews, document analysis, and observation. Eighteen
students admitted for the spring semester were interviewed during their junior or senior year at
Western University. Students were asked about their emotions upon admission, reasons why
they chose WU, their social and academic transitions to college, services and resources that
would have been helpful in their transition, as well as their overall sentiments on being classified
as spring admits.
A document analysis was also conducted on written communications from the admissions
office, orientation services, academic advising, and university housing. These publications were
analyzed to gauge the type of information spring admits received during the admission and
enrollment processes.
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Lastly, I observed new spring admits during their first week on campus as they
experienced Spring Welcome, a series of activities designed specifically for them. I observed
their interactions with each other as well as the questions they asked student leaders and
professional staff members. Such observations gave me insight into the sentiments of spring
admits during the very beginning of their academic careers. Concurrently, the individual
interviews were with students who were two to three years removed from this stage of their
careers and provided data that was more reflective in nature.
Quantitative Methods
To supplement the data from the qualitative methods, I also applied quantitative research
methods to the study. All spring admits who began Western University in January of 2010 or
2011 were invited to participate in an online survey about their experiences as spring admits.
Participants were asked questions about their first-semester living situation, group of friends,
types of involvement, and self-ratings of their academic performance and social life. The results
of this survey, taken by 312 spring admits, provided additional data to support the rich
descriptions of students’ experiences collected in the individual interviews. This survey and the
interviews only included spring admit students who were in their junior or senior year at WU
since they were further removed from the spring admit status and were able to provide a more
reflective analysis on the experience compared to their first-year and second-year counterparts.
I also examined numerical data delivered in a report from the registrar’s office. This
report allows for examination and comparisons between spring admits and fall admits on a
variety of academic indicators such as retention rates, GPA, and academic status.

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Sample and Population
The population studied in the surveys and individual interviews was spring admit
students at Western University. At the end of the fall semester of 2012, all 837 spring admits
who entered the University in January of 2010 or 2011 received an email inviting them to
complete the online survey. The survey sample was comprised of the 312 students who
completed the survey, constituting a 37.3% response rate. This sample size satisfied the desired
95% confidence level and a margin of error of less than 5%. Lastly, the observation sample was
nine students at Spring Welcome.
The final survey question asked participants if they would like to be interviewed in
person about their experience. From all the students who checked “yes” to this question, I chose
to interview19 students of varying experiences and demographic characteristics. One of these
students transferred to WU in her sophomore year. Since she did not fit this study’s criteria of a
first-year spring admit, I have omitted her survey and interview results from the study, leaving
me with an interview sample of 18 students.
The purposeful sampling used to select interview participants increased “the likelihood of
uncovering the full array of multiple realities as well as maximizing the investigator’s accounting
for the nature of conditions, interactions, and values that might be useful in assessing
transferability” (Isaac & Michael, 1995, p. 220). Patton calls this maximum variation sampling,
in which the researcher chooses a wide range of subjects in order to document diverse variations
of adapting to different environments and the common patterns that arise through those
variations (Patton, 2002).
The maximum variation of this purposeful sample was achieved by selecting students
with different experiences before and after coming to Western University. For example, the
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sample consisted of students who attended community colleges, studied abroad, and took the fall
semester off from school. The sample also contained students who found on-campus housing
with other first-year students and others who were unable to find roommates of similar standing.
The purposeful sample also helped decrease the possibility of bias in the selection by ensuring
that students from a variety of backgrounds and experiences were represented.
It is in the sampling for the survey and the interviews where the strengths of the mixed
methods approach really became apparent. The quantitative survey was taken by hundreds of
spring admits. Quantitative research relies on larger samples to help generalize with confidence
the results from the sample to the overall population of spring admits at Western University
(Patton, 2002). In qualitative research, the researcher focuses on much smaller samples, and
sometimes a sample of just one, purposefully selected to “permit inquiry into and understanding
of a phenomenon in depth” (Patton, 2002, p. 46). The data collected in the 18 interviews
provided the thick, rich description that will allow us to understand the phenomenon of spring
admits in depth. At the same time, the data collected from the quantitative survey give a general
understanding of what hundreds of spring admit students have experienced during their time at
WU.
Instrumentation and Tools
Interview Protocol
Of all the methodologies I employed, the in-person, one-on-one interviews provided the
majority of the data. “Qualitative interviews are a tool of research, an intentional way of
learning about people’s feelings, thoughts, and experiences” (Rubin & Rubin, 1995, p. 2).
Interviewing spring admits at Western University allowed me to understand the intricacies of
their college transition and overall experience in a deep and rich manner.
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I utilized a standardized, open-ended interview to ensure my questions were worded
correctly and sequenced in an appropriate order. The standardized approach facilitated
continuity throughout the multiple interviews. According to Patton (2002), the advantages
derived from using a standardized open-ended interview are having the ability to compare
responses of various interviews, obtain complete and thorough data from each interview, and
reduce the interviewer bias if more than one interviewers are used. Additionally, such an
interview allows others to review the instrumentation used for every interview. At the same
time, there are some drawbacks of using the standardized open-ended interview, including
limited flexibility to cater the interview to the respondent and their circumstances as well as a
possible lack of naturalness and relevance in the wording of questions and answers (Patton,
2002). To compensate for this, I asked the respondents follow-up questions as appropriate
throughout the interviews. Such questions allowed me to clarify answers, explore new
information, and test emerging themes (Rubin & Rubin, 1995).
The interview questions were derived from a variety of items, including current research,
theoretical frameworks, and field-testing or piloting of questions. According to May (2002),
“effective interviews need to guide respondents through a maze of life experiences in an orderly
fashion and within a limited period of time” (p. 204). The questions were asked in chronological
order to best understand the experiences of the students as they occurred and to ensure efficiency
during the course of the interviews. The list of 16 questions (Appendix C) covered a variety of
topics ranging from inquiries about receiving the admission letter, starting school at WU, current
involvement and academic experiences at WU. Patton (2002) describes six types of questions
that can be asked in an interview: experience and behavior, opinion and values, feelings,
knowledge, sensory, and background/demographic questions. The questions for this study were
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centered on the students’ experiences and behaviors, opinions and values, and feelings.
Background and demographic data were captured in the online survey used to choose
respondents. Each interview lasted an average of 30 minutes.
Data Collection
Administration
Following an approval from Western University’s Institutional Review Board in the fall
semester of 2012, the online survey was sent to all spring admit students who began at WU in
January of 2010 or 2011. More specifically, the list consisted of all students who paid a
commitment deposit to attend WU for the spring semester of 2010 or 2011. The invitation to
complete the survey was emailed to their university email address. The email (Appendix A)
gave a brief overview of the study and information on how students can participate through the
survey and follow-up interview. The survey (Appendix B) was developed and administered
using Qualtrics, an online survey tool.
Over the next month, I sent out two reminders to students. Using the maximum variation
of purposeful sampling, I selected 19 respondents to participate in the interviews. As previously
mentioned, one of those interviews was omitted from the study. Participants received an
Institutional Review Board information sheet (Appendix D) at the beginning of the interview that
detailed the purpose of the study, the manner in which the information will be kept confidential,
and a reminder that the participant can stop the interview at any given time. Each interview was
recorded and each respondent was asked for verbal consent to record. In addition to recording
the interview, I took notes during every interview. As recommended by Patton (2002), I noted
key phrases, major points, and a few short, direct quotes. Taking notes helped me listen with
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intention and stay focused on the answers. These notes also allowed me to refer back to the
interview and remember key answers and themes for each informant.
The identities of the respondents have been kept anonymous and they each chose an alias.
Only I know their true identity. Additionally, all interview recordings and transcripts were kept
on my personal computer, only accessible to me. Backups of the files were kept on my personal
external hard drive. The interviews took place in a private office in the center of campus to
maintain confidentiality. Lastly, in exchange for their time, interview participants were entered
into a drawing to receive one $50 gift card for iTunes.
The Researcher’s Role
As with any study, it is important to understand the background of the researcher and the
motives for conducting the study. In qualitative inquiry where the researcher serves as the
instrument, it is especially important to understand these items as they relate to the study at hand.
As a student affairs practitioner who works closely with new students, I have spoken to many
spring admits and their parents upon their arrival to college. Compared to fall admits, they seem
more nervous, frustrated, confused, and worried about their upcoming experience. These
students and parents were the inspiration for this study.
Since this dissertation was conceived amid concern and frustration among spring admits,
I am acknowledging the bias I have as a practitioner. Like other qualitative researchers, I have
found it difficult to remain neutral or unbiased toward this topic because of the depth of time and
understanding I have dedicated to conducting this qualitative study (Bowman, Bowman, &
Resch, 1984). However, as a researcher, I have done my best to keep that bias in check
throughout the study. I have researched the topic from a variety of angles in order to broaden my
mindset and portray the topic in a fair and neutral light. In preparing for the interviews, I was
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careful to write and ask open-ended questions that did not have a hint of bias. Writing the
questions out in advance helped me create a neutral line of questioning that did not sway the
answers or allow the respondents to figure out my bias. Following the interviews, I engaged in
peer debriefing with colleagues who also work with spring admits. I shared with them my
findings to inquire if they have witnessed similar findings. This helped me verify my inferences
and keep my bias in check. Data triangulation and quantitative methods also helped keep my
bias at bay. According to Patton (2002),
Rigorous data collection and analytical procedures, like triangulation, are aimed at
substantiating the validity of the data and minimizing inquirer biases; on the other hand,
the interpretive and constructivist perspectives remind us that data from and about
humans inevitably represent some degree of perspective rather than absolute truth. (p.
569)
Data Analysis
Survey Data
The online survey was kept open for two months to allow sufficient time for all interested
students to complete it. I sent two reminders to students until I received enough responses to
attain the 95% confidence level. The results were then analyzed independently from the other
data collections. During the survey data analysis, I primarily focused on descriptive statistics,
such as mean and mode, to describe the characteristics of the data set.
Interview Data
Each interview was transcribed by a professional transcription service. According to
Patton (2002), “transcribing offers another point of transition between data collection and
analysis as part of data management and preparation” (p. 441). Following the transcription, I
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conducted content analysis, which was utilized to reduce and make sense of qualitative data in
order to detect meanings and core consistencies (Patton, 2002). Themes were uncovered and
coded as I read the interview transcriptions. Since it is important to develop a manageable
coding scheme or classification system (Patton, 2002), I color-coded the data to identify key
themes. Once the coding was finished, I reorganized the data according to those themes to allow
me to compare how various respondents addressed them (Rubin & Rubin, 1995).
Triangulation
Triangulation of many data sources, theories, or methods strengthens the study by
allowing the researcher to minimize the skepticism that accompanies singular methods (Patton,
2002). Studies that utilize just one method are vulnerable to errors associated with that method,
but employing more than one method provides “cross-data validity checks” (Patton, 2002, p.
248). Triangulation was used in this study to compare the data from the interviews, observation,
document analysis, and quantitative survey. I also relied on member checking to triangulate the
data. Member checking involves sharing the interview transcripts or the findings with the
interview participants in order to ensure the information is accurate. Utilizing these methods for
triangulation was helpful in illuminating any inconsistencies in the data. Such inconsistencies
should not be viewed as a weakness, but rather as “offering opportunities for deeper insight into
the relationship between inquiry approach and the phenomenon under study” (Patton, 2002, p.
248).
Conclusion
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to learn about the experiences of the
students directly affected by the spring admission policy. The qualitative methodology utilized
in this study helped me obtain an in-depth understanding of the experiences of spring admits at
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Western University. Through their interviews and observation, the higher education community
will learn about their social, personal, academic, and transitional experiences as spring admits.
The quantitative data collected from the online survey provides a snapshot of the co-curricular,
social, and academic experiences of spring admits. Through the report from the registrar, we
will learn about the academic performance of spring admits at WU, including GPA and retention
rates. A separate document analysis of pre-enrollment publications also provides insight into the
information received by spring admits.
The concurrent embedded strategy of mixed methods contributed well-rounded sets of
data to the study. The qualitative portion of the study painted a detailed, thorough portrait of the
experiences of a handful of spring admits at Western University. The quantitative aspects of the
study helped make the portrait more generalizable to the overall spring admit population and
filled in some blank areas with institutional data. The mixed methods approach provided the
benefits of breadth from quantitative inquiry and depth from qualitative inquiry.

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Chapter 4: Informant Profiles
Overview
At the beginning of 2013, I interviewed 18 Western University spring admits during their
junior or senior year. This chapter will provide a summary of the experiences, motivations, and
reflections of each informant. You will learn about their academic and social experiences,
housing assignment, and perspectives on being a spring admit. Chapter five will be organized by
theme and will include data from the interviews, survey, observation, and document analysis.
The themes include myths of spring admission, expectations of being a spring admit, housing
issues, social difficulty, self-efficacy, academics, etc. Table 1 provides an overview of the
informants’ demographics.

Table 1
Informant Demographics
Name Sex Year Major Race Primary Activity in Fall
Alyssa Female Senior Psychology Black/Latina Community College, Work
Anita Female Junior English Latina Community College
Ben Male Junior Political Science White Community College
Bruce Male Senior Film White Community College
Corey Female Junior Public Relations Asian/Pacific
Islander
Study Abroad
Donny Male Junior Film White Travel, Work
Hayden Male Junior Film White Study Abroad
Jack Male Senior Business Asian Community College
James Male Junior Business White Community College, Work
Jane Female Senior Communications White Community College
Jenna Female Junior Theatre White Community College
Lindsey Female Senior Neuroscience Asian/White Study Abroad
Lola Female Senior Business Asian Community College, Work
Michelle Female Junior Communications White Travel
Mudd Male Senior Business Latino Work
Shelby Female Junior Journalism White Community College
Tate Male Junior Business White Community College, Work
Taylor Female Senior Psychology White Community College, Work
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Alyssa
With an older sister attending WU’s rival, she could not resist the idea of starting a
collegiate family feud. The psychology major was incredibly excited to receive a large envelope
from WU. Her dad decided to document the envelope opening ceremony with his video camera.
Alyssa opened the envelope, and read it aloud to her family. “‘Congratulations, you've been
admitted to the spring of 2010,’ and I was like, ‘Wait.’ And I looked straight directly at the
camera and I'm like, ‘No, what does that even mean?’” When asked to describe her immediate
thoughts, she said “Tragedy. It was just—it was awful… So, we didn't even know what it
meant…so we went straight to Google.”
Alyssa heavily weighed her other options, but her mom eventually convinced her to go
for WU, the big-name school, which would presumably take her further in her career. Alyssa
enrolled in her local community college for the fall semester, which in retrospect would shape
the rest of her collegiate career. Alyssa had attended a high school that was predominately white
and Asian. She did not know many students with a racial composition similar to hers- black and
Latina. When she stepped foot onto the community college campus, she was surrounded by
people who looked like her- blacks and Latinos. She was in culture shock. “I was like, ‘I don't
know what to do. Yes, my color might be the same as yours, but I definitely did not grow up like
(you).’” She began socializing with a crowd of primarily black students and began to learn about
their culture and upbringing. She said, “So, I think (community college) was my first
introduction to black people and really hanging out with them.” After a socially and
academically successful semester at community college, Alyssa was eager to begin her career at
WU. Immediately upon starting college at WU, Alyssa thrust herself into the black student
community. She explained, “it's very small, but everybody knows everybody and I love that
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sense of community and family, especially since I was a spring admit.” Her first plan of action
was to join the gospel choir, where she was welcomed with open arms by the continuing
students. Inspired by the involvement of her fellow choir members, Alyssa went on to join a
black sorority the following semester. Now in her senior year, Alyssa attributes her social circle
and involvement opportunities to her experience at the community college.
Alyssa spent her first semester in an off-campus apartment with a spring admit roommate
and two juniors who were best friends. Alyssa and the spring admit roommate became close and
have continued to be roommates with each other ever since. The elder roommates were never
receptive, welcoming, or helpful to their mid-year, first-year roommates. “So, if we were housed
with other freshmen or if it was us two or we were put in a dorm with sophomores that would’ve
been probably better, but juniors- they had already been here for three years.”
Despite living with two juniors during her first year, Alyssa has thrived at WU. In
addition to still being a member of the sorority and the gospel choir, she has a leadership role in
an on-campus job and held a summer internship in Asia. Looking back on her college career,
Alyssa has no regrets with her decision to attend WU as a spring admit. “I met a lot of people in
the fall, I embraced my culture more in the fall and that led me to the groups I joined now. And I
love the groups that I'm in and the friends I've made.”
Anita
Growing up in the same region as WU, Anita didn’t even consider applying for the
school until her senior year in high school. She was immediately elated when she received her
acceptance letter. “I knew I got in, because the letter’s big. So, if it’s big you know you’ve
gotten in and if it’s small that means you—you haven’t gotten accepted. So I was real excited.”
It wasn’t until she read the fine print that she realized the admission was for the spring semester.
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“That’s a little bit disappointing- it’s kind of small on your acceptance letter, you know? That’s
kind of a big deal that you could miss.” With her mother’s urging, she decided to attend her
number one choice school in the spring semester, passing up a sizable scholarship to another
local university.
Although Anita was a bit worried about making friends while starting a semester after the
majority of new students, she figured there would still be plenty of opportunities to make friends.
Aside from social opportunities, Anita was not worried about being a spring admit. She
explained,
I really didn’t see it as starting the school year halfway through necessarily, because
college isn’t high school. It doesn’t matter when you start, because you’re still going to
take classes and you’re still going to fulfill your requirements. Just you’re starting at a
different time.
Anita enrolled in her local community college for the fall semester. She was able to
fulfill two of her WU general education classes. Upon her arrival to WU in January, Anita
immediately began to feel a schism between her and the rest of the campus community. The
proportion of students involved in Greek life overwhelmed her, and she did not feel any
connection to that community. She also thought college would be a casual environment and the
students would be friendly. Instead, students dressed up to go to class and did not welcome her
with open arms. While she would have had these same sentiments if she began WU in the fall
semester, she believes she would have made friends easier, which would have made the entire
environment more manageable for her.
Anita was placed into an off-campus apartment with another spring admit. The room was
nice, but her roommate was not. The two did not get along and barely spoke to each other all
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semester. “I was really disappointed to not be able to live in a dorm, because I’m still worried
that, that’s an experience I’m going to miss not having, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Not making any progress with her roommate, Anita reached out to a few clubs to assist
with her social life. After a couple months, she soon lost motivation to attend the club meetings
“because I just—I still felt like it wasn’t doing anything and I still wasn’t making friends. I felt
really awkward, so I just stopped going.”
Two years later, Anita has continued to face difficulty in finding a close social network.
She has found a couple friends at WU, but “I still don’t feel like I have those deep connections
that I was expecting to make at college.” Looking back on her time at WU, Anita wishes she did
not make the choice to come to WU as a spring admit because, simply put, “I hate it here.”
Ben

Ben is a junior majoring in political science who viewed WU as his reach school.
Although initially disappointed at being admitted to WU for the spring, he was still happy just to
get in. Ben decided to accept the offer because of WU’s academic quality and strong alumni
ties. He spent the fall in classes at a community college, and prepared to attend WU by talking
to his high school friends about their experiences in college so far.
Pretty much all my friends had gone off to school by mid-September. So, by then it was
just more talking to them and hearing what they’re going through, kind of helping me
figure out what I would need to do.
Ben was placed in an on-campus residence hall where he met one of his best friends who
lived across the hall. That friend urged him to join a fraternity immediately after school began.
This fraternity became the foundation for his WU experience:
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I had a great time. I was really involved just from being in the fraternity pledge process.
It was everything I expected college to be. Go out wherever, whenever, no rules. So,
that was really nice. I feel like I got very involved very quickly and I feel like it was
really good first experience here.
Outside of the fraternity, Ben also became close friends with fellow spring admits.
Joining the spring admit Facebook page in the fall, Ben began to seek out spring admits even
before he started school at WU. By the time school began, Ben already had a few spring admit
friends.
While his social life excelled, his academics did not. He earned a 2.7 his first semester,
and his grades have improved every semester since then. Ben attributes his poor first-semester
grades to spending the fall at a community college. He explained:
If I had come straight from high school to here, I think my work ethic when I got here
probably would’ve been a little better. My high school prepared me very well… But
having taken that kind of semester at community college where WU had told me that my
GPA wouldn’t transfer; a pass would get me class credit. I know I can go to my Intro to
Econ class and kind of just do nothing, skate through with a “C” and get the same credit
as if I did every question 100 percent. So, there wasn’t too much motivation from WU’s
part to make me try at community college. So, that kind of took me back down a notch in
my academic performance and then when I got here, I got smacked.
Ben has no regrets about his decision to attend WU as a spring admit. When asked if he
would make the same decision again, he said “I’d come here in the spring. No problem at all.”

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Bruce
WU was easily Bruce’s top choice for college because of his special interest in WU’s
film school. “So, it was just the perfect combination of what I wanted to do, beautiful location
and having a great tradition of sports history and alumni and all that.” Upon receiving his
admission letter, the high school senior from the southern United States thought he had been
rejected. Once he reread the letter and understood the decision, he wasted no time making the
decision. “I still knew that WU was always my first choice… I was just thrilled by the
opportunity of having gotten in any time.”
Bruce spent the fall semester at a community college where he took five classes, only one
of which fulfilled a WU general education requirement. “I expected two or three GE’s knocked
out. It turned out to be one, so that—I was a little disappointed by that lack of communication.”
Bruce saw his spring admission as a challenge from the university to prove his worth. He was
determined to work harder and earn the best grades possible, which he did. He earned all A’s for
most of his college career, including that first semester at WU.
Living in an off-campus apartment, Bruce had three other roommates, one of whom was
a spring admit. Bruce was more than happy to live off campus due to the large size of his
bedroom; however, he did not appreciate the 30-minute walk to his favorite dining hall. He was
friendly with his roommates, but they did no grow to be friends. Bruce was unable to meet
fellow first-year students in his apartment building and on campus.
It was a little hard to meet freshmen or especially spring admit freshmen, just because
most people had been there for the fall and most people had formed their cliques already.
Having said that, again, I’m not a very social person; I might not have joined a clique
even if I’d come in the fall.
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Bruce first began making friends when he obtained an on-campus job through the Alumni
Association. “I was able to make so many wonderful connections through that job, because we
were all coming in on equal footing.”
Beyond his first semester, Bruce has continued to succeed academically and is currently
applying to graduate school. He has encountered some trying times as a student at WU, but is so
happy he came to the school for his major and the connections that come along with it. He said,
“I couldn’t imagine anywhere else or having a better opportunity.”
Corey
Despite living about a dozen miles away from WU, Corey never even had the school on
her collegiate radar. She applied to several schools on the East Coast and submitted the
application to WU only to appease her parents. After getting rejected from her top choice, and
waitlisted to her second choice, WU seemed like a more viable option. She appealed her
rejection to the first school, pushed hard to be pulled off the waitlist at the second school, and
submitted her commitment deposit to WU just in case the two other schools did not pan out.
They did not, so she begrudgingly committed to WU for the spring semester.
Determined to make the most of the fall semester, Corey learned of an American college
in Switzerland that had been friendly to other WU spring admits in the past. She enrolled in the
school and soon learned of about 15 other spring admits from WU who chose the same path.
She arrived at the school, attended the orientation of all 100 students in their class, lived with a
fellow WU spring admit, and met other students from all over the world. Her classes were
demanding, even more demanding than those at WU, according to Corey.
Well, it was awesome, because I continued in school. I feel like my brain would’ve
turned to mush if I hadn’t been in school that fall… I took three GE’s there. So that—
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first of all, that was the best thing—being able to transfer over credits, because then I felt
like once I started here, I could be exactly like a normal student. I wasn’t playing catch
up or anything.
After an incredible and productive fall abroad, Corey moved to campus. She chose to
live with a friend from a rival high school and they were placed in an on-campus apartment.
Though she was grateful to have housing on campus, she still had difficulty making friends
within the building.
I always just imagined like, I was just really just sad I missed out on the dorm experience.
That was my biggest thing, because it’s so different in an apartment…because when I
would visit friends in [residence halls], they would have their doors flung open… It was
just so stereotypical college and I never really had that.
Corey eventually made friends with other spring admits through eating in the dining hall
and talking to students in her first-year classes. She also kept in touch with WU students from
her high school and those she met in Switzerland. Spring admits became her friendship base and
she did not become friends with many fall admits.
Academically, Corey was determined to prove to herself that she belonged at WU. Her
first semester grades were the highest she has ever received and she obtained an internship right
away. “But I got an internship my first semester here through [my school], because I felt really
behind in terms of kids already making connections, networking or what not.” What she didn’t
realize at the time was most first-year students at WU do not look for internships. In an effort to
keep up with the fall students, she was actually able to get a step ahead of them in this respect.
Corey had a few struggles as a spring admit, but she believes there is one
overwhelmingly large positive effect that being a spring admit had on her:
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Being a spring admit has really made me insanely driven. I was not that driven in high
school. I was super lazy and I was just go with the flow, chill. But it was kind of a shock
to me that I was a spring admit and so I was like, “Wow, I really need to step it up.”
This drive has pushed Corey to obtain multiple internships over the years, hold down an
on-campus job, serve as vice president for a student club, and maintain strong friendships.
Donny
It was the rejection from his first-choice college that drove Donny to attend Western
University, the next best school he was admitted to in his opinion. Donny did not perceive his
spring admission as a problem. Instead, he saw it as an opportunity to experience something
totally different. He notified WU that he would prefer to defer his admission to the following
fall semester. He enrolled in a language program in Spain and also secured a photography
internship. The language program was not affiliated with a university. Donny attended a few
hours of class each day and lived with a host family. He said:
It was great. It was a great experience. I think one of the most rewarding parts was
getting to know my host mom. I mean that's probably where I learned the most in terms
of language, just because you sit there over dinner and just have to talk. It would just
take forever to communicate, but you just do it.
Coming off of his fall abroad, Donny decided to enroll in WU in the spring semester
instead of taking the full year off. Upon moving to WU, Donny was immediately concerned
when he moved into his housing assignment- an off-campus apartment for graduate students.
Although he was assigned to live with another spring admit, he was not warned it would be in a
graduate student building. “It wasn't the college experience I was expecting my first week…I
was definitely excited to be in college… but it’s just a really depressing place.” This first week
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would set the theme for the rest of his first semester. Unsatisfied with his housing assignment,
Donny was soon able to move to a better building- this one filled with sophomores. However,
Donny was assigned to share a room with a senior. Not happy with his roommate assignment, he
then moved to an on-campus residence hall for first-year honors students. He explained, “I was
trying to have that—trying to get to the freshmen dorms…. I wanted the real deal.” Still not
satisfied with the type of students in this hall, Donny made his last move to another residence
hall. Finally surrounded by outgoing and social first-year students, this fourth building remained
his living environment for the second half of the spring semester. Unfortunately, the setting
could not make up for the timing of his final move, and Donny was unable to find community
within his building community. He said:
It was just way too late and everybody had already made friends and had groups and were
in all their fraternities and sororities. And all the kind of excitement about being a
freshman that had died down by then, you know. Three fourths of the year had passed. I
don't know. I just felt pretty disconnected.
Outside of his residence hall, Donny also faced difficulties in making friends. He started
off strong by making friends at the new student orientation. However, the male spring admits he
befriended joined fraternities, and the female spring admits flocked to the various fraternity
houses as their social outlets. Donny, who was not invited to pledge a fraternity that semester,
was stranded and separated from his friends who now socialized on fraternity row. Describing
his social life during the first semester, he said:
Looking back on it, I didn't really have any good friends that I could really hang out with
or go eat with or anything like that. I was pretty much on my own for most of the meals
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and stuff… I just floated around a lot. I was just in a lot of different places, in a lot of
different groups and no real attachment to anyone of them or anything.
Donny faced some additional hardships in his classes during his first semester. Although
he did not struggle with his grades, the film major struggled with being engaged in his class
content. Donny was among the last group of students to select his classes, so he did not make it
into classes that matched his interests- he had to take whatever he could get. “I don't think any
of them are really that outstanding…I didn't really try that hard…I didn't really feel that
challenged by anything.”
Donny’s second semester at WU was just as difficult as his first semester. Unable to find
a roommate for the fall, Donny decided to live on his own. He also broke up with his longtime
girlfriend who was away at college living the college life he envisioned for himself. “I was
super, super depressed my sophomore year, because of the effects of kind of that first semester…
So, I lived alone. I lived alone my sophomore year and just slipped into a pretty bad
depression.” Donny soon found a therapist off campus and was eventually able to break out of
that depression.
When asked if he would still make the decision to start WU in the spring semester, he
said, “I can't regret it at this point. It doesn't really matter, but looking back on that first
semester, I really regret it… I would take the full year off if I was to do it again.” While Donny
is still disappointed he never had the freshman experience he desired so badly, he has come to
terms with how his experience has turned out. He explained:
I've got a lot of perspective because of it. I'm really glad that I didn't end up staying in a
fraternity and it kind of forced me to become really independent. I ended up exploring
[the region] a lot, making friends outside of school, rekindling old relationships that I
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wouldn't have otherwise if I were consumed at the school’s social life. I ended up
focusing on my professional career a lot more and my future goals.
Hayden
Hayden was urged by his high school counselor to apply to WU for its film school, even
though he might not have had the grades to make it.
Once I came here with my family, I just fell in love with it, so I knew it was number one
option… And it was a bittersweet moment when I received the letter. The size was
definitely a positive but then when I opened it I was like, “Spring- what does that mean?”
because I didn’t even know it was an option at the time.
Immediately after committing to WU, Hayden researched his options for the fall. Instead
of attending a local community college or working, Hayden decided to enroll in an American
university located in Italy. He applied as a regular student and then explained to the school his
spring admit status, and they agreed to let him attend for just one semester. “I didn’t know
anybody. I didn’t know what I was doing. I just knew I didn’t want to go to community college
for a semester, so I did that.”
During that fall semester abroad, Hayden was able to make friends with his fellow
students, explore a bit of Europe, and take classes that would eventually transfer over to WU.
In summarizing his semester abroad, he says, “It’s definitely awesome—it’s another home for
me now, because I spent so much time there. I wasn’t scared at all. I guess I was just ready, but
I still don’t know what to make of the experience.”
From Italy, Hayden was involved in the WU spring admit Facebook page, where he met a
few people. In January, he moved into an off-campus apartment where he had three roommates
who were sophomores and best friends with each other. Although they were friendly, he did not
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become good friends with any of them. “They wanted to be nice when I came in, but I knew that
they had already been set in their ways and they—I needed to do some freshman stuff.”
Hayden soon joined an all male service-oriented club where he met other spring admits
and made many great friendships. Now a junior, Hayden has held a few on-campus jobs and
currently serves as a resident assistant.
During his first semester, Hayden performed very well academically, earning a spot on
the dean’s list. Comparing WU to the school in Italy, he said, “The classes I took there- theirs
were 10 times easier but—so [WU] was a little bit harder but I wasn’t too concerned about it.”
Hayden has made the most of his time at WU and in Italy, but he is still not completely
happy with his circumstances. If he could do it all over again, he wishes he would have deferred
his admission until the following year. Although that would have put him two semesters behind
instead of just one, he said “But coming in as a freshman— you would actually be a true
freshman. You would be a year older, but I think that’s a—less of a setback than coming in one
semester late.”
Jack
Jack, a senior business major, was attracted to Western University because of its
excellent business program and location in a major metropolitan area. Jack said “good bye” to
his high school friends as they moved away to college. He stayed at home and attended the local
community college during the fall semester in order to “knock a lot of GEs out of the way.”
Upon moving to WU, Jack was placed in an off-campus university-owned apartment with three
other spring admits who seemed to get along very well with each other. The four new freshmen
explored the campus and community together. They soon branched off, joined clubs, and met
other friends, all while maintaining strong roommate relationships. Jack joined a Christian
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student organization and the Korean student club. From these organizations, Jack developed a
strong friendship base, mostly with freshmen who began school in the fall. While his social life
was decent during his first semester, his academic performance suffered a bit. “It was hard to
adjust to going to classes I didn’t like,” he explained. His lack of class attendance proved
detrimental as his first semester GPA was below a 3.0. In the online spring admit survey, he
summarized his experience as a spring admit:
I personally had a great time being a spring admit. Spring admits, although harder to
adjust and be a part of regular USC life, have a special bond of their own. I was lucky to
be placed with good roommates that were also all spring admits and we kind of
adventured into the new [WU] experience together. I had a great time.
When asked if he would still make the decision to come to WU as a spring admit, he
confidently explained, “Yes. I would’ve decided easier now, because my experience as a spring
admit was really good. But like I said, I think my situation is more unique because I was placed
with like all spring admits.”
James
James first thought about attending WU when he visited the campus for a high school
baseball tournament. After finding out about its stellar business program and the strong alumni
connections, he was sold. Growing up in the same region as WU, James had learned of its spring
admission program and had a hunch this would be his point of entry into the university. He did
not hesitate to accept his spring admission. “I kind of like to look at things as you know, half
full; very optimistic. And one of the benefits I see about being a spring admit is saving the
semester’s worth of tuition.” With that in mind, he enrolled in a local community college and
was proud to save thousands of dollars in tuition during that fall semester. Already taking
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classes at a community college and working nearly full time, James found the time to infuse
himself into the WU community by purchasing season tickets to the school’s football games. He
met up with friends from high school who were already enrolled in WU, and attended the games
with them. While on campus for football games, he would not reveal to others that he was a
spring admit. Attending the games helped him feel as though his transition to WU had already
begun.
When the spring semester began, James was living in an on-campus residence hall with a
high school friend, who served as his ambassador to friendships with other residents. James
found difficulty joining student clubs due to the timing of his start date, so he relied on his
roommate and his roommate’s friends for social opportunities. During the next fall semester,
James wasted no time getting involved in a few student government organizations. Now a
junior, James is on the executive board of one of those organizations.
While his level of involvement was not satisfactory, he was definitely satisfied in his
academics. Making the dean’s list during his first semester, he proved to himself that he had the
intelligence not only to attend WU, but to keep up with the fall admits. “I thought that fall
admits were going to be a lot smarter than spring admits,” he explained.
If he were to do it all over again, would he still make the decision to attend WU as a
spring admit? “Absolutely. No doubt in my mind,” he said.
Jane
Jane was admitted to all the schools she applied to except for one- her first choice. She
was also admitted for the spring semester at another prestigious institution. WU was nowhere
close to the top of her list. After much research and contemplation, Jane’s dad convinced her to
choose WU since it was the only private school on her list. According to her friends, students at
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the public universities were unable to enroll in their preferred classes or switch majors. Jane
wanted all the opportunities available at her fingertips, even if that meant waiting for the spring
semester and paying much more money for tuition at a private school.
Jane began taking classes at a local community college while in high school. By the time
she had graduated, she had already accumulated about 25 college credits. She continued at the
community college in the fall before she began at WU, racking up more college credits and
spending time with her friends from high school. By the time Jane enrolled in WU, she had
already gained sophomore standing.
When the spring arrived, the business major opted to live in a non-university apartment
complex across the street from campus. Her roommates were friendly, but they never became
close friends. Jane participated in the new student orientation and welcome events where she
met other spring admits. However, she never seemed to make a connection with any of them.
“They were a lot more social than me. So, I think I didn’t fit in with the group right away and I
never talked to them again.” Jane was too intimidated by the WU social scene to reach out to
new people or new things, which hindered her social life and well-being:
I went to the Involvement Fair and I got too terrified and I couldn’t speak to anyone, so I
had to leave. I saw one of the tables I wanted to talk to. I stopped 15 feet away and
walked away.
She eventually reached out to that club during her first semester and joined it. Two years
later, this senior is now a club officer. However, it took nearly three semesters before she began
making friends in the club.
In her time at WU, the communications major has never struggled academically. All her
struggles have been social. She would have appreciated more help from the university in finding
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friends and involvement opportunities. Jane is graduating this year- a full year early due to her
early start at the community college. Jane attributes her early graduation and desire to leave to
being a spring admit:
The reason why I’m not staying here is because I’m spring admitted. Because I had that
opportunity during that first semester before I came here to take a lot of classes and make
sure I focused on academics, whereas if I’d come straight as a fall admit, I might have
taken a lesser course load and I might have focused on friend making more. But once I
was here as a spring admit, it’s like there’s really no point to try to make friends and to
focus on that aspect, because I’m already late to the game, everyone’s already made their
friends. So, I think I did focus a lot more on academics, because of that. I think I
would’ve succeeded any other way—I mean, I would’ve gotten good grades anyway, but
I wouldn’t have hurried up.
While Jane was never confident in her decision to come to WU in the first place, her
sentiments have only grown worse over the years. When asked if she would still make the same
decision to attend WU as a spring admit, she said, “Definitely not… I wouldn’t go here, because
I really don’t fit in. I feel like I haven’t fit in. Even though I made friends, I feel like it’s very
hard to find the niche here that you belong.” If she could rewind the clock, she would choose to
attend the other prestigious institution that admitted her for the spring semester. However, Jane
still is not confident that she would have fit in anywhere and anytime. “So, it could’ve just been
that even though I always dreamed about going to college, it wasn’t where I would fit in.”
Jenna
An East Coast native, Jenna was determined to study theatre in college. After numerous
campus auditions, she was only accepted at Western University- as a spring admit. Happy to be
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admitted to a collegiate theatre program, Jenna never hesitated. A few months later, unwilling to
spend the fall at home, she packed her bags and moved to a WU suburb where she attended a
top, local community college. She linked up with another spring admit on Facebook and the two
became roommates. Jenna was able to take a few classes and transfer over 10 units to WU. She
even befriended a few other WU spring admits in her community college classes.
Once the spring semester began, Jenna knew almost instantly that she already wanted to
transfer out. “I was freaking out because I had such trouble meeting people and making friends
and everyone’s already in this groove and you literally are just coming into it... just felt very
uncomfortable…I couldn’t really meet people.” She already began applying to another school
until her mother put a stop to it.
It took her nearly the entire semester to find her stride. “The transition took much longer
than I thought it was going to. The whole adjustment period was very, very prolonged. It took
me almost the entire—the entire semester to really adjust.” Her transition was aided by two of
the roommates in her on-campus residence hall suite. One of them was another spring admit,
and the other roommate was already involved in a prominent campus organization. That
roommate showed the ropes to the two spring admits and introduced them to others. “If it wasn’t
for her, we’d probably would have been in our rooms all the time.”
Jenna joined one organization during her first semester- a mentoring program for high
school students with disabilities. To her surprise, she joined a sorority her second semester and
has since served on the executive board. Jenna was happy with her grades during the first
semester when she received a 3.5. Her GPA has fluctuated in both directions ever since.
With her spring admit experiences behind her, Jenna, now a junior, pays particular
attention to new spring admits. When she learns someone is a spring admit, she reveals her
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status, and assures them of her involvement, social, and academic success. She wants to be a
mentor, role model, and counselor of sorts to other spring admits. She tells them:
As hard as it is, like right now this first semester, even the first week and you feel like
you’re not going to make friends and you feel like you don’t fit it and you’re like, “I
don’t belong here,” you do. You just have to—you just have to stick it out.
When asked is she would make the same decision to come to WU as a spring admit, she
said, “Yeah, I would. I mean, looking at my experience now, even starting last year, my
sophomore fall is a hundred million times different than freshman spring; mostly because of the
stuff that I got involved in.”
Lindsey
Lindsey, a senior majoring in biology from the East Coast, chose WU for its location far
from home in a major metropolitan area and for its unique programs for biology majors.
Although she researched WU extensively and had learned of its spring admission program, she
never thought it would actually happen to her. Coming to terms with the offer and her
confusion, Lindsey soon decided to follow her dreams to the West Coast. She decided to take
advantage of the fall semester off by getting in touch with her Korean culture. Living in a small
town on the East Coast, Lindsey did not have much exposure to her mother’s heritage and
family. “The fall semester gave me a good break to travel and explore and do things I couldn’t
do while I was in high school.”
Lindsey and a friend found a university in Korea that offered a Korean language
program, similar to English language programs offered in the United States for international
students. From September to December, the two friends lived on the university’s campus,
attended four hours of language classes a day, and then participated in cultural events and field
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trips in the afternoons. In addition to that, Lindsey traveled around the country and spent
extensive time with her mother’s family. “I think just personally, because I hadn’t met my
family that much and then didn’t really get to know my mom’s culture, I think that was a very
good experience.”
While her trip to Korea was amazing, it would continue to prove to make her transition to
WU more difficult. Having such a great time in Korea and making many friends made her feel
even more alone when she arrived to WU and faced difficulty in finding friends. Once at WU,
Lindsey continued to think about her Korean experience and desired to be back there again. Her
Korean classes were also small, so transitioning to large lectures at WU was overwhelming to
Lindsey. She explained:
I haven’t taken real classes since high school. Basically, my trip to Korea was like a
giant vacation in my mind. And so- and then getting in that mindset of, “Oh, I actually
have to study now and I have to work hard.” So then—yeah, just the transition was kind
of difficult for a multitude reasons.
Lindsey was originally placed in an off-campus apartment with another spring admit.
She felt disconnected from the entire campus and was unable to meet others in the building.
After a couple weeks, the roommates were able to move together to an on-campus residence hall
when spots opened up. While the new hall still was not as social as she had hoped, it was still a
big advantage. “I think it helped more mentally because I was on the campus…I felt more
connected just being on campus. I met a lot of people in my hallway.”
The two spring admit roommates went on to become best friends. They bonded over
recent break-ups and their loneliness in being spring admits. They eventually joined a Christian
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student organization more to meet friends than for the religious aspect. They are both still
involved in that organization. Would she do it all again?
I think so. It’s not very—it’s not a very confident “yes.” If I could change things, I think
it would be—I would have more confidence. But if I were just to replay the whole thing
again, then it would be kind of difficult to decide…Even though it was a tough transition,
it has made me a stronger and more independent person. I am very happy with where I
am now and the spring admit process set off a chain of events that has specifically led me
to where I am today.
Lola
Lola was thrilled to go to college- any college and at any time. She immigrated with her
parents to California from Hong Kong when she was in middle school. She explained, “I was
the first person in my household to go to college in America…So I had—we had no idea what
[spring admission] meant. All I know is I got into college. So I’m just happy.” During the fall,
Lola took classes at a community college and found a part-time job at a café. She saved her
money in anticipation for moving to college.
As she made her preparations to attend WU, Lola was given the option to live a few
blocks off campus or to live in the on-campus apartments. She chose the latter to ensure her own
safety. Immediately upon moving into her own on-campus apartment with no roommate, Lola
realized it would be difficult to meet her fellow residents. “I realized people there are really anti-
social. They always keep their door closed. I thought, dorms everyone keeps their doors open so
I can get to know people. And so, I didn’t really meet that many people.” Lola encountered
deep social struggles during the first few weeks of her tenure at WU since she did not have a
roommate and could not infiltrate pre-existing groups of friends. “Most of the people as I can
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see, they already formed cliques of friends. It’s not like you can just go in and be like, ‘Hey, can
I join your friend group?’”
Lola soon took matters in her own hands. She made the effort to join a couple clubs,
participate in a travel program for business students, and found an on-campus job, which she still
holds in her senior year. Academically, Lola excelled, earning a 3.8 GPA during her first
semester and making a good connection with at least one of her professors. Despite taking a
medical leave of absence during her second semester, Lola has been able to take advantage of
many opportunities at WU, including being admitted into a progressive master’s degree program
and studying abroad.
Although she regrets her first-semester housing situation and social difficulty, she is
happy with her decision to come to WU because of all she has accomplished and participated in.
“If you weigh it out, the positive wins.”
Michelle
Senior communications major Michelle was not worried when she received her spring
admission letter. “It didn’t really bother me,” she said. With enough AP credits from high
school, Michelle decided to take the fall off from school and travel. Touching down in at least
four major cities in the United States, Michelle visited high school friends who had just started
their college careers all over the country.
I liked getting to see what—I mean, all their colleges are pretty different… I was never
jealous. I mean, honestly it was nice because it was sleeping in college but you don’t
have homework. So, I mean, you just go to parties with people and then you watch TV
while they go to class.
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When it was time for Michelle to begin her college career, she moved into an on-campus
residence hall. Although she was one of the few spring admits lucky to live on campus, her
housing assignment did not help her find friends or involvement opportunities. “I didn’t really
do anything. I didn’t really have friends. I didn’t do anything, really. So, that was pretty much
it.” Since she struck out with finding friends at WU, including her roommates, she remained in
close touch with her high school friends who were enrolled in colleges in the local area.
Despite her lack of success in the finding friends, Michelle found much success in the
classroom. Her first semester GPA was nearly a 4.0 and she was able to secure an internship for
the summer. She confesses, “honestly, academically I find the school easier than my high
school was, for sure.”
When asked if she would make the same decision again to attend WU as a spring admit,
Michelle responded, “I’m not sure if I would come here socially, but for the opportunities job-
wise, definitely.”
Mudd
Mudd took the non-traditional route to Western University. He graduated from a local
high school in 2004 and spent the next five years working in the family business and attempting
his own business ventures. After some highs and more recent lows in his industry, Mudd
decided it was finally time to go to college. He set his sights on the only school he had ever
dreamed of- Western University. As he turned in his WU application, Mudd had a lot riding on
it. He was almost desperate to go to WU:
I really wanted to get to [WU] so bad. You know, I needed it. It was a really difficult
work environment at that time. Things were difficult in the household, so I was—I was
looking for a new opportunity, a chance to kind of grow as something and I always—I—I
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never really let go of my belief that [WU] could really launch or at least give me a new
perspective on life.
Mudd was thrilled when he was accepted into WU for the spring. He made preparations
to leave his family and business ventures behind, and to concentrate on being a full-time college
student. “I really, really wanted to focus on just learning. I wanted to open up my mind. I was
looking for that—I was looking to be challenged academically again. I was looking forward to
that challenge.”
Already in his mid-twenties, this first-year college student was prepared to live with 18
year olds and all that it would entail. Mudd was assigned to live in an on-campus residence hall
with a sophomore. He met some friendly, welcoming people on the floor, but did not make any
solid connections with any of them.
I didn’t really expect to have this real immersion in terms of a social community, so for
the most it was—it was—I felt pretty—somewhat isolated I guess. And I don’t know if
that was because of my age and just where—where I was mentally or if that has to do
with any kind of integration, because of the spring admit but living in the dorms there
was some opportunities to mingle and stuff like that. I was still trying to unwind some—
some different business or some client stuff. So, I was pretty focused.
Mudd was automatically enrolled in an academic support program for new students who
need a little extra support. The staff in this program proved to be a great asset for him as they
gave him advice on how to get involved in the campus, taught him study skills, and helped him
navigate various campus resources. As a business student, Mudd joined a couple of business-
related clubs for professional development purposes. He also joined a Latin dance club as a
social outlet, which proved to be a great place for him to meet friends.
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Mudd exceeded the expectations of his family and friends when he made the dean’s list
his first semester. His grades were a direct result of his hard work during that semester. “It was
intense. It was rigorous. I committed a lot of time—more time than I would—than you know,
unfortunately than I do now probably and I was—I was very on it.”
Mudd’s experiences as a non-traditional spring admit are different than traditional spring
admits. Yet another difference was his outlook on graduation. While most spring admits strive
to graduate “with their class” in 7 semesters at WU, Mudd does not feel that pressure since he’s
already graduating at an older age than the majority of undergraduate students. He explains:
For me that’s not a concern. I’m not on anyone else’s timetable. I’m not within any kind
of—I—I don’t have such a strong social affiliation with any group that I feel that I need
to graduate in any given time or within a specific time frame. I’m really glad to be here
and I want to get a lot out of—out of [WU].
Does Mudd have any regrets about joining WU a semester late? Not at all. “WU was
certainly my number one focus…Whatever it took to get here, it was just going to happen.”
Shelby
With an older sister already attending WU, Shelby knew she wanted to follow in her
footsteps. A broadcast major from the Midwest, Shelby could not deny the school’s outstanding
broadcast program. A frequent visitor to the campus, Shelby always felt like she was meant to
come here:
I felt very welcomed every time I was here by the people here. Especially, I would hang
out with my sister and her friends and I felt like they were very welcoming to me. And
when I stood on [the quad], it just felt like home.
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Shelby’s WU fairytale ended when she found out about her spring admission while on
vacation with some high school friends. Shelby explains her reaction while she struggles to fight
back tears:
I literally was sobbing the whole night… because I wanted to go to [WU] so badly and
my sister had gotten in. So I felt like I couldn’t get in… I wasn’t going to go to [WU],
because I thought they didn’t want me enough.
Shelby soon decided to attend WU despite starting in the spring semester. “I had put
[WU] on such a pedestal that even visiting the [second choice school], I just didn’t—it didn’t
seem quite right.” Shelby decided to take fall classes at a community college near home, and
supplemented her time by flying to WU four times to visit her sister and attend the home football
games. Instead of finding fellow first-year students to watch the games with, Shelby stayed by
her sister’s side with her friends.
When the spring semester arrived, Shelby was more than ready to move to campus. She
found a spot in an on-campus residence hall. Despite the ideal and rare on-campus housing
assignment, Shelby was unable to connect with other students. Aside from her roommate, she
did not meet many others in her residence hall, and the spring admits she had previously
connected with lived far off campus. “People were living everywhere, so it just felt really lonely
when we first got here.”
With her sister studying abroad during the spring semester, Shelby was desperate to find
her own friends and start building relationships. “I tried to go to a couple Christian groups, but
they were not open at all or welcoming to new people at all.” She became dejected with these
rejections. “That was the extent of my ‘socialness’ at the very start. I spent a lot of my time in
my room crying on the phone with my mom.” Shelby’s sadness soon grew into outright
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depression, and her loved ones were worried she was becoming suicidal. Her parents frequently
asked campus safety offices to check in on her. At one point during the spring semester, her dad
flew to WU from the Midwest with the intent to pull her out of school and take her home.
Shelby convinced her dad to let her stay. Shelby soon sought help with an off-campus therapist
whom she saw three times a week. She was put on anti-depressants. Two years later, Shelby
continues to see this therapist twice a month, but is no longer on anti-depressants.
Academically, Shelby more than excelled during her first semester. “They were the best
[grades] they’ve been since I’ve been here because I never missed a class...I got really obsessive
over grades, because I couldn’t obsess over friendships… I didn’t do anything else except for my
schoolwork.” Even though she earned high marks, it was not easy for her to complete all her
homework. She spent the entire weekend doing homework, but found herself crying for long
periods at a time.
Her collegiate experience improved as soon as she joined her sister’s sorority the
following fall, where she has found the majority of her college friends and currently holds a
leadership position. Although her college career is slowly turning around for this junior, she still
regrets her decision to come to WU as a spring admit. As her younger sister is starting to think
about college, Shelby and her family are determined to protect her from a spring admission.
“My parents are forbidding my little sister from taking a spring admit letter if she gets one from
here.”
Tate
Living a suburb away from WU his whole life, Tate really did not know much about the
school when it came time for college applications. He knew he wanted to stay close to home, so
he researched all local universities. The more he learned about the school, the more he loved it,
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including his admitted major- computer science. His goal was to become the next Steve Jobs,
and WU provided the perfect opportunity for him to strive toward his dream.
Receiving a spring acceptance from WU devastated Tate. He cried upon reading the
letter and deliberated over the decision for weeks. However, still yearning to attend WU, Tate
chose being a spring admit at WU over a fall start date at a couple other local universities. This
will be a decision he will always regret.
Tate enrolled in a local community college and anxiously anticipated his time at WU.
While his units transferred over to WU, the school did little to prepare him for the rigors of WU
academics. In addition to studying at the community college, Tate filled the rest of his fall with
visits to friends who had just started their college careers throughout the country:
Yeah, which was great and really hard at the same time, because it was like -I don’t
know—reopened the wound that I wasn’t there when everybody else was, especially
coming to WU. That was really hard to come visit [WU] when I’m like, “I am a [WU]
student and I’m not here”…It felt very crappy that I wasn’t—I wasn’t going through that
freshman college experience everybody else was. And you hold onto that idea. You hold
onto that idea of your freshman year college is starting and I just felt like I wasn’t getting
it.
It was finally time for Tate to experience the start of his college career at WU. He was
placed in an on-campus apartment, but on the graduate student floor. “I was starting to feel
really defeated by the time I actually got to campus.” Fortunately, his roommate was also a
spring admit, but neither of them had been notified they would be living on the graduate student
floor. He did not become friends with anyone on his floor, including his roommate:
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I think I met two people on my floor the entire time I lived there and one of them was the
RA and one of them was a girl next door to me, because the girl next door was always
making noise and so I would go over and tell her to be quiet.
His first week on campus proved to be more than difficult for Tate. “It went by and I felt
very—I guess I just felt alone.” He tried to reach out to other spring admits, but to no avail, and
it was obvious to him fall admits were already settled in. He explains:
I’ve never struggled socially really. I’ve always been able to put myself out there make
new friends. But it just—I was just given the illusion that it’s going to be just like when
you get there [in the fall] and that you can—I don’t know.
After his difficult first week, Tate decided to pledge a fraternity to assist with his social
misfortunes. Although he was only in the fraternity for three semesters, his first semester ended
on a good note with his social life picking up.
I just felt like if I hadn’t done it—I kind of—after that first week I kind of made the
decision that… if I didn’t get involved in something, then I’d be really miserable. I
looked at all sorts of things and I rushed…I went to look and then it just kind of
happened, I guess. I actually mean like that—at the time it was great. It really helped me
make friends.
Tate’s real problems began the following semester as he struggled with his academics.
Since he completed many of his general education courses at the community college, he was left
with difficult major courses and was under the impression he was behind in his classes. His 18-
unit course load, suggested by his academic advisor, became more than he could handle. He
withdrew from two classes and went down to 12 units more than halfway into the semester. “I
started to get really depressed. I got really, really, really depressed and found myself not going
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to class, just because I didn’t—I didn’t really like the classes I was in.” A couple weeks later, his
idol Steve Jobs died. The death, compounded with his existing academic and emotional
problems, proved to be too much for Tate. “That’s kind of when it all just started to spiral for me
and I ended up dropping two classes, which was terrible. I felt like such a failure and just it just
felt terrible.”
At this point, Tate thought a change of major would be at least a partial solution. He
applied to be a business major, but was denied. He left for winter break without registering for
spring classes. “And I was just feeling so defeated and really depressed, like really, really
depressed and I had been seeing a therapist regularly.” Blaming WU for his spring admission
and its residual effects, he was set on leaving the school. “I was in so much pain with [WU] and
anger with it, that I just didn’t—I just didn’t see it working.” After much urging from his
parents, he registered for two classes in the spring semester. Tate soon got in a big fight with his
roommates as they were concerned about his well-being. Not taking it well, Tate drove home to
his parents- hysterical. He spent the next eight days at home, missing school the entire time, but
finally sought help from a psychiatrist, and got on antidepressants for a few weeks. Tate
encountered another breakdown a month later. He had begun to apply to other universities, but
soon realized that his units would not all transfer and he would almost have to start from scratch.
Feeling trapped at WU, he continued to withdrawal from his everyday life. He was placed on
suicide watch for two weeks.
Halfway through his third semester at WU, he finally started getting better. “I mean
things got okay again. I got more control of my depression and everything kind of became okay
again. I’m okay, everything got tolerable.” He scored high marks in his classes and made great
connections with his professors who helped him get through the difficult semester. He soon
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received a second notification from this business program- this time he was accepted. Despite the
good news, with three semesters under his WU belt, Tate is still yearning to leave the school. He
will spend one more semester on the WU campus, and then study abroad for his last semester. “I
felt like I had been in school for an eternity already… I felt like if I never saw this place again,
I’d be happy.”
Throughout his struggles at WU, Tate placed great blame on the university and his spring
admission. While he admits he would have struggled even if he were admitted for the fall
semester, he does believe his social and academic experiences would have been much easier. In
looking back on his college experience so far, Tate said, “I truly—truly—if I could do it all over
again, I wouldn’t have come to WU. I would’ve preferred a rejection letter than a spring admit
letter. I really would’ve… And I wish this upon no one.”
Taylor
Taylor applied to WU for its high ranking and stellar communications program. Growing
up about an hour away from the school, she was aware of the university’s athletic prowess,
school spirit, and network of alumni. When the large envelope arrived from the WU Office of
Admission, Taylor knew she was accepted. She was immediately excited, but that feeling didn’t
last too long. Upon reading the sentence explaining her spring admission, she was surprised and
confused. She explained:
I spent the rest of the day just freaking out because I was really confused about what I
wanted to do, because obviously, I had never thought about going to college in the spring.
I knew I was going to go to college in the fall. That’s what you think you’re going to do.
WU was the highest-ranked school to which Taylor was accepted, so she decided to wait
the extra semester to become a matriculated student at WU. She soon learned some of her high
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school friends had also accepted WU’s offer for spring admission. They decided to attend
community college together and buy tickets for the home football games during the fall semester.
Coming to campus for the football games helped Taylor jumpstart many friendships with other
spring admits. Utilizing the spring admit Facebook group, Taylor often made plans to meet up
with fellow spring admits for the football games.
When the spring semester arrived, Taylor moved into an on-campus residence hall and
shared a room with a fall admit. Her roommate introduced her to many people and showed her
how to navigate the campus. Three years later, Taylor no longer keeps in touch with those
residence hall friends, but she is grateful for their help in her adjustment to WU as a spring
admit.
Taylor regrets her lack of involvement during her first semester. Aside from participating
in a mentor program for middle school students, Taylor did not join any other clubs or
organizations. She said, “I don’t think I realized or was encouraged enough. I don’t know if it’s
my fault or [WU’s] fault, but I definitely felt like I didn’t really get involved as much as I should
have.”
Taylor joined a sorority the following semester and was quick to find her niche within the
sisterhood. She was one of about 10 other spring admits who were new to the sorority that
semester. Taylor is confident in her decision to attend WU as a spring admit. “Now that I’m
here in the second semester of my senior year, I just couldn’t be any happier to be at such a great
university…It all worked out and I feel like everything happens for a reason.”
Conclusion
The stories of these spring admits varied in many aspects. Some students have
experienced college, specifically their first semester, in a great way, while others went through it
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miserably. Some would have been happy to repeat their experiences from the beginning to the
end, while others will always regret their decision to come to WU. No two students have
experienced college life as a spring admit in the same way. They have chosen their own paths
and have developed unique perspectives as a result of those paths.
The following chapter will describe the many themes surfaced during the interviews. It
will contain much more information about the informants as well as their reactions and
sentiments toward these different themes. Intertwined in the interview data are data from the
other methods of collection- the survey, observation, and document analysis. These triangulated
data will describe the factors that impact spring admits as they undergo their first semester at
Western University.

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Chapter 5: Findings
Themes
As previously discussed, spring admits at Western University experienced their first
semester in different ways. Some had a more positive outlook than others. However, no matter
the outlook, the same themes resurfaced from interview to interview. This chapter will review
the common themes while incorporating data from the interviews, survey, observation, report
from the registrar, and document analysis. The 11 themes that will be reviewed are:
• Student reactions to being admitted for the spring semester
• Myths about spring admission
• Expectations of being a spring admit
• Fall semester activities
• Housing arrangements
• Social life
• Involvement
• Perceived differences between fall and spring admits
• The impact on students’ self-efficacy
• Utilized and desired student services
• Academic performance and the “chip on my shoulder” effect
Student Reactions
Receiving a college acceptance letter is an important milestone and memory for just
about all students. Students typically know a big envelope is a good sign, and a small envelope
is a bad sign. Students tend to know about the waitlist option, but not many know of the spring
admit option. Nationally, in recent years there have been a few articles published about spring
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admission, and Springer, Reider, and Franck (2009) have a section dedicated to the topic in their
book Admission Matters. The Western University admissions website contains only a brief
mention of spring admission on its dates and deadlines page. The page reads, “Although we do
not accept applications for spring admission, we do consider all fall applicants for a place in the
class entering in the spring semester, which begins in January.” The interviews brought to light
the many ways a prospective college student can react to a spring admission letter. The WU
spring admit acceptance letter and 13-page welcome booklet mailed out to hundreds of students
in the spring of 2013 were straightforward, explanatory, and uplifting. The admission letter
reads:
Congratulations! You are among a very select group of students who have been admitted
to [WU] for the spring semester of 2014. I know when you applied, you intended to
begin your studies here this fall, so please read on and let me explain this special
opportunity. We are making this offer to you because after an extensive review of your
application, we believe your academic abilities and personal characteristics make you an
excellent fit for [WU]. The problem is that we simply do not have enough room to
accommodate all the students we wish to admit. Rather than turn you away, we want you
to enroll in January and take the place of a [WU] student who will be graduating from the
university this December.
Aware of Spring Admit Option
A few informants were aware of the possibility of a spring admission since they had
either done their research or knew previous spring admits. Lindsey was in the former group. She
explained, “I actually read about the spring admit online before as I was researching [WU], but I
never thought—you never thought that that kind of instance is going to happen to you.” Even
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with the forewarning, she was still surprised and confused upon reading her letter, but took it in
stride. James, the local high school student, was of the latter group. He said:
To be honest, I kind of figured I was going to be a spring admit. What’s great about being
from [the area] is you’ll actually know of the spring admission process before you apply,
because a lot of people you know were spring admits.
I Got In!
Most of the informants learned about the spring admission program when they received
their acceptance letter. Despite their immediate shock and confusion, some of them were so
thrilled to be accepted it did not matter for which semester. Mudd, the non-traditional student
who applied to WU after his family’s business failed, said, “I basically told myself that as long
as I get in I didn’t care. I didn’t care if it was spring, fall, or summer. It didn’t make a difference
to me necessarily.”
Lola, the first in her family to go to college in the United States, said, “I was really happy
actually. Then I saw that line. I actually initially didn’t know what it means. At least I got in.
So I’m just going to stick with it. It’s my dream school.” During my Spring Welcome
observation, the nine students in the group mentioned their first reactions to their spring
admission letter less than a year ago. One student said, “I’ve wanted to come here my whole
life, so it was worth waiting one more semester.”
Disappointment
The majority of spring admits did not accept the news as well as the aforementioned
students. Lack of awareness of the possibility, confusion about admission standards, or total
disbelief, meant these students were not as positive about their acceptance.
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Jane, the student who passed up a handful of prestigious public institutions in order to
have more choices and opportunities at this private university, said, “I’d gotten into Berkeley
first, but when I got [WU], I was kind of insulted. I’ll be honest—really insulted.”
Corey was the local student who ended up studying in Switzerland in the fall. She was
denied by her top choice and waitlisted at her next choice. When she received the WU letter, she
said, “‘What do you mean I got in, in the spring?’… ‘That’s really weird,’… With the waitlist
thing, it was kind of like I still had a lot of hope. I was bummed.”
Tate, the local student who wanted to become the next Steve Jobs, had the worst response
among all the informants. Upon receiving his spring admission letter, “I immediately just broke
down into tears…I immediately was upset and it just felt really bad, because it felt like you—you
got in but you weren’t quite good enough, so we’re going to put you in the spring.”
Myths About Spring Admission
Of the many items discussed in the interviews, one of the most captivating topics
centered on the myths students heard and contrived about spring admission. Across the nation
and at WU, the public reasons for utilizing a spring admission system are typically kept vague,
leaving students and even administrators often wondering why the system is utilized. Lack of
physical space coupled with the desire to admit as many students as possible is frequently the
published explanation, which is the case in the WU admission letter. Throughout the interviews,
students attempted to decipher the decision, shared rumors they had heard, and speculated on
why they were admitted for the spring semester. Here are some of their theories about the spring
admission system.

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College Rankings
As discussed in the literature review, data and academic profiles of students admitted for
the spring semester are not included in institutional reports that are published in collegiate
rankings. These rankings, such as U.S. News and World Report, are considered a “collateral
benefit” for a school that admits students for the spring semester (Foderaro, 2011, para. 11).
According to Seidman (2012), some institutions admit students with the top admissions scores
for the fall semester and admit students with lower scores for the spring semester, thus making
the school look better when they submit information for rankings. Two students caught on to
this theory after they were admitted to WU. Corey’s dad attributed her spring admission in part
to such rankings and statistics. She explained her dad’s hunch:
If you didn’t have the grades to get in or you didn’t look good in terms of U.S. News and
World Report and rankings, then they’d probably defer you to the spring, because even
though you didn’t have that GPA or that high SAT score, they still really wanted you or
you had something that like [WU] saw, that they liked.
Jack also understood how his high school GPA might have impacted the overall GPA of
the incoming class. “Another thing I heard is that you’re admitted in the spring because your
GPA wasn’t on par so that they don’t want to put you in the pool to show that to the public or
something for the admitting class.”
The published Western University freshman profile only contains information about
students who started WU in the fall semester. Spring admit data is not included in publications,
and I was unable to obtain the data for this study. For the 2012 cohort, more than 46,000
students applied for WU. Twenty percent of those were admitted for the fall, and 33% of those
admitted came to WU. Of the students who came, their average, un-weighted high school GPA
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was 3.7 on a 4.0 scale. For their SAT scores, the middle 50% of students earned composite
scores of 1950-2190 on the SAT and 29-33 on the ACT. Consistently strong GPAs, SAT, and
ACT scores by its incoming fall class have helped keep WU in the top 25 of U.S. New and World
Report’s collegiate rankings for best national university for several years.
First Tier and Second Tier
Another common theory was the categorizing of applicants into a first tier group and
second tier group. These assignments could have been based on any number of qualifications,
including high school grades, co-curricular activities, and/or SAT score. Here is Bruce’s theory
about his spring admission:
They would’ve admitted people in the fall who were their top candidates, and then if they
had room in the spring they would admit the next tier of top candidates. So, I always
took it as I was a bit of the tier below the fall admits.
Alyssa had the same perception of her spring admission. She said, “Originally I thought
it was because I wasn't as good as the first place and then there was the cut-off and then I was in
group B.” Jane also saw herself as less desirable in the eyes of the admission office since she
was admitted for the spring semester. She said, “I thought it was for students who they didn’t
want as much. That’s for sure…Because they—they wouldn’t risk someone…they really wanted
to be a spring admit because it’s a lot less likely that I would’ve chosen this school.”
Vacancies on Campus
Another topic discussed in the literature review was the utilization of a spring admission
process to keep the university at full capacity year round. While the students did not really
understand this concept, they heard rumors about how spring admits fill in empty spaces on
campus. This is one of the reasons that is typically used or published to explain to students the
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reasons for admitting students for the spring. In the spring admission letter, Western University
specifically refers to students graduating in December as the reason why there are additional
spots. This is how Lindsey described the process:
But even in the letter itself… or whatever online…they have you as the spring admit
because a lot of people study abroad, so now they have all these empty beds and then
they want to fill those in. So why not add more people in the spring when all these
people study abroad? And because of that reasoning and that process, we felt like, “Oh,
we’re just a way for [WU] to make more money.”
Ben also tried to come to terms with this logic. During his interview, he explained:
I kind of tried to reason it to myself and the thing I was thinking of is maybe class space
or campus space. People go abroad in the spring, people graduate early but I don’t know
really how that would affect the freshman class size, because generally that’s juniors
going abroad or seniors graduating early.
Random Selection
Another recurring theory that I never expected to hear was that students are chosen at
random to be accepted for the fall, be accepted for the spring, or not be accepted at all.
When asked why she believes she was admitted for the spring, Jane responded, “Why do
I think? I think it was random...There’s really no rhyme or reason that I can see.”
Unsure of why she was admitted for the spring, Lola sought answers online. She said:
Pretty much the reasons we found were from online groups and we can’t really trust
those. The ones I’ve seen it’s just like, it’s based on lottery. There’s a group of people,
they’re not really completely in and then they just did a lottery and they pull some people
as spring admits.
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Jenna had the same hunch as the other two students. She said:
From what I was told—I’ve been told a hundred million different things…they have a
pool of however many students that they want to admit but they can’t take all of them, so
they randomly select a couple, like 500 or whatever. But I don’t know how accurate that
is. I don’t—I don’t even know what the real story is.
Family Contribution
Another spring admit conspiracy theory focused on the socioeconomic statuses of
prospective students. A couple students hypothesized that the school holds students back for the
spring semester if their family has a higher estimated family contribution. Corey, the student
who spent the fall semester in Switzerland, said:
People always say, “If you’re not smart enough or you have a lot of money or your
parents made a donation, you’re a spring admit.” I’m like if you actually are smart or are
here on a scholarship or something, you’re a fall admit.
Jack heard similar rumors about the financial status of spring admits. He explained:
I heard that people in the spring—you’re admitted in the spring because you can afford it
financially. That’s what I heard so, I think people in the spring are more laid back
because of that, because finances wasn’t a huge issue.
Top Secret
Lastly, it is important to acknowledge the secrecy and mystery of the spring admission
process in the eyes of spring admits. While all informants want concrete knowledge as to why
they were spring admitted, two students mentioned actually seeking this information from
university officials. Michelle said, “I did ask one time and they said they wouldn’t tell me. And
I was just like, ‘Well, that makes it even weirder.’” James also asked a few people about the
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reasoning behind his acceptance. He described those conversations as “Whenever you ask a
counselor why spring admission, they never actually give you that concrete, ‘Well, because your
grades, because you do not have extra-curriculars.’ They give you a nebulous kind of protecting
themselves answer.”
The secrecy around the decision-making process can best be summed up with Michelle’s
simple question. When I asked her why she thought she was admitted for the spring semester,
she turned the tables around and directed the question to me. She said, “I mean, do you know
why I was spring admitted?”
Expectations of Being a Spring Admit
Of all the possible thoughts that could run through a person’s mind as they begin to
imagine what their collegiate experience would be like, spring admits primarily focused their
thoughts on their social lives and their academics. How will they make friends in the middle of
the school year? Will they be behind in their classes as a result of starting WU in the spring?
When I asked them about how they anticipated life as a spring admit, they either described social
or academic worries.
Social Expectations
Leaving your former friends behind and making a new group of friends can be a daunting
task for any new college student, but imagine attempting it in the middle of the school year.
Although some of the informants were oblivious to this notion before they began classes at WU,
the other informants were worried about their social prospects. Simply put, Taylor confessed, “I
was really worried that I wouldn’t make friends.”
According to Schlossberg’s Transition Theory (Goodman et al., 2006), people feel
uncomfortable when their timing is off from the norm. This is especially true for spring admits
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since the beginning of college is widely thought of as the fall semester. Jack alluded to being off
schedule from everyone else:
Well, for me it was probably like, “Okay, so I’m going to come in half a year later, so it’s
going to be a lot harder to meet people because people would’ve already had made their
friends,” and so it would be a lot—it’s just more difficult.
Shelby, the student who flew halfway across the country to attend football games in the
fall and ended up dealing with severe depression during her first semester, was definitely worried
about making new friends. She said:
I couldn’t even picture getting there a semester after everyone else and somehow being
thrown into all of it. I guess, I—my biggest concern was fitting in and that was the one
thing that I kept picturing…me not fitting in when I got here.
Ben, on the other hand, was aware of the social difficulty he could face, but did not let it
worry him. He said:
I thought it was just going to be like everything else or like a fall admission. Obviously, I
kind of understood that a lot of friendships would’ve already been formed in the first
semester before I got there and I would have to put in some work to break into some
social circles. But I didn’t think after that first few weeks or so that it would be any
different than what everybody else was going through.
Later in this chapter, I will describe the actual social experiences the informants
encountered during their fall semester.
Academic Expectations
For the most part, the students who were not concerned about their future social lives
were concerned about their academic pursuits. In the interviews, the informants described how
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they perceived being a spring admit would affect their academic success. In simple words, Jane
fully described her anxiety. She said, “I’d be behind- academically.”
James was more worried about keeping up with the fall admits in his classes. Since he
was admitted for the spring semester, he assumed it was due to a lower GPA, SAT, or his overall
intelligence level. He said, “So one of the differences I thought there was going to be was an
intelligence difference. I thought that fall admits were going to be a lot smarter than spring
admits.”
Later in the chapter, I will also review the actual academic performances of the
informants in addition to comparative academic data between fall and spring admits.
Fall Semester Activities
Spring admits are blessed and cursed with an empty fall semester. After committing to
WU as spring admits, the informants went about looking for ways to fill the semester-long gap.
The majority of informants enrolled in classes at their local community college, and some of
them secured part-time jobs. A few informants traveled abroad or enrolled in universities
abroad. Of the spring admits who responded in the online survey, 65% of the students studied at
a community college during the fall semester, representing the most common fall activity for
WU spring admits. Twenty-nine percent worked part time or full time during the fall semester,
15% studied at another university, and 13% traveled.
During my Spring Welcome observation with nine new spring admits, one student
referred to the fall semester as the “most boring and worst time of my life.” He explained it was
because his high school friends had left for college, and he kept watching the WU Facebook
pages, which made him jealous he was not a part of the community just yet. Another student in
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the group actually made the effort to become a part of the campus community during the fall
semester, but he felt unwelcomed by the students and not allowed by the administrators.
The following are the experiences of the informants during that fall semester.
Community College
Perhaps the most obvious and by far the most common activity for spring admits in the
fall was to take classes at a local community college. WU’s welcome booklet “recommends you
enroll in a community college so you can begin your studies and graduate with your class.” This
option gives spring admits the opportunity to earn college credit and save money by not paying
private university tuition for one semester. In the survey, 40% of students ranked saving money
as the best benefit of being a spring admit. Earning academic credit at another institution was
selected by 18% of the respondents as the best benefit. James was particularly excited to save
money on tuition. He explained:
And one of the benefits I see about being a spring admit is saving the semester’s worth of
tuition. Especially your first semester at [WU] when you take the GE classes, which
aren’t really why you go to [WU]. So, instead of spending that $25,000 at [WU] to take a
class that you’re probably not going to pay attention to, you do that at a community
college and you save all sorts of money.
While the informants embraced the opportunity to take classes during the fall semester,
they did not feel like they learned much while enrolled in the community college courses. The
students commented on the ease of the workload and the lowered expectations of being at a
community college instead of a four-year university.
According to Tate, “Academically it was probably my easiest semester I’ve ever had. I
got a 4.0 taking 20 units. And it didn’t feel like I was doing anything. The teachers were
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praising me for turning in homework.” Bruce had similar experiences at his community college.
He described his English class:
The first day they wrote the word “noun” on the board and then turned around and said,
“Okay, now what is a noun?” and it was dead silence in a room. So, my community
college experience was not very good.
While the students enjoyed the high marks they earned at the community colleges, it was
sometimes disadvantageous when they arrived to WU. James explained the difficulty he faced
when he finally began classes at WU. He said:
Coming from community college, which with all respect was quite easy, to coming to
[WU], that jump was a lot more difficult than I expected, because that fall semester, I see
it as a semester off. Not as a semester working and taking classes. More of a relaxing,
kind of “find yourself” semester. So, when I jumped into [WU] there was a struggle of,
“Oh man, this is—this is college,” and you know, I don’t think I could’ve prepared any
better because I worked—I took classes but it’s just the environment of the jump.
Lastly, some of the informants were disenchanted by the way the community college
credits transferred over to WU. Jenna explained her disappointment:
It was kind of frustrating though, because you don’t realize the units are different over
there and so they don’t transfer the same…So, I was bummed, because I only ended up
with 10 units, when I really would like to have had 12, which would’ve made my life a
little bit easier.
Bruce also had some difficulty receiving full credit for his fall course load. He sad,
“There were some problems transferring some of my credits over, which is always not great. I
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mean, I got credit for all of them, but I was hoping they would knock out more GE’s than they
did.”
Study Abroad
As explained in the literature review, a growing trend nationwide is for high school
graduates to take a year off from school, explore interests, undergo a cultural immersion, or do
volunteer work. The gap year is an opportunity for students to “gain confidence, a clearer
direction, and invaluable life experience” (Hulstrand, 2010, p. 50). WU’s spring admit website
introduces the concept of a gap semester and includes information for students interested in this
type of activity. Some spring admits took a gap semester by exploring another country and
traveling around a new region. During the fall semester, a few of the informants travelled
throughout the United States visiting friends at other colleges. However, four of the 18
informants decided to travel abroad and take classes overseas during the fall semester. Corey
went to an American college in Switzerland with other WU spring admits, Lindsey enrolled in a
language program in South Korea, and Hayden found an American college in Italy. Donny
traveled to Spain and enrolled in a Spanish language program, unaffiliated with a university.
Some of these students gained the “invaluable life experience” they were seeking, while others
viewed the semester abroad merely as a way to pass time while waiting for the spring semester.
Determined not to spend the fall semester at a local community college, Hayden learned
of an American university in Italy as he was researching options in April. The university
understood his situation and was willing to enroll him for just one semester. His parents did not
understand why he would want to go abroad for a semester at just 17 years old. They told him,
“You’re crazy that you’re just thinking about this too much. This semester off thing.” Hayden
was able to convince his parents to let him go, and he soon left for Italy. During his time in Italy,
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he was able to travel a little around Europe, take classes in English, learn a bit of Italian, and
meet friends from all over the world. Hayden successfully transferred four courses to WU. In
reflecting on his entire experience, Hayden said, “I guess it was shocking at first. Yeah, I don’t
know. It was—it’s definitely awesome.”
Corey, the local student who decided to attend WU only after she was denied from her
first choice school and waitlisted at her second choice, learned of the possibility to study abroad
for the fall semester at a WU event for admitted students. When a sophomore student described
her experience studying at an American college in Switzerland during her free fall semester,
Corey wasted no time researching the option. After committing to the school, Corey found out
that about 15 other WU spring admits were going to attend as well. They soon formed a WU
Switzerland Facebook group and began to make their plans during the summer. Once she
arrived at the Swiss college, Corey immediately found a community made up of the future WU
students, including her roommate, and students from many other countries. Corey continues to
keep in touch with the students she met abroad, especially the ones who came to WU. Working
closely with WU academic advisors, she was able to transfer her units over to WU.
Lindsey used the fall semester to learn about her mother’s country, family, and culture
when she studied at a Korean university for four months. With a friend, she enrolled in a Korean
language program where she took four hours of classes a day. The language classes helped her
fulfill her foreign language requirement at WU. In her off time, she traveled the country, spent
time with her mother’s family, and built close friendships with her classmates. In fact, her close
ties with her classmates impeded her progress and morphed her expectations when he arrived at
Western University. Lindsey explained:
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[The trip] made me become a stronger person and I’m really glad I had that experience of
being able to go. But I think, because I did have a college life there, that I think it really
kind of warped my mind about what I wanted at [WU]… because my experience at [WU]
and my experience in Korea didn’t match at all and then when that didn’t happen, I had a
lot of issues trying to come to terms with that kind of thing.
Similar to Lindsey, Donny decided to improve his foreign language skills during the fall
semester. He enrolled in an independent language program in Spain. He studied Spanish for
several hours each day, but really gained the language skills through living with his host family.
In addition to studying Spanish, Donny obtained a photography internship and gained practical
career experience before he began college.
Football Games
Football is an important keystone in the WU community for its students, staff, faculty,
alumni, and parents. It serves as a conduit to bringing the entire community together almost
every other week during the fall semester. For legal reasons, the university does not allow spring
admits to join clubs or participate in on-campus activities during the fall because they are not yet
matriculated students. However, football is the one exception granted by the administration
where spring admits can purchase season tickets as if they were enrolled students. Some
informants took advantage of this opportunity so they did not miss out on the tailgating, school
spirit, and feeling a part of the campus community.
James, whose family lived locally, purchased the season tickets and made it to four of the
six home games. He believed attending the games helped him feel like part of the school:
I went with a bunch of high school friends that were already at [WU], so I was able to
hang out with them. And when people say, “Do you go to [WU]?” I would say, “Of
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course, here’s my [WU] ID.” So, I didn’t really reveal that I was a spring admit when I
was at the football games, but it really made me feel as though the transition to college
had already started in the fall.
Taylor, another local spring admit, used the football games as a way to meet other new
students. Looking to Facebook to connect with fellow spring admits, Taylor was able to arrange
gatherings at the tailgates and games so they could be together. She said:
I think it really made me feel a connection to [WU]. I mean, I think everyone feels that
about football, but it was helpful to have that coming in late…So it was really a way to
make friends, which was really helpful to have those people when we came to orientation
and then when we started in the spring.
Shelby, the Midwestern spring admit whose sister was also a WU student, convinced her
parents to purchase season tickets and flights for her so she could feel a part of the community,
even though she was not yet a student and lived halfway across the country. She described her
experience going to the football games:
My parents were okay with me doing whatever…I think they were—they felt bad for me
being at home alone, so they flew me out here four times and I stayed at her sorority
house with her and went to football games. It was different though. It wasn’t like I was
going to football games with kids my age that were going to be in my classes. It was like
I was going with her friends.
Students who participated in the football festivities leveraged the opportunity as a
strategy to meet fellow students and feel like a part of the campus. According to Schlossberg’s
Transition Theory, the four factors that affect a student’s ability to cope through a transition are
situation, self, support, and strategies (Goodman et al., 2006). During the fall semester, spring
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admits are not able to control much about their relationship with WU, so they turn to football as
a strategy to find social support. This strategy seemed to work well for those who were able to
take advantage of it.
Housing Arrangements
By far, the one theme that garnered the most data in the interviews was housing. Upon
moving to WU, spring admits’ living situations varied from on-campus residence halls and
apartments, to university-owned off-campus apartments, to non-university apartments also off
campus. There are 2,900 on-campus beds reserved for WU first-year students, and another 500
beds for sophomores. The university also houses 2,350 students within a mile from campus, and
thousands more also live in this neighborhood, but in private housing. There are about 500
graduate students who live in graduate floors or apartments within university housing, both on
and off campus.
Informants had roommates who were spring admits, fall admits, and upperclassmen, and
one student did not have a roommate. The building type and location coupled with the
roommate match played an important role in the experiences of these informants. Additionally,
the timing of move-in for spring admits contributed to a lonely environment in their residence
halls and apartments since the campus was nearly empty at that time. In the survey, 16% of
students ranked their living arrangement as the number one obstacle they faced before and during
their first semester, making housing the third largest obstacle faced by spring admits. Students’
housing and roommate assignments have an immediate impact on their human ecology,
specifically within their microsystems and mesosystem. Under Human Ecology Theory
(Bronfenbrenner, 2005), the roommate is an important microsystem for a new student, and the
relationship with the roommate can affect the student’s mesosystem in a positive or negative
direction. Additionally, the other students in the building have the potential to serve as
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microsystems for the new student, all of which are dependent on the type of building and the
atmosphere at the beginning of the spring semester. The following sections point to the
importance of providing a positive housing environment for new students since it has a
tremendous impact on the levels of context under Bronfenbrenner’s Human Ecology Theory
(2005).
Move-In
Spring admits can apply to live in university housing in July, but they do not receive their
housing assignments until about two months before they begin classes. They are also sent a
housing brochure during the fall semester that has details on the move-in process, including what
to bring, where to check-in to their residence hall, and how to make reservations for housing for
the following year. During a document analysis of this housing brochure, the first piece of
information that I detected was the title “Fall 2012 Check-In Guide.” It is clear this brochure
was produced for the students moving to campus in the fall, and it was reused for the spring
students. To compensate for the misnomer, the brochure includes an insert that reads “Spring
2013 Addendum.” The addendum includes times, dates, and locations specific to students
moving to campus in January.
Spring admits move to campus the Thursday before spring classes begin. At that time, all
other students are away on winter vacation, leaving their rooms lived in but empty at the same
time. In between move-in and the start of classes, the university offers Spring Welcome for the
new students, which consists of social activities and academic workshops. Upon move-in, many
of the informants were surprised to move into a vacated room and building. They went days
without seeing many hall mates and learning the true atmosphere of their new home. Ben
described the campus when he moved in:
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It was desolate…Everybody else who was coming back, came back a day or two before
school started, but we were there four or five days before school started. …I was
expecting like, “I’m going to move into college and everybody’s going to be in the
dorms. I’m going to be making friends left and right. I’m going to leave my door open,”
and then there was no one there.
Michelle also made the same observation in her residence hall. She said, “I showed up
and no one…no one was there. So, it was just three solid days where I literally didn’t see
anyone.”
Hayden, the spring admit who lived with three sophomores, said:
I moved in on a Wednesday…and I knew I had three roommates, but I didn’t know who
they were and they weren’t there until that Sunday… Yeah, it was pretty—pretty odd. It
was desolate. There’s no one here on campus. It was a weird situation, because nobody
comes back until the weekend before classes start, usually.
On-Campus Residence Hall
Living on campus is critical to the success of first-year students as it can increase the
likelihood of making a smooth transition to college life, succeeding academically, persisting to
graduation, and having a satisfying college career (Upcraft et al., 2005). As described in the
literature review, institutions begin each school year filled to capacity, and spring admits assist
the institution in maintaining its capacity after students graduate or dropout in the fall semester
or study abroad in the spring semester. In terms of housing, spring admits are typically space
fillers, and they are assigned to live wherever there is a free space. According to university
policy, fall admits are guaranteed on-campus housing, but spring admits are not due to space
constraints. However, the university housing office gives priority to these new spring admits
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over other students requesting university housing. The WU housing brochure is distributed to all
incoming first-year students soon after they are admitted and contains information about living
on campus, the various housing options for first-year students, and a section of additional
information for spring admits. The following is an excerpt from that section:
Freshman housing is usually filled to capacity at the beginning of the fall semester; only
spaces that become vacant can be offered to freshmen arriving in the spring. The
availability of specific housing types is difficult to predict, and it is often not possible to
place applicants in their top preferences or with requested roommates. As space allows,
spring admits will be assigned to freshman spaces; however, to be offered university
housing most freshmen arriving spring semester will be placed in non-freshman
undergraduate buildings.
Of the students who completed the online survey, 28% lived in an on-campus residence
hall. Seven informants were able to secure housing in a residence hall, typically designated for
first-year students. With residence hall spots at a premium in January, these informants were
aware of their good fortune. Ben said, “I was very happy to be in an on-campus dorm as a spring
admit…So, I was very lucky in that since I got to live in a dorm.”
Shelby was also happy to learn of her placement in a residence hall. “I got lucky and I
got a spot in there after turning down my original housing.” Many spring admits believe being
placed in a residence hall is the recipe for social success, but this was not the case for Shelby.
Even though she lived in a community with hundreds of other first-year students and a handful of
suitemates, she was not able to convert many of them into friends. She explained:
[My hall] is very secluded and there is no socialization whatsoever, so when I first got
there, I thought I’d meet and make friends but instead everyone’s doors are shut and no
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one talks and when you walk past someone in the hallway you don’t say, “Hi.” And if
there’s two people in the cafeteria or whatever—dining hall alone, they won’t talk to each
other or sit next to each other. Even if it’s early in the morning, it’s only two people.
Meanwhile, other informants are still saddened they by their inability to live in a
residence hall during their first semester at WU. Anita said:
I was really disappointed to not be able to live in a dorm, because I’m still worried that,
that’s an experience I’m going to miss not having, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I
lived with one girl, because it was a one-bedroom apartment and she wasn’t very nice.
Donny was so determined to reside in the traditional, first-year residence hall that he
lived in four different buildings before he finally settled into his desired hall. However, when he
finally got there in the middle of the spring semester, the social circles had already been set, and
he was unable to make any connections with his fellow residents. After living among graduate
students, sharing a room with a senior, living with first-year honors students, and then joining his
target residential population, Donny was still unable to achieve the “classic freshman
experience” he so desired.
On-Campus Apartments
Fifteen percent of the students who participated in the survey lived in one of the few on-
campus apartments during their first semester at WU. Four informants spent their first semester
at WU living in an apartment building typically reserved for upperclassmen. Corey, who still
wished she lived in a residence hall, “had an amazing time with my roommate, who was also
spring admit…That was the biggest part—because it’s hard enough making friends as a spring
admit.” Tate also lived in that building, and was placed on the graduate student floor. He was
among the small group of students who was placed in a non-undergraduate student building.
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Tate was matched with another spring admit, but was unable to make any connections with
anyone in his building. For safety reasons, Lola chose to live in this building to avoid living off
campus. She said, “I realize people there are really anti-social. They always keep their door
closed.” Lola continued to long for her interactions with her fellow first-year students. She said:
I think it would be much better as long as I’m with other freshmen, because [the
apartment] is mostly upper class people. So, I guess they like to keep to themselves or
they already have a clique of friends. So, at least if I’m staying in with other freshmen
people will be more outgoing to meet new people.
Off-Campus Apartments
Research does not indicate positive outcomes for students who live off campus as they
are less likely to participate in co-curricular activities, have fewer interactions with peers and
faculty, and undergo less development and personal growth than those who live on campus
(Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). Additionally, on-campus residents are more likely to succeed in
areas of leadership and athletics, and to find greater satisfaction with their overall college
experience (Astin, 1999).
Unfortunately, more spring admits at WU live in off-campus apartments than any other
type of housing option. In the online survey, 47% of students marked off-campus apartment
(university owned or non-university owned) as their first dwelling as a WU student. The six
informants who lived off-campus in apartment buildings were sprinkled throughout the
neighborhood, typically within about a mile from campus. In general, the off-campus locations
proved to be a hindrance for new students as they sought friendships and community with fellow
first-year students who typically lived on campus. Lindsey, who only lived off campus for a
short time before finding on-campus housing, said she “felt really disconnected from the
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university, distance-wise…because we were placed … so far away and in an apartment. So, it’s
kind of hard to meet people. It’s very secluded and I didn’t know anyone.”
Bruce was complacent about living off campus because it provided him a room he
deemed nicer than the ones on campus. At 18 years old, Bruce was not ready to make the jump
to cooking his own food on a regular basis. He purchased a meal plan and ate on campus for
every meal at his favorite dining hall a mile and a half away from his apartment. He said, “So,
anytime I wanted to eat, I had to predict a half hour before I would be hungry.”
Roommate Relationships
As discussed in the literature review, roommates play a vital role in the well being of
college students, and students will have a greater awareness for their own experiences and values
if matched with roommates of similar maturity levels (Erwin, 1983). The informants had
positive and negative experiences with the roommates. Two to three years later, some
roommates are still best friends, and some haven’t spoken since they moved out at the end of that
spring semester.
Jack was particularly happy with his living arrangement. Although he was in an off-
campus apartment, he was assigned to live with all spring admits. Students identified the class
standing of their first-semester roommates in the online survey. Nearly half the respondents
(49%) were matched with other spring admits. Jack and his spring admit roommates
accomplished a lot together. They explored the campus and surrounding neighborhood, learned
to cook, and became great friends. He explained the difference between moving in with fall
admits or spring admits:
It was really good, because one thing that happens is if you live with people who have
already been there, they’re already like veterans. You know, they’ve done the—you
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know, been there, but because all of my roommates were freshmen and they were also
spring admits and we’re all new, then we had to figure out [WU] together. So, in a sense,
it’s like although you’re not coming in with the whole freshman class and you’re not all,
you know, checking out [WU] for the first time together, everyone around me at that time
was also like me. So, it was helpful.
Taylor encountered a unique situation when she moved into her housing assignment.
Somehow, her roommate did not have another roommate during the fall semester, so she was
excited to receive a roommate in the spring. Taylor was among the 34% of survey respondents
who were assigned to fall admits for their first semester housing. She said:
I got really lucky with my roommate freshman year…When I moved in it was a first
roommate experience for her too and it worked out really well…I was lucky enough to be
in a freshman dorm and she introduced me to all of her friends.
Hayden was one of the students with the misfortune of being placed in an apartment
already filled with best friends who were sophomores. They had chosen to live together, and
Hayden had to infiltrate their living arrangement in the middle of the school year. Gohn and
Albin (2006) describe what can happen when roommate characteristics do not match up. They
wrote, “students also can have a different experience when they room with a student who is of a
different class standing, has a different major, or has a different level of involvement on
campus,” (p. 216-217). Hayden’s roommates were cordial, but they were not interested in
becoming true friends with Hayden. At the same time, Hayden was more concerned with finding
friends who were also first-year students. He said, “We lived together fine but…it was just a
weird situation to walk into…I needed to do some freshman stuff.” Hayden is among the 19% of
online survey respondents who stated they lived with sophomores during their first semester at
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WU. Another 23% of the students had roommates who were upperclassmen or transfer students.
Ayssa was among this group. She lived with a spring admit and two juniors. She hit it off well
with the spring admit roommate, but never found any common ground with the two juniors.
Jack brought up an interesting situation for spring admits in his interview. Traditionally,
first-year students move into their housing assignment in August and they have about half a year
to make friends and decide who they want to live with the following year. If they want to live in
university housing again, the future roommates must submit their applications and request to live
together for the following school year. Jack described how this process is not ideal for spring
admits:
You know the thing about being a spring admit is that the housing options come really
quick. So, you have to decide your next year roommates and your housing in like the
first two weeks of school, which is ridiculous because you can’t really make solid
friendships in that time.
Donny also struggled with this process. He said, “You have to make housing decisions
really, really early. So, everybody's making their decisions about halfway through that first
semester. And I was like, ‘I’ve only had a half a semester, so I don't know anybody.’” Donny
ended up living by himself during his sophomore year, which he says contributed to the
depression he faced during that time.
Spring admits receive information about the following year’s housing reservations before
they even move to campus. The housing brochure and addendum sent out to spring admits in
November states, “It’s not too early to start thinking about your housing for next year.” Spring
admits have just a short time to settle in to campus, meet new friends, and make the important
decision on whom to room with the following year.
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Spring Admit Hall
The informants did not refrain from suggesting or requesting a housing solution that
would appease all of them. Lindsey said, “We wished we could’ve all been placed in the same
hallway or in the same dorm at least to get to know each other and get to, I guess, help each other
with the process of spring admit.” In reflecting on her housing situation, Taylor seconded the
notion:
I think the hardest thing with being a spring admit is the living location you get placed in.
I don’t know—I know that’s kind of like why they have spring admits. Well, that’s what
they say anyway, is that they don’t have room for you in the dorms, I guess. And then—I
don’t know. It would be great if they could figure out a way to put a lot of spring admits
together.
Social Life
Making friends and finding community is important for any new student as there are
many benefits derived from such accomplishments. For example, students who make quality
friendships are better adjusted to college (Buote et al., 2007) and more quickly attain personal
and academic goals (Skahill, 2003). Similar to the other themes, students had varying
experiences while attempting to make new friends. Students from the area were able to rely on
friends from high school who were WU fall admits. Other students leaned on involvement
opportunities, classes, and roommates to form a friendship base. Some spring admits were
successful in making friends in the middle of the school year, and others were not. The
following table displays survey respondents’ satisfaction levels of their social life during the first
semester:
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Table 2
Social Satisfaction During First Semester as Ranked in Survey
Ranking Percentage
Very Satisfactory 12%
Satisfactory 29%
Neutral 23%
Unsatisfactory 22%
Very Unsatisfactory 13%

Additionally, in order to understand who spring admits were spending their free time
with, the survey asked students to identify the class standing of the friends they made during
their first semester. Table 3 represents the results of this question.

Table 3
First Semester Friends as Indicated in Survey
Friend Status Percentage
Other Spring Admits 68%
Fall Admits 41%
Sophomores 18%
Juniors 10%
Seniors 8%
Transfer Students 7%
I did not have close friends at WU 19%

Lastly, the survey gave students the opportunity to rank the magnitude of pre-WU and
first-semester obstacles. Of the 10 obstacles listed, “making friends” was the highest ranked
obstacle, with 27% of students placing it as number one and another 13% ranking it at number
two. This section will focus on the various ways spring admit informants sought social
belonging.
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Group Infiltration
Spring admits in this study found it difficult to break into social groups that were formed
previously. Similarly, transfer students are often unable to penetrate pre-existing friendship
groups, and this may be in part due to the university’s strong efforts to help first-year students
create those groups through activities and social programming at the beginning of their college
career (Townsend & Wilson, 2006). Many spring admits formed groups with others like them,
but some attempted to befriend fall admits and their groups. James explained the context of
social cliques and group formation:
Instead of starting in August, you start in January and then by March, you’re beginning to
have your friends, but you’re disadvantaged, because everybody at [WU] already has
their group of friends. So, you’re trying to crack your way into a tight-knit group. Or
you’re trying to form your own group. So, in that sense, you don’t have as much fun.
Hayden, who is now a resident assistant, understands the importance of building
community, and has witnessed firsthand the residential differences between the fall and spring
semesters. During his first semester, Hayden joined a student-run organization to find
community since he was unable to build one on his own. He said:
It’s just like people—people have their own cliques already, so it’s a definitely weird
situation, because everybody—during the first week at least I see as an RA, everybody’s
willing to meet everyone in the fall and then even [in the spring] semester they’re already
set, you know? They don’t need to leave their rooms. They don’t really have their doors
open as much.
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Jenna, the student who moved from the East Coast in the fall to attend a local community
college, was so turned off by the social scene when she arrived to WU that she wanted to transfer
immediately. She recalled those first few weeks at WU:
I wanted to transfer. Like at the beginning. I was about ready to leave…Everyone’s
already been in it for a semester and I just…felt very uncomfortable…I couldn’t really
meet people. I like felt people didn’t care to be our friend, because they already have
their grooves.
Classmates
Some spring admits were looking forward to meeting friends in their classes who might
have similar interests. This approach also turned out to be more difficult that expected. Jane
explained her struggles. She said, “I’m not the type of person who can just strike up a
conversation…so I wasn’t able to make friends in classes. I don’t think anyone really knew my
name other than some of my teachers.”
Tate also struggled with this in his classes. He described his Writing 101 class that all
first-year students are required to take. “There were just so many clear social things already
developed. In classes, people knew each other, people—in my (writing) class, people signed up
together for that class.”
Jenna had a more positive experience in one of her classes. All of the spring admits in
her major were placed into the same acting class. They quickly became friends and she
continues to be really good friends with some of them.

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High School Friends
A few of the local spring admits who attended feeder high schools, were able to rely on
their high school friends to jumpstart their social lives at WU. James discussed the advantage
local students have in being a spring admit:
In terms of being a spring admit based on geographically where you live, I think there are
two types of spring admits: those from [the area] and those from outside [the area].
Every spring admit I know that’s from [the area], their transitioning was a lot easier,
because they already knew people at [WU].
His perspective was based on his experience and observation of other spring admits.
When he arrived to WU, he moved into an on-campus residence hall with a high school friend.
That friend introduced him to his friends within the residence hall. James also socialized with
other friends from his high school during that first semester. According to James, “the social
life, it was still strong, but it wasn’t based on really people that I met in college. It was based on
who other people met and I kind of gravitated towards.”
James’ assertion is right on track and was supported by many other informants. There is
not much research about the social impact of attending college with high school friends.
However, one study finds it is academically advantageous. Students who come to college with a
large amount of high school classmates academically outperform students who arrive with fewer
high school classmates (Fletcher & Tienda, 2009).
Taylor was one of six students from her high school to attend WU as spring admits, two
of which were her very good friends. These students banded together in the fall at football
games, and continued to stay together when they began school at WU. She says having a group
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of friends from high school was “something that I was really lucky with that I’m sure not every
spring admit has…So that helps me.”
Donny, who was unable to build relationships with students throughout his first semester,
found comfort in a fellow spring admit from his high school. Although they were not friends
during high school, they latched onto each other when they started school in the spring. He said,
“I knew who she was and everything, but we were both spring admits and we grew close because
of that.”
Shelby, the student from the Midwest who experienced great difficulty meeting friends
her first semester despite her four fall visits to the campus for football games, commented on the
geographical tension as well. She said, “I know it’s a lot easier for the people from [the area],
because they can come visit and hang out with the fall admits and make friends with the fall
admits.”
Facebook
Throughout the 18 interviews, students continually mentioned being a member of the
spring admit Facebook page and utilizing it to connect and exchange information. Lindsey used
it to find out who was going to Switzerland, Taylor used it to arrange gatherings at football
games, and Jenna used it to find a roommate for the fall semester. Alyssa also utilized Facebook
to find her first-semester roommate, who would remain her roommate until graduation. Ben
described the inception of the social media page and how he found a close friend as a result:
We—the spring admits made a Facebook—a spring admit 2011 Facebook group as soon
as we all got those admission letters. So, people would post on there—you know, what
we’re doing this fall and “Oh, we’re going to be going to this [WU] event in this area,”
and people met at those. And you know, you just—you see someone. It’s like, “Oh, he’s
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from near me,” like Facebook chat and talk and that’s actually—there was a guy who I
saw was a big Giants fan like me and a 49ers fan like me and so I just struck up a
conversation with him and we end up being very, very good friends.
Shelby also referred to the Facebook page. Even though she encountered significant
difficulty in making friends during her first semester and was diagnosed with depression as a
result, it was not because she did not know other spring admits. She was just unable to connect
with them in person once the school year started. “I knew I could still—I see spring admits
everywhere, because we basically all know each other, because there’s only like 300, 350 of us
or whatever and I was friends with most of them on Facebook and I’ve met a lot of them at
orientation.”
Facebook has proved to be especially beneficial for this cohort of students to meet one
another online and arrange for in-person activities. However, according to research, most
college students utilize Facebook for communicating with current friends, but not as a vehicle for
meeting new friends (Pempek, Yermolayeva, & Calvert, 2009). New college students do,
however, tend to use Facebook to investigate their future roommate as soon as they receive the
assignment (Farrell, 2006).
Spring Admit Activities
Lastly, spring admits were able to meet each other at university-sponsored events for
spring admits such as New Student Orientation and Spring Welcome, both of which took place
before classes began. Although students thought it was awkward and lonely to move to campus
while the continuing students were still away on winter break, it provided spring admits with an
opportunity to meet each other and form some type of loosely-based cohort. Such events
provided students with the social support they needed, according to Schlossberg’s Transition
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Theory (Goodman et al., 2006), that allowed them to build relationships and move them beyond
these singular events. As a result, many spring admits were able to find friends within the spring
admit group. In comparison to the thousands of first-year students who begin together in the fall,
Jack said, “the spring admit community is a lot tighter, because there’s not that many of us.”
Corey described the close ties among spring admits:
I know people are always saying, “When you are a spring admit you literally just stick
with spring admits.” You might think that’s weird or whatever, but you literally just end
up becoming like a family and it’s true.
However, not all students gained close friendships during this time, and not all students
participated in the activities. Michelle, who does not recall attending the orientation or spring
welcome events, explained her confusion about the other spring admits:
I feel like there was—maybe it was my housing situation or something, but I didn’t
know. I feel like a lot of spring admits were all friends but I was like, “I don’t even know
how you all met each other,” but apparently they formed a great friend group that I was
unaware of. But I don’t know, I guess a lot of them are friends.
Jane did attend the activities for new students, but felt like she did not fit in with the other
students. She was unsuccessful in making friends during her first semester at WU. When asked
what type of student services would have been beneficial to her success at Western University,
she said:
Making Friends Bureau. I don’t know. It would have been so helpful if there was
something where I could’ve made friends or made connections with people that weren’t
interested in partying or sports…If there had been a way for me to- I don’t know—if
maybe teachers had—if there was some organization that would have done that, I know
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that’s terrible, no one else should make friends for me, but I really—I didn’t understand
how to go about getting myself into the situations. I figured it out now and I know how
to.
Involvement
As discussed in the literature review, there is an abundance of research that demonstrates
the importance of student involvement on college campuses. High levels of involvement have
been shown to increase student satisfaction and commitment to their school (Kuh, Schuh, Whitt,
& associates, 1991), and provide leadership opportunities that sustain and improve
developmental skills (Cooper, Healey, & Simpson, 1994) and interpersonal and practical
competencies (Kuh, 1995). Students were asked about their involvement activities during their
first semester in the online survey. Twenty-two percent of respondents joined an academic
organization, 21% participated in community service, and 18% became a part of the Greek
community. Despite these strong numbers, there were still 26% of the respondents who stated
they did not take advantage of any involvement opportunities during their first semester at WU.
Getting involved was ranked as the second largest obstacle faced by spring admits before they
began classes and throughout the first semester. According to the survey, making friends was
the only task more difficult than getting involved.
While some informants found many ways to get involved in their new community, some
were unable to get involved due to rejection or fear. Jenna explained the difficulty for spring
admits to get involved:
I think their experience—I mean, I think it depends how involved you get and how much
you’re willing to put yourself out there, because as a freshman for a semester, it’s a lot to
even ask; to put yourself out there. So to have to do that in an even less welcoming
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setting—you know what I mean—coming in at that awkward time, I think it is a lot
harder.
Finding Community
At the beginning of each semester, the university hosts an involvement fair to showcase
its hundreds of student-run organizations. This is a prime opportunity for new students to learn
about WU’s involvement opportunities and meet representatives from student clubs. According
to the survey, 62% of new students attended the involvement fair during the spring semester.
With more than 800 student-run organizations, there are numerous ways for students to get
involved in their new campus. Despite this, Bruce was not able to find his niche on campus until
he secured an on-campus job. He said, “I was able to make so many wonderful connections
through that job, because we were all coming in on equal footing…And so I would say the most
permanent friends I made at [WU] were through that.” In addition to helping Bruce meet new
friends, on-campus employment benefits the student and the institution. Obtaining an on-campus
part-time job is positively correlated with increases in practical and interpersonal competences
for the employee (Kuh, 1995) and contributes to higher retention rates (Astin, 1999).
Hayden joined an all-male service club specifically to meet friends. Some of those
friends turned out to be fellow spring admits. He said, “I think most of my friends stem from the
[organization] and our connections.” Mudd, the first-year student in his mid-twenties, did not
want to waste any time taking advantage of the hundreds of offerings. He joined two clubs
related to his business major so he could learn more about the industry, and he joined a Latin
dance club for the fun. The non-traditional student explained his desire to join the dance club. “I
did want to have a social life. I did feel that that was important for me. So, I’ve always been
attracted to Latin dance and so I stumbled into Latin dance group.”
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No Involvement
Unfortunately, not all students were able to find suitable involvement opportunities
during that spring semester. Berger and Milem (1999) found unsettling implications for students
who do not get involved in their campus community during the first semester. They postulate
that first-semester involvement predicts second-semester involvement. Involvement
opportunities, such as a club, student government, or Greek chapter, are additional examples of a
student’s microsystem under Bronfenbrenner’s Human Ecology Theory (2005). If students do
not find a way to get involved on campus, their mesosystem will be negatively impacted.
Knowing the importance of getting involved on campus, not being involved during the first
semester can have detrimental effects on the student and the institution. James, who eventually
became very involved in student life, really struggled with this aspect in his first semester. He
said:
Social experiences? Unfortunately, for me getting involved is the best way to meet
people and then being a spring admit doesn’t really lend yourself to be involved in that
spring semester- your first semester on campus, because most of the premiere
organizations do their recruiting in the fall semester.
Anita and Shelby were somewhat proactive and attempted to join student groups. Anita
joined a few clubs, but her memberships did not last long because she could not fully break into
the group. She said, “I still felt like it wasn’t doing anything and I still wasn’t making friends. I
felt really awkward, so I just stopped going.” Shelby wanted to find a connection with students
of the same faith. She explains, “I tried to go to a couple Christian groups, but they were not
open at all or welcoming to new people at all.”

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Greek Life
One of the larger types of student involvement is through becoming a member of the
Greek community. Approximately 20% of undergraduate students are members of Western
University’s fraternities and sororities. Joining a Greek organization can provide many benefits
to students, including improving their leadership ability (Astin, 1993) and persisting to
graduation at higher rates than non-members (Astin, 1975; Moore, Lovell, McGann, & Wyrick,
1998; Tripp, 1997). Each fall, about 1800 students participate in sorority and fraternity
recruitment. In the spring, only about 500 students participate in recruitment, but not all chapters
accept new members in the spring. Fraternities host a formal recruitment in the spring, but
sororities do not. Consequently, female spring admits wishing to join a sorority must wait until
the fall semester. While this might not be ideal for their social pursuits, it is beneficial in their
attainment of academic endeavors. According to DeBard, Lake, and Binder (2006), students
who joined the Greek community during their first semester of college underperformed
academically compared to students who joined the following semester.
Two male informants joined the Greek community during their first semester at WU.
The fraternity became the crux of Ben’s social life throughout his career at WU and he ended up
living in the fraternity house for two years. Ben said:
I had a great time. I was really involved just from being in the fraternity pledge process.
It was everything I expected college to be. Go out wherever, whenever, no rules. So,
that was really nice. I feel like I got very involved very quickly and I feel like it was
really good first experience here.
Tate also joined a fraternity for social reasons. Though he was only active in the
fraternity for three semesters, he benefitted from his time in it. Undergoing a difficult transition
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to WU during the first couple weeks, Tate decided he needed to take action to gain control of his
own happiness. He reflected, “At the time it was great. It really helped me make friends. I felt
like I had something.”
Jack considered joining an Asian fraternity for its strong sense of community. However,
during the recruitment process, he began to question if the fraternity’s values matched up with
his religious beliefs. He recalled, “I was talking to the brothers to see if it could go along with
my faith as a Christian. It’s a hard—hard line to walk, so—I decided that it wasn’t for me.”
While their male counterparts were able to rush a fraternity if they wished, the female
spring admits had to wait until the fall semester to join a sorority. For some students, this wait
was way too long. However, once they finally joined a sorority, it changed their entire
experience as a spring admit at WU. Corey said, “my main thing was I really wanted to rush and
that was a fall thing, so I couldn’t do that.” Corey heard that spring admits at some other
universities are able to rush a sorority during the fall semester, before they officially matriculate
into the university. She said, “You can still rush as long as you are for sure going to that school
after. Why can’t we do that here? We would’ve made so many more friends.”
Taylor joined a sorority during the subsequent fall semester, where coincidentally, her
pledge class had about 10 other spring admits. The sorority has shaped the rest of her career at
WU and she cannot imagine not joining a sorority since it has been so crucial for her social
success as a spring admit. She explained:
The sorority is honestly where I’ve made my best friends for sure…We know a lot of
spring admits that join sororities and all of them are now having a fabulous time. I don’t
think any of us feels like we’re, you know, left out of the social scene. But I think that
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people that come in that don’t want to join Greek life, which is totally fine, but I think it’s
definitely harder to make friends, especially if you didn’t get into the freshmen dorm.
Of all the informants, Shelby has probably benefitted the most by joining a sorority.
Shelby was the student who followed in her sister’s footsteps at WU and was diagnosed with
depression during the spring semester due to extreme social struggles. During the spring
semester, she spent some time on fraternity row, trying her best to socialize with her fellow
students, despite not liking the social atmosphere and the drinking scene. She said, “But it was at
least better than me just sitting in my room alone, so I saw that as a better opportunity.” A
semester later, to no one’s surprise, Shelby continued in her sister’s footsteps and joined the
same sorority. She described how being in that sorority has helped her immensely:
It’s given me a group of girls that even when I am…crying and upset about things, to
have people to go to. I’ve always been the person to have a bunch of girlfriends, so that’s
helped a lot…When I was a freshman, I didn’t do anything that a freshman does. I didn’t
go out, have fun, be with people, meet people. So if I hadn’t joined a sorority I would’ve
felt like I was just floating around like a freshman like, “What am I doing? I don’t have
any friends yet.” So, I think joining a sorority helped a lot.
Perceived Differences Between Fall and Spring Admits
In each interview, the informants were given the opportunity to describe their perceived
differences between fall and spring admits and their experiences. Some students stated there
were no differences between the two populations. Others felt there were differences, but they
diminished with each new semester. Lastly, many students noticed many differences between
the two cohorts, mostly revolving around social and transitional issues.

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Unwelcome Reception
Many students commented on the manner in which the continuing students received and
welcomed the spring admits. Corey explained:
At first I would say, fall admits viewed themselves as better than us in a way, because we
were—we were still asking those naive questions, like, “Hey, where is this?” Like,
“What does this mean?”… But I just remember freshman year, one of the first weeks I
was there and…I was just completely lost. I had to ask for directions and people were
always like, “You must be a spring admit” or something. So yeah, I definitely think they
kind of looked down—it was just a definite separation if anything and that made it much
harder to make friends I think. It made fall admits a lot less approachable and in that way
it made spring admits kind of band together a lot more.
Lindsey noticed a difference in the way students are welcomed by other students in the
fall compared to the spring. She said:
I was getting very frustrated and especially because when I encountered my fall semester
for the first time, everyone was so open and so ready to say like, “Oh, hi, I’m new. I live
in [this area]” or something and “I am a ‘blank’ major, what are you?” But then… in the
spring no one said any of that to me or to each other even. Because by then everyone
who was in the fall already had their room—or their friendships established and they
already knew who was who and where they came from and what major they are.
Adjustment
Other students mentioned the difficulty adjusting to a new environment when most of the
other students had already undergone their adjustment period. Corey said, “I barely got into this
school and everyone’s already started. They have a leg up on everything. I mean that was—
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that’s my biggest thing.” Taylor also commented on the adjustment differences when she
remarked, “I think definitely people in the fall are already adjusted or you know, and they think
that they’re like so cool, because they’ve been here and they…feel like they know the whole
college experience.” Corey described how these adjustment differences manifest in the social
scene at WU. She said, “Fall admits are a lot more comfortable on campus. You can just see
that they feel more—not to say it’s two different cliques, but they feel more in the clique. You
know when there’s cliques.”
In his interview, Hayden, the student who was placed with three sophomores, specifically
referred to the receptions within the residence halls. He said:
I think when you move in that first day as a fall admit, you just instantly have 25 friends
on the floor. Or if you don’t click with people on your floor, you have somebody on the
floor over or floor above...Well, I lived with sophomores. There was one other spring
admit in the building. I couldn’t really find people in my area that were open to meeting
people, I guess. And even when I went into the freshmen dorms, they were all like,
“Who’s this new person,” you know? People were nice, but they just weren’t like—they
didn’t go out of their way to meet me or hang out, you know?
According to Donny, the adjustment period to college lasts longer for spring admits. He
explained:
I think ultimately, spring admits are—I don't know it just takes longer—it took me at
least a year and a half to really acclimate. I mean, if you're not there with everybody
when it starts, it's just not the same. I don't know, maybe I'm not that outgoing though.
Maybe it's me- maybe it's a personality type thing. Maybe some people found it really
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easy and just slipped right in the whole scene. I know people have done that, but it didn't
happen like that for me.
These comments are understandable when placed in the context of Transition Theory
(Goodman et al., 2006) and Human Ecology Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 2005). According to
Transition Theory, there are four variables that affect a student’s ability to transition: self,
situation, support, and strategies. A student may encounter transitional difficulties if the
liabilities outweigh the assets in any of these variables (Goodman et al., 2006). Based on the
interviews, it seems as though spring admits carry a heavier burden in coping with their
transition to WU compared to fall admits due to the timing of their first semester (situation
variable), a perceived lack of social support, and targeted strategies by the institution.
Additionally, Human Ecology Theory helps us further understand how the experiences of
spring admits are influenced by four levels of context that surround the individual: the
microsystem, or a pattern of relationships and activities; the mesosystem, the links between and
interactions amongst microsystems; the exosystem, influences on the person’s environment; and
the macrosystem, overarching cultural or structural patterns (Evans et al., 2010). The
microsystems of spring admits are seemingly different than those of fall admits. Many spring
admits expressed poor relationships with roommates and hallmates, an inability to meet
classmates, and difficulty in meeting friends and joining organizations at WU during their first
semester. According to Renn and Arnold (2003), students’ ability to participate in multiple
microsystems within their mesosystems increases the possibility for development. These weak
microsystems can be detrimental to a spring admit’s personal growth and development,
specifically during their first semester at WU.

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Enjoyment
Some of the informants were jealous of the fun they perceived their fall counterparts had
during the fall semester compared to their level of fun in the spring semester. Simply put, James
said, “The fall admits definitely enjoy their first year, their freshman year a lot more than the
spring admits.” Alluding to the difficulty in infiltrating social groups in the middle of the year,
Hayden said, “I think socially we have it a lot harder. You know, we have to force our way in or
find something that’s going to allow us to meet people, I guess.” Shelby commented on the fun
she did not have during the spring semester. She said, “It’s definitely different because I don’t
have those freshman experiences forever. It’s like, ‘Yeah, I remember that one time freshman
year.’ I’m like, ‘No, because I was in my room alone.’”
Diminishing Differences
Bruce, who admitted to not being a very social person and not having many friends, did
not notice any differences between fall and spring admits. He said:
I certainly haven’t [noticed differences]. If I’m talking to somebody and I mention that
I’m a spring admit, it’s amazing how many times they’ll say, “Oh, so was I,” and I
wouldn’t have even known it without having brought up that I was one. I would say I
haven’t perceived one [difference]. It doesn’t mean there isn’t one. It certainly seems to
me that spring admits just blend right in.
During her first spring semester, Shelby saw many differences between the students, but
she did not believe the differences persisted much beyond that semester. Now a junior, she said,
“Now I don’t see any difference between fall admits and spring admits.” Ben agrees with the
diminishing differences theory. He remarked:
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But I think, going—as every month went by or every semester went by, it mattered less
and less that I was a spring admit…Some of my best friends are from “either or” and in
terms of their academic performance or their social life, I don’t see any differences,
really.
The Impact on Students’ Self-Efficacy
As described in the literature review, self-efficacy is someone’s personal beliefs about his
or her ability in a specific action or task (Bandura, 1997). Success in a given situation has the
ability to increase a student’s self-efficacy, while failure can lower it, and the impact of the
failure on self-efficacy is dependent on the person’s original level of self-efficacy (Gredler,
2009). To be clear, levels of self-efficacy were not assessed for the purposes of this study.
However, during the interviews, informants often alluded to their perception of their ability to
succeed at WU. These perceptions were, in part, shaped by their admission to WU for the spring
semester. Based on their personal outlook, some students viewed their spring admission to WU
as a success and others viewed it as a failure. Once they arrived, some students were successful
in their academic or social endeavors, while others were not. These successes or failures may
have altered their self-efficacy in their various endeavors for the positive or negative.
Second Class
A common theme was the sense that spring admits are second class, second tier, and not
as much a priority as the fall admits. Corey said, “I live with all spring admits right now, and I
have my entire WU life, I guess. And we always felt super second class.” Lindsey also touched
on this sentiment. She said:
I feel like—well, at least in my group for the spring, we kind of felt discouraged a little
bit when we first came here, because a lot of us felt like we were a business transaction
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by WU. Because it’s kind of like, “Oh, if they really wanted us, they would’ve put us in
the fall.”…And so I think…it was the notion of a spring admit, it feels like you’re kind of
on the bottom of the list of the acceptance pool.
James also felt like he was of a lower class than the fall students. In fact, he was so
ashamed of his status he often chose to keep it a secret. He explained:
You would go to the basketball games with, you know, fall admits and spring admits, but
nobody would really know that you were a spring admit, because you chose not to reveal
it… There’s sort of an unfortunate stymie with being a spring admit. It seems as though
you’re an inferior candidate and that’s why a lot of spring admits just choose not to say
they are…You internalize it because most people don’t actually know what a spring
admit is, but to spring admits, you kind of—you feel as though you weren’t wanted the
same way as fall admits were, so that’s why you choose to not tell people.
Insecurities
Students’ levels of self-efficacy came out in stories about their insecurities. Tate
explained the difficulty in telling his friends about his WU admission:
“What do you mean December? You’re not starting when everybody else is starting?”
Having to tell that story was the most demoralizing, painful thing when it’s supposed to
be this time when you’re leaving high school and all of your other friends are doing this
and I wasn’t.
Many spring admits began to wonder why they were chosen for the spring semester, and
this speculation caused confusion and feelings of inadequacy on their part. Although Tate never
understood why he was admitted for the spring, he was also unable to understand why others
received this decision. He began to question himself as well as other students. Tate said, “I was
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in an engineering group with two other students who felt really smart…I felt so academically
beneath them and I was here wondering like, ‘Why? Why are these kids spring admits? Why am
I a spring admit?’”
Anita’s insecurities manifested as she attempted to make new friends. Already
downtrodden by starting school halfway through the school year, she became even more
disheartened when she sought involvement opportunities and friendships. She explained:
I think it would’ve been different if I had just met people in general, because then…I
probably would’ve felt less insecure. So, I think that me quitting the clubs isn’t
necessarily a reflection of the clubs, because there were some nice people, but it was
more a reflection of my insecurities as a result of not knowing anybody and feeling like I
wouldn’t be accepted.
Hayden’s insecurities came through in his constant second-guessing of his decision to
attend WU as a spring admit. He explained:
I feel like people are sure that they’re supposed to be here. There’s definitely been a
period of my time here that I was just like, “Was this the right decision?” and it was
actually refreshing to hear somebody else question it… Usually you think that all the fall
admits have their stuff together and they’re positive that they’re supposed to be here.
There’s definitely—I can’t generalize for all spring admits, but that’s how my experience
was. I questioned if I had made the right decision.
The Unknown
As previously mentioned, students wanted to understand why they were accepted as
spring admits. Since they are never explicitly told of the reasoning, students turn toward their
imagination for reasons and at times, they second guess their own abilities to succeed at WU in
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many capacities. This unknown has left a void in their mind, and students had a difficult time
moving past it. Jane said, “I wish I would know so badly. If I knew what I could’ve done
differently, I would’ve been like, ‘Oh, okay.’ I think it would’ve made me feel better if I knew
the reason.” Jane has tried to understand why she was not accepted for the fall. She said:
I don’t know why they chose me to be spring admit. There’s no reason—I looked up so
many— like, if I’m just a lesser candidate, you know, it sucks. But then I’ve met people
who weren’t spring admits and I know they weren’t even as much equipped as I was to
go there. So, I don’t know and I’ve been a lot more active than a lot of people have been
here. So, I don’t know.
Lola was on the same page as Jane. She has looked at herself, at others, and online to
discover why she was admitted for the spring, but to no avail. She explained:
I feel like I was less of an equal because I remember meeting a lot of spring admits
during orientation and none of us knew why we were spring admits…I still don’t
understand why I’m a spring admit. That’s a big thing. I wish they would have given
you a reason why you’re a spring admit, that way people won’t look to the Internet for
answers, look to each other, because most people are pretty much very negative together
and they just kind of escalate and then, there’s a lot of self-hate within our group. And
so, that’s not good. So, I’m not sure if any of us like that—that mystery around it. I
rather they give you a reason why you’re a spring admit.
Like the others, Jenna still does not know why she was a spring admit. This unknown has
led her to question her own abilities and wonder why she was not good enough to make it into
WU for the fall semester. She said:
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I think most people who come as spring admits, at least initially feel kind of confused,
kind of uncomfortable. And I think a lot of people question, “Well, what did I—what did
I do wrong?” Or like, “Why wasn’t I good enough to come in the fall?”
Student Services
Informants were unaware of the student services available to them at Western University,
and seemingly did not take advantage of many of them during their first semester. Upon
enrolling in community college or other four-year institutions for the fall semester, many spring
admits consulted the articulation website to ensure the transfer of classes, and some sought
transfer advice from their future academic advisors. When they arrived to WU, most participated
in New Student Orientation and other welcome events. After the first week or two of living on
campus, the students became disconnected to the available services such as tutoring, writing
support, or counseling.
Welcome Programs
Many students discussed the welcome programs, such as New Student Orientation and
Spring Welcome, as opportunities where they met fellow spring admits and learned to navigate
the campus. It is during these events that students should receive a holistic view of the collegiate
experience, including academic life, culture, traditions, and the surrounding community (Ward-
Roof, 2010). However, the informants described their resentment when comparing the welcome
programs spring admits received to what their fall counterparts received. Of the students who
completed the online survey, 82% attended New Student Orientation. Fall admits attend a two-
day orientation during the summer where they spend the night on campus. Spring admits receive
a comparable orientation in December, but are unable to spend the night on campus because the
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residence halls are occupied. Corey, and a few other informants commented on this mismatch.
Corey said:
We didn’t have a real orientation where you stay over and meet a ton of kids…it was
kind of annoying because, yeah we’re spring admits, but we still want that orientation
weekend. We still want every single thing that the fall admits got. We felt really gypped.
We already started a semester after and on top of that, we don’t get the exact same perks
and welcome, whatever, that people in the fall get.
James had similar sentiments about the welcome programs offered to him once he moved
to campus. Fall admits enjoy Welcome Week before school begins. With nearly 3,000 new
first-year students, the university hosts dozens of events designed to welcome the students to the
campus and get them comfortable with their new surroundings and classmates. With only a few
hundred new first-year students in the spring, the university offers Spring Welcome. Spring
Welcome lasted just one day in 2010 and 2011 when the informants entered WU. The day
focused on community building and teaching students about university resources. Sixty-two
percent of the survey respondents participated in the Spring Welcome. The Spring Welcome in
2013 was expanded to four days and contained many more offerings. Referring to his Spring
Welcome, James said, “It was kind of our own version of welcome week and WU tries to instill
that upon the spring admits with their welcoming activities, but they’re lackluster compared to
what they do in the fall semester.”
Alyssa agreed with her fellow spring admits. She now works in an office that assists in
hosting welcome events for new students. In reference to her office and her involvement, she
said:
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We don't put as much effort into the spring welcome stuff. Even with the involvement
fair, with my choir and with my sorority, we're like…“There's only going to be a few
people, so there's no point.” That kind of mentality. So it's kind of like leaving spring
admits to fend for themselves and it’s like, “I expect you to be an outgoing spring admit
and look for something and you don't expect people to come to you.”
Shelby was also less than satisfied with the Spring Welcome events. Having moved in on
a Thursday and attending Spring Welcome on Friday, she had the entire weekend open before
school started on Monday. She said:
So, the fact that when I got here, I was just sitting in my room alone all day. That was
shocking to me that [WU] would even let that happen. That they would even let all the
spring admits students be spread out and have nowhere to go, because I know that when
the [fall admits] first come they have one welcome week. They have activities and I
understand that there’s less spring admits, but I think more activities for people to get to
know each other at the very start would have been useful, because I was a wreck my first
week. I didn’t even want to even be here anymore.
Services Utilized in the First Semester
There was only one student who spoke of any benefits derived from using students
services during the first semester. Upon admission, Mudd was enrolled in a special academic
program that would support him as a non-traditional student. He also was accepted into another
program for low-income students to support their academic pursuits and community
involvement. Speaking of these programs, Mudd said:
So, I was very, very, very, very fortunate to have [them] as a resource, and not just them
as a department, but the people that run these departments are phenomenal individuals;
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just really caring people and for me that was—I was really taken back…People don’t go
out of their way and just and take their time and focus on you.
Many students mentioned visiting their academic advisor during the first semester.
Seventy-two percent of survey respondents checked off seeing an academic advisor before or
during the first semester. It is typically mandatory for all students to have an advising
appointment before they register for their WU classes. However, only two students met with
their academic advisors before they signed up for classes at the community college. Based on
their caseload, some academic advising units at WU are unable to provide advising to spring
admits during the summer, while others gladly reach out to students. The advisors in the
communications school send every spring admit a personal letter welcoming them to the school
and offering their advising services during the summer. This letter was used in the study as part
of the document analysis. The letter explains:
As your academic advisor, I would like to offer you the opportunity to meet with me this
summer to discuss your plans for the fall semester, answer any academic-related
questions that you may have, and help you with the overall transition to [WU]. If you
plan on attending another institution this fall semester, I can also meet with you to
recommend specific coursework to take and help you determine which courses will
transfer back to [WU].
Social Services
As previously mentioned, the informants did not utilize many student services during
their first semester. Each informant had the opportunity to tell me about resources that they wish
they took advantage of or resources they wish existed at WU. The recurring theme was the need
for services that would aid students socially. Jane said, “So, I wish there had been something
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about making friends, like some sort of resource for that.” Anita envied the social support
provided to fall admits. She said, “I think there’s a lot more programs oriented towards meeting
people in the fall. There’s that dance I hear about and then, I don’t know. You just get to—you
meet everybody or that’s the impression I have.”
Counseling
Shelby utilized the student counseling center before she found an off-campus therapist,
and Tate and Donny also saw off-campus therapists. In retrospect, Hayden should have taken
advantage of the on-campus counselors as they would have been helpful coping with his
transition to college as a spring admit. He said:
Just to talk about what I was going through and I think they could’ve pointed me in the
right direction…to get me started, I guess. Having somebody to talk to about starting
somewhere new where everybody else is already in their ways.
Academic Performance
Grades and academic transition were also discussed in the interviews. Based on the
survey, the majority of spring admits faired well academically during their first semester. Forty-
four percent earned above a 3.5 GPA, 37% earned between 3.0-3.5, and 19% were below 3.0. In
terms of the satisfaction with their grades, 63% of spring admits were very satisfied or satisfied
with their first semester academic performance while 20% were unsatisfied or very unsatisfied.
This section will give an overview of the informants’ sentiments toward their academic
performance as well as include data from the WU office of the registrar. This report will
compare the performances of fall and spring admits on a number of indicators.

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High Marks
Many of the informants earned very high grades during their first semester at WU. Some
attributed the grades to the school’s level of academic rigor while others credited their strong
focus on academics a result of having nothing else to do in their free time. Michelle is part of the
first group. She said, “I got a 3.9, so that was good…Honestly, academically I find the school
easier than my high school was, for sure.” Lola also had a great academic showing during her
first semester. She recalled, “I think I got a 3.8. I remember getting two ‘A’ minuses. It was all
straight ‘A’s.’ I was really happy. So academic-wise, fitting in, it wasn’t a big problem for me.”
Shelby and Bruce were part of the second group. They excelled academically because
they did not have much else to do. Shelby said:
The [grades] were the best they’ve been since I’ve been here because I never missed a
class. I got really obsessive over grades because I couldn’t obsess over friendships or
obsess over other things, so I got obsessive over grades to the point where I would cry—I
cried once when I got a 96 on something.
Bruce, who was more content in his solitude than Shelby, reflected on his academic
performance during his first semester. He said:
And by not having roommates and just being a freshman and not really knowing where
everything was, I didn’t really have anything to sink myself into other than academia.
So, again I was really able to just work and work and work…it was something I was
really proud of.
Missed the Mark
A few of the students did not do as well as they would have liked. Lindsey, the student
who spent the fall in Korea, faced academic hardship when she started at WU. She said:
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I was not prepared to work that hard, I think…I had really good work ethic in high
school, obviously because I got into [WU]. And then—but once I went to Korea and just
kind of vacationed, that work ethic got thrown out the window…and then plus since all of
the people who were at my chemistry class were also there in the fall semester, they were
used to the workload and the studying from the previous semesters. So, they know what
to expect, but I came in and I was like, “Whoa, this is quite a lot.”
Lindsey’s sentiments are consistent with the findings that adolescent students are
negatively impacted when they take long breaks from school, such as summer vacation. Such
learning decay has led school districts to offer summer school and modify their academic
calendars to decrease time away from school (Ballinger & Kneese, 2006). The negative effects
of summer break increase with every grade level (Cooper et al., 1996), but studies have not
assessed the impact of summer breaks on college students.
Tate also found hardship when he transitioned from the community college to WU. He
explained, “Academically it felt really different. It was kind of a—not a surprise, but I think it
just—from [community college] to [WU] there was a big jump.” Ben also described the
difficulty he encountered when he took community college classes and then came to WU. He
had a 2.7 GPA during his first semester at WU, but he believed it could have been much higher if
he did not spend the fall at a community college. Ben said:
If I had come straight from high school to here, I think my work ethic when I got here
probably would’ve been a little better. My high school prepared me very well…But
having taken that kind of semester at community college where [WU] had told me that
my GPA wouldn’t transfer; a pass would get me class credit. I know I can go to my Intro
to Econ class and kind of just do nothing, skate through with a “C” and get the same
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credit as if I did every question 100 percent. So, there wasn’t too much motivation from
WU’s part to make me try at community college. So, that kind of took me back down a
notch in my academic performance and then when I got here, I got smacked.
The difficulties experienced by Ben and Tate who went from community college to
Western University are consistent with the findings of Townsend and Wilson (2006). In their
research on freshman transfer students, they postulate the fit between the receiving institution
(WU) and the new student is affected by the differences in size and culture of the two
institutions. In their study, students found it difficult to receive transfer assistance, acclimate to
the large classes in the university, navigate the new campus, and build connections with faculty
who conduct research in addition to teaching (Townsend & Wilson, 2006). According to the
interviews, only two students were able to make meaningful connections with professors during
their first semester at Western University.
Class Registration
Two of the informants who encountered depression during their early careers at WU
partially blame class registration for their breakdowns. At Western University, students are
assigned to class registration times based on the number of college credits accumulated. New
students are always the last to register, which results in the last pick of classes and at times, a less
than ideal schedule. Spring admits seem to continue to fall to the back of the pack for their first
couple semesters. Compared to fall admits, spring admits have less accumulated units when it
comes time to register for classes either because they did not take classes during their first fall
semester or the classes they transferred to WU did not garner as many units as the fall admits
acquired at WU.
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Donny did not become engaged in his classes during his first two semesters because he
was simply not interested in the subject matter. He said:
You get such late pick, they're all classes I didn't want to be in. I'm still feeling the
effects of that today… It's just this ripple effect of getting a late registration date, because
you don't have these credits built up… And I found all of my class work really un-
engaging in and I just wasn't really interested in school at all.
Tate has faced the same difficulty as Donny, “and I still have that problem. I look at
everybody else in the same academic level as me and they registered three or four days before,
because they had more units at [WU] than I do.” Tate now knows not to get excited about
certain classes because they are typically filled up by the time he is allowed to register.

“Chip on my Shoulder” Effect
One theme that was prominent in many interviews was the desire or need for informants
to prove their abilities to the school, to fall admits, and sometimes to themselves. Bruce was the
first to introduce this concept to me. When I asked if he regretted his decision to attend WU as a
spring admit, he replied:
I couldn’t imagine anywhere else or having a better opportunity. Yeah… I would just say
that I don’t know if my experience was unique or not but overall spring admission
worked for me. It gave me a chip on my shoulder to do better…I personally took it as a
challenge, like, “Oh, great, well now I got to, you know, now I’ve got to prove myself
when I get there.” And it—it inspired me to have better grades.
Lola also used her spring admission as a motivation to work hard and get high grades.
She said, “It pushed me harder, because I wanted to show—I don’t know who I’m trying to
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show, but it’s just like, ‘I can be better than everyone else. You shouldn’t have put me as a
spring admit.’”
Jane discussed how being chosen for the spring semester makes spring admits more
driven than other first-year college students. It was because of this drive that Jane was able to
graduate a year early. Jane said:
We’re very, very driven from what I’ve seen from spring admits. We’re the people that
are here to succeed…And fall admits, I feel like there’s a lot of legacy students, that are
fall admits and they might not take it as seriously, because they weren’t spring admitted,
so they don’t feel like they have something to prove, whereas I’d know I feel like I have
something to prove.
Academic Performance Comparison
As part of the document analysis, the office of the registrar provided a report comparing
the academic achievement of spring admits and fall admits. The fall admits consistently
achieved higher GPAs, retention rates, and graduation rates, and lower instances of academic
probation. It is important to note that this report contains data for both first-year and transfer
students, and the number of fall admits greatly outweigh the number of spring admits.
For the past five years, spring admits have lower GPAs than their fall counterparts in
their first semester. Interestingly, fall admits’ second-semester GPAs remain level with their
first semester, but spring admits’ GPAs decrease during the second semester. The following
table provides the first and second semester GPAs for both populations for the past five cohorts.

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Table 4
GPA Comparison of Fall and Spring Admits
Fall Cohort 1st Semester
GPA
2nd Semester
GPA
Spring Cohort 1st Semester
GPA
2nd Semester
GPA
2007 (n=4,079) 3.18 3.2 2008 (n=576) 3.09 3.04
2008 (n=4279) 3.18 3.19 2009 (n=452) 3.08 2.95
2009 (n=4240) 3.18 3.19 2010 (n=620) 3.09 3.01
2010 (n=4460) 3.2 3.17 2011 (n=646) 3.12 3.01
2011 (n=4366) 3.18 3.18 2012 (n=824) 3.11 3.03

Similarly, the fall admits returned to the university at higher rates during their second and
third semesters. The following table outlines the retention rates for each cohort:

Table 5
Retention Comparison of Fall and Spring Admits
Fall Cohort 2
nd
Semester
Return Rate
3rd
Semester
Return Rate
Spring Cohort 2
nd

Semester
Return Rate
3rd Semester
Return Rate
2007 (n=4,079) 98% 97% 2008 (n=576) 97% 95%
2008 (n=4279) 98% 95% 2009 (n=452) 96% 93%
2009 (n=4240) 98% 96% 2010 (n=620) 97% 95%
2010 (n=4460) 98% 96% 2011 (n=646) 97% 95%
2011 (n=4366) 96% 97% 2012 (n=824) 96% 95%

Consistent with their semester GPAs and retention rates, the pattern persists into
graduation rates and cumulative GPA, with fall admits outscoring spring admits on both
measures. The graduation rates include all students who graduated no later than December of
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2012. Direct comparisons are not equitable since fall cohorts had an additional semester at WU
than the spring cohorts.

Table 6
Graduation and Cumulative GPA Comparison of Fall and Spring Admits
Fall Cohort Graduation
Rate
Cumulative
GPA
Spring Cohort Graduation
Rate
Cumulative
GPA
2007 (n=4,079) 91% 3.26 2008 (n=576) 86% 3.15
2008 (n=4279) 84% 3.24 2009 (n=452) 73% 3.08
2009 (n=4240) 32% 3.22 2010 (n=620) 38% 3.09
2010 (n=4460) 15% 3.23 2011 (n=646) 8% 3.11
2011 (n=4366) 0% 3.21 2012 (n=824) 0% 3.1

Lastly, a greater percentage of spring admits were placed on academic probation
compared to fall admits. Throughout their time at WU, 6.6% of spring admits and 5.2% of fall
admits were on academic probation, respectively.
Based on the data, fall admits outperform spring admits on every academic indicator
provided. However, contrary to the data, the spring admission letter contains this claim:
Last year, for instance, approximately 300 new students accepted spring admission and
are already fully engaged members of our student body. The retention and graduation
rates of [WU’s] spring cohorts are indistinguishable from those of the students beginning
in the fall.
As detailed in their interviews, spring admits reported a low sense of self-efficacy in
regards to their ability to succeed at WU. As a result of being placed in the spring admit cohort,
they felt as if they were not good enough to be admitted for the fall, and that fall admits were
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more intelligent than them. As described in the literature review, students with high self-efficacy
academically outperform students with less confidence in their academic abilities (Zajacova et
al., 2005; Chemers et al., 2001). Although this study did not test nor compare students’ levels of
self-efficacy, there was an abundant amount of data in the interviews to demonstrate spring
admits’ low levels of self-efficacy. The registrar’s report shows higher GPAs, retention rates,
graduation rates, and lower academic probation rates for fall admits compared to spring admits.
This finding supports the research about self-efficacy and academic performance.
Conclusion
This chapter has outlined a variety of themes and a variety of student experiences within
each theme. The past two chapters have reviewed and described a spectrum of spring admit
experiences. Some WU spring admits are more than satisfied with their collegiate career than
others. These students were able to acclimate well into the WU community through joining
student organizations, creating strong friendships, and excelling in their classes. A couple other
students fell on the opposite end of this spectrum. They were unable to find success in getting
involved in the campus community, finding meaningful friendships, and shining in their
academic pursuits. The majority of students belong somewhere in between the aforementioned
groups of spring admits. These informants were successful in some of their explorations and not
successful in others.
Finding friends at WU proved to be the most difficult challenge for spring admits, and
informants asked for additional help from the university in this endeavor. It is no coincidence
that getting involved was the second-most difficult obstacle for spring admits. Making friends
and getting involved go hand in hand, so it is believable that students who failed in one pursuit
also failed in the other. According to the survey, housing was the next worst challenge
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experienced by spring admits. In the interview, the informants described the vast array of
experiences during their first semester. From first-year residence halls to graduate student
buildings, spring admits were placed in a variety of living arrangements. Some lived with fellow
spring admits and found their best friend, while others lived alone or with upper classmen,
garnering no meaningful relationships from that dwelling.
Lastly, based on data from the registrar’s report, it is clear spring admits are not
performing at the level of their fall counterparts, despite the claim on the admission letter.
Compared to spring admits, fall admits earned higher grades, were retained at higher rates,
graduated at higher rates, and were placed on academic probation less often. Self-efficacy may
play a role in their academic performances as many spring admits expressed a lack of confidence
in their academic abilities as a result of being admitted to WU for the spring semester.
The 18 interviews provided a wealth of knowledge about how spring admits experience
college life, specifically during their first semester. From academics to social life to the college
transition, the informants had plenty to share about their experiences: both positive and negative.
The Spring Welcome observation, registrar’s report, online survey, and document analyses
allowed me to fill in some of the blanks and complete the picture. The observation was a great
opportunity to hear about the fears and expectations from spring admits during their first week at
WU. The registrar’s report demonstrated the stark academic contrasts between fall and spring
admits over many cohorts. The survey added a quantitative component to the study’s findings,
which included the experiences of hundreds of WU spring admits. Lastly, the document
analyses helped me read an assortment of university publications through the eyes of spring
admits. The mixed-methods approach of data collection proved to be useful and insightful for
the purposes of this study. The various data sets were complementary and included quantitative
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and qualitative data that address a multitude of themes and student experiences. The following
chapter revisits and answers the research questions, describes the study’s implications, and
potential research opportunities about spring admits.
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Chapter 6: Discussion and Conclusion
Research Questions
This study sought to understand factors that affect the success of spring admits in their
social, personal, and academic lives. The research questions I specifically intended to answer
were:
1. What are the social, personal, and academic experiences of spring admits?
2. How do spring admits integrate into the campus community?
3. What student services do spring admits look for or utilize?
The following sections discuss findings related to the research questions.
Social, Personal, and Academic Experiences
The experiences of spring admits vary greatly based on their personal outlook, initiative,
and circumstances. Socially, the majority of spring admits struggled with making friends and
finding a niche on campus, especially during the first semester. In fact, a number of survey
respondents (19%) stated they did not make any close friends at WU during that first semester.
Many spring admits also faced challenges to their personal lives during their time at WU.
Being admitted for the spring semester took an emotional toll on many of them, which caused
the informants to have low self-efficacy and second-guess their own abilities to succeed at WU.
Additionally, a few informants sought counseling to deal with mental and emotional issues
caused by the aftermath of being a spring admit, such as social difficulty and being behind
academically.
The academic experiences of spring admits were unique for first-year college students.
Four informants studied abroad and the majority studied at their local community college during
the fall semester. Transitioning from one system of higher education to another proved
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challenging for many spring admits. They were startled by the jump from the ease they
experienced at the community college to the high academic demands of a prestigious four-year
university. Some informants claim they are still negatively impacted by being a spring admit
even years later during class registration each semester, causing them to be apathetic about the
classes they end up with. According to the registrar’s report, multiple cohorts of spring admits
did not perform as well as fall admits on a variety of academic indicators including GPA and
retention rates.
Integration into the Campus Community
Although some informants were able to integrate easily into the campus community, the
majority of spring admits were unable to do so. Not many informants were able to form close
bonds with students who began in the fall. In turn, many spring admits banded together and
formed spring admit friendships and groups. Housing assignments served as another hurdle for
spring admits’ integration into the campus community. The students who lived off-campus did
not feel connected to the first-year students living on campus in the residence halls. At the same
time, the spring admits living on-campus were still not able to feel like a part of their building
community since they missed the fall semester bonding period.
Spring admits also faced obstacles when they sought to get involved in student clubs and
organizations. Some were too intimidated to join a group halfway through the school year and
others were disappointed with what opportunities were available to students looking to get
involved in the spring semester. The men who joined fraternities were seemingly instantly
integrated into the Greek community, and many females were disappointed they were not
allowed to join a sorority until the fall semester. It is important to note many informants became
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more integrated into the campus during their second semester and they continued to close the
integration gap between spring and fall admits with each semester at WU.
Student Services
Spring admits did not utilize many student services during their first semester at WU.
Most attended New Student Orientation, Spring Welcome, and mandatory academic advising
sessions. Three informants sought off-campus counseling services. Although their experiences
varied during their first year at WU, multiple informants had the same idea when it came to
suggesting additional services for them. They desired more help with social integration and
expressed the need for services and programs that would help them find friends- either within the
spring admit community or the campus at large. This suggestion is fitting considering the
number one obstacle faced by spring admits was making friends.
Implications
Throughout the course of this study, it has become apparent that the experiences of spring
admits are varied and no one solution will solve all the problems they encounter. Additionally,
according to some spring admits, their college experience has been great and they would not
change one thing. Based on the theoretical frameworks, current and relevant research, and
multiple data collection methods, I believe the following implications should be considered in
order to improve the experiences of the majority of spring admits at Western University as well
as other institutions that utilize a spring admission process. These recommendations are
clustered into five major implications: increased social support, more involvement opportunities,
improved housing arrangements, a streamlined academic experience, and a thorough assessment
of how spring admits fit within the university’s mission, infrastructure, and communications.
This section describes the overall implications and the multiple ways in which they can be
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attained. The implications are grounded in theory and include current examples from other
institutions.
Implication 1: University officials must facilitate opportunities for spring admits to become
socially integrated into the campus community.
Finding friends proved to be the greatest challenge for spring admits at Western
University and is certainly a difficulty at other institutions. These new students were unable to
break into the social cliques, classroom pleasantries, or suitemate bonds that had already been
formed by fall admits during their first semester. Victims of their admission circumstances, a
handful of informants retreated into their books, disengaged from the campus community, and
eagerly awaited the fall semester to have a fresh start. Based on the informants’ interviews and
the survey, it is of paramount importance for the institution to place greater emphasis on
improving the social experiences of spring admits. There are a variety of ways institutions can
foster integration and socialization, including hosted football game tailgates, peer mentor
programs, and welcome activities.
Football games. A handful of informants discussed the importance of attending the
football games during the fall semester. This is a good opportunity for the university to officially
organize spring admits during the fall semester and jumpstart their social support system before
they even begin classes at WU. Institutions without a predominate football culture can consider
hosting activities or socials for spring admits that coincide with larger university events.
Peer mentoring program. Many spring admits mentioned a schism between fall and
spring admits due to different start times, perceptions of each population, and a lack of
recommended and provided integration by university officials. A peer mentoring program with
fall and spring admits would aid in closing the gap between the two first-year cohorts. Each
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incoming spring admit could be paired with a fall admit based on their interests and
backgrounds. The role of the fall admit would be to assist the spring admit throughout their first
semester in navigating the campus, getting involved, and making friends. Peer mentoring is an
ideal strategy in this situation because having peer support is associated with high levels of social
and academic adjustment (Grant-Vallone, Reid, Umali, & Pohlert, 2003).
Spring admit cohort. In addition to facilitating relationship building between fall and
spring admits, universities should also continue to build connections within the spring cohort.
The majority of spring admits found their closest friends in this group. Through intentional
programming, university administrators can facilitate even more of these friendships throughout
the first semester.
Implication 2: Administrators must increase opportunities for spring admits to get
involved in the campus community.
A significant challenge for Western University spring admits was getting involved on
campus, and this is likely true of spring admits on other campuses. University officials must
assess their involvement activities and opportunities to gauge which ones are already available
for spring admits and which ones can become available for spring admits in the future.
Assess sorority recruitment timeline. Greek life was a common conversation piece
during many interviews. The male informants were thrilled to have joined a Greek chapter
during their first semester, and the female informants were disappointed to have to wait for their
second semester. It would be beneficial for the female spring admits to join a sorority
immediately, much like their male counterparts. The Greek community can take a closer look at
their policies and procedures to examine the possibility of opening sorority recruitment in the
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spring semester. Sorority recruitment in the spring could alleviate the social struggles and
feelings of isolation for the spring admits desiring a spot in a chapter.
Importance of joining clubs. With hundreds of student clubs and organizations, each
student should be able to find a place of community on their college campus. Administrators,
academic advisors, and student leaders can stress to spring admits the importance of getting
involved. At the same time, it is imperative for clubs and organizations to be more receptive to
spring admits. A way to create a more open environment for the spring admits would be through
a memo from the student activities office to club officers that reiterates the importance of
involvement and adequately welcoming new members to the club. Club officers can also
examine their recruitment timelines to ensure availability for spring admits.
Implication 3: Housing officers must take steps to improve the overall housing
arrangements for spring admits.
Poor housing arrangements represented one of the largest hurdles for spring admits to
overcome during their first year. Students’ living arrangements are an integral part of the college
experience. Unfortunately, for many spring admits, their living arrangements soured their
experiences and made it difficulty for them to feel at home.
Move-in day and activities. Move-in day for spring admits is not as big of an
extravaganza as it is in the fall. Additionally, there are less welcome activities for them before
school begins. Administrators should establish the move-in date in collaboration with the
various departments that offer activities for spring admits to ensure there are enough sponsored
events to fill the days between move-in and the first day of classes.
Role of Resident Assistants. Spring admits need additional support in order to integrate
into the residential community, and this can be facilitated by Resident Assistants, student leaders
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charged with facilitating community building and providing resources to residents. Some ways
to accomplish a smooth transition into the residential community are through mandatory
meetings with the resident assistant and through increased programming in the halls.
Building assignments. Institutions must assess their assignment protocol to ensure space
is maximized throughout the year and students are assigned as appropriately as possible. Every
effort should be made to get the spring admits to live on campus, preferably in a building
designed for first-year students.
Roommate assignments. Spring admits have a higher likelihood of being satisfied with
their housing situation when they live with fellow spring admits. Through increased planning
and creativity, universities can take more drastic measures to ensure spring admits are able to
live together by room, floor, or building. Housing officers should make their best attempt to
assign spring admits to other spring admits as roommates, and then fall admits as the next best
option. Action should be taken so spring admits are not assigned to share a space with
upperclassmen and graduate students.
Implication 4: Institutions should offer a streamlined academic experience for spring
admits before and after their arrival.
A streamlined academic experience will give spring admits more structure for the fall
semester and greater support upon arriving to the university in the spring semester. Spring
admits chose a variety of paths to fill their time during the fall semester, and in turn, they also
encountered difficulties in the classroom once they arrived during the spring semester.
Academic advisement. The majority of students in this study attended a community
college during the fall semester and the next most prevalent undertaking was enrolling in another
university either in the United States or abroad. Spring admits who choose to attend another
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school during the fall semester must have the opportunity to work directly with an academic
advisor to make sure their time, money, and units are maximized while at the other institution.
Without such advisement, spring admits are left to choose their own classes and navigate the
articulation process on their own.
Formal options for the fall. Institutions with spring admits should consider formalizing
or recommending options for students during the fall semester. The university can create a
partnership with another university to host its students for the fall semester. For example,
approximately 15 WU spring admits, including informant Corey, attended an American college
in Switzerland. If many spring admits are already attending this college, it would be an obvious
partnership between the two institutions. If such a partnership were created, the schools could
solidify an articulation agreement for transferring credits, WU would have an official
recommendation for spring admits, and the institutions could work together to ensure the success
of their shared students. This opportunity would also allow perhaps dozens of spring admits to
spend the fall semester together, which would improve their social lives upon arrival to WU.
Northeastern University offers the N.U. in program for its spring admits. Students are
able to spend the fall semester with a group of other Northeastern spring admits in Australia,
Greece, Costa Rica, England, or Ireland. Students take classes at the designated university and
can transfer up to 17 units to Northeastern. Each location has multiple N.U. in staff who are
responsible for providing a “structured environment in which participants can grow as globally
aware, independent, mature, and confident individuals” (Northeastern University, 2013, p. 7).
Students arrive to campus in January with a global outlook and established friendships with their
fellow travelers.
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Academic transition to college. Once spring admits attend orientation and move to
campus, they should receive information on the academic experience at the university and how it
will differ from their high school experience and academic experience in the fall semester. Many
informants explained the difficulty transitioning from high school to community college and then
to the university. The culture, mission, and size of four-year colleges and universities are very
different than those of community colleges, and these differences can make it difficult for a
student to successfully transition from one institution to another (Townsend & Wilson, 2006).
Similarly, according to Schlossberg’s Transition Theory (Goodman et al., 2006), students have
assets and liability under each variable (situation, self, support, and strategies) that will help
them cope with the transition from one institution type to another. Through workshops or
individualized advising, academic advisors can help spring admits better understand their own
assets and liabilities as well as the differences between the institution types, and arm them with
strategies to overcome possible academic difficulties.
Retention efforts through academic programs. Spring admits must be supported
academically and socially throughout the first semester in order to improve retention rates, which
are currently lower than those of fall admits. According to the Seidman Retention Formula,
students will persist to graduation if they are identified early to undergo interventions that are
early, intensive, and continuous (Seidman, 2012). Two examples of interventions that meet such
criteria are first-year seminars and learning communities. First-year seminars are provided to
assist with new students’ success through improving their academic interest, fostering their
understanding of the school, and enabling social integration (Upcraft et al., 2005). All of these
objectives have been acknowledged as struggles for spring admits. A first-year seminar
specifically for spring admits would give them the ability to take a class as a cohort and create
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bonds with a faculty member and fellow classmates from the start. Throughout the interviews,
informants mentioned they were unable to meet people in their classes and build connections
with their professors. A seminar for spring admits would be especially helpful given their social
and academic difficulties during the first semester. Nationwide, first-year seminars are linked to
higher retention rates as well as other positive outcomes (Porter & Swing, 2006; Schnell &
Doetkott, 2002).
Administrators may also consider implementing learning communities for spring admits.
Learning communities, or clusters of related courses that link students together through block
scheduling or co-registration, are offered to improve retention and success through enhancing the
connections between students, with their professors, and with the subject matter (Upcraft et al.,
2005). Spring admit learning communities would provide new students with the opportunity to
work with the same people in multiple classes, thereby enhancing their ability to create
friendships with classmates, which is something that is currently not taking place. Similar to
first-year seminars, learning communities are linked to higher levels of persistence, GPA, and
satisfaction (Zhao & Kuh, 2004; Baker & Pomerantz, 2000).
Implication 5: Institutions must assess how admitting students for the spring semester fits
in with the university’s mission, infrastructure, and communications.
This study has underscored the positive and negative outcomes of spring admission
through the experiences of spring admits while also discussing the benefits for institutions. The
spring admission strategy keeps the institutions at capacity throughout the year and brings in
millions of dollars in tuition and fees. However, Western University and many other institutions
across the nation should consider if spring admission is the best and most appropriate way to
maintain capacity and bring in money. Does the strategy fit within the institution’s mission?
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If universities continue to utilize a spring admission system, they must immediately begin
enhancing the services for its hundreds of new spring admits each year. In addition to the
aforementioned implications, there are major structural changes universities can make to vastly
alter and improve the experiences of spring admits. Changing the infrastructure of the
institution, specifically the spring admit cohort, can have a positive and lasting impact on future
generations of spring admits. Two extreme examples for possible structural changes are from
the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Florida.
Fall Program for Freshmen. Throughout the course of the interviews, numerous
informants referred to a spring admit program at UC Berkeley. Similar to other four-year
universities, UC Berkeley admits hundreds of spring admits each year. However, unlike other
institutions, in 1983 UC Berkeley created a way for spring admits to become a part of the
university during the fall semester. As part of UC Berkeley Extension, a program that offers
continuing education, online classes, and professional certificates, the university is able to host
the Fall Program for Freshmen. This is a unique program where 700 out of 1,000 spring admits
are able to spend the fall semester in Berkeley, take extension classes that count toward their
degree, and participate in student clubs and campus activities (UC Berkeley Extension, 2013).
Participants are able to apply for university housing and are given the same priority as fall
admits. Its students enroll in smaller classes than the fall admits and they are able to build strong
relationships with fellow spring admits. The program is located a few blocks away from the
main campus and its students are not considered part of the official UC Berkeley student
population until the spring semester. The spring admits in the program graduate from UC
Berkeley at higher levels than those who do not enroll in the program. Additionally, the Fall
Program for Freshmen is a large contributor to the high graduation rates of the overall spring
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admit cohort, which currently outpaces those of the institution’s fall admits (UC Berkeley Office
of Planning and Analysis, 2013).
Innovation Academy. The University of Florida has admitted students for the spring
semester for several years, and the spring numbers have risen significantly over the past few
years (Hoover, 2013). Even with its spring admits, administrators wanted to continue to
maximize the capacity of the campus for the fall, spring, and summer semesters. The university
sought to create a new program in order to bring more students into the school and keep it at
capacity year-round. The Innovation Academy is changing the academic calendar for one cohort
of students- spring admits with an interest in innovation. Upon applying to the University of
Florida, students are able to check a box if they would like to be considered for the Innovation
Academy. By allowing students to check a box, the university is giving them the opportunity to
opt into the program selection process. Students who join the program will feel a greater sense
of control because they checked off the box and asked to be considered for this special program.
Students selected to participate in the academy are just like any other student, but with
two major differences: they will graduate with a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation, and
they will not be allowed to take classes on campus during any fall semester. Instead of the
traditional fall and spring semester enrollments, Innovation Academy students take classes
during the spring and summer semesters. This calendar shift is helping the institution fill spots
during its two most vacant semesters. Instead of taking classes during the fall semester, students
will be urged to study abroad, take online courses, or secure an internship. The Innovation
Academy opened its doors in January of 2013 and enrolled about 300 students in its first cohort
(Hoover, 2013). Each year, the university plans to add 500 new students to the academy (Jordan
& Dunkel, 2012).
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The administration made every effort to provide all services to Innovation Academy
students that are typically provided for fall admits. Services and programs had to be adjusted to
cater to these spring/summer students, including student organizations, Greek life, food services,
and counseling services. Innovation Academy students have a designated residence hall during
the spring and summer semesters so they can form a sense of community among academy
members. The residence hall will remain at capacity during the fall semester with students who
will graduate in December or study abroad in the spring, and do not need yearlong contract
(Jordan & Dunkel, 2012). The Innovation Academy is a completely new and different concept
for traditional college campuses. Given time, this program may serve as a model for many other
campuses to follow suit.
Choosing spring admits. One possibility for a structural change at Western University
or other institutions accepting students for the spring semester is to consider who should be
spring admits. The University of Florida made its spring admit program specifically geared
toward future innovators. Multiple informants described how local spring admits excelled better
than those from outside of the region. If this is the case, universities can consider admitting only
local students to be spring admits. These students are able to enroll in a local community college
with an established articulation agreement, they can attend football games in the fall, and there is
an increased likelihood of having high school friends already at the institution. It would be
easier for these spring admits to connect with each other during the fall semester and come to
campus feeling better about their circumstances. Additionally, similar to the Innovation
Academy, the undergraduate admission application can ask students if they would like to be
considered to begin in the spring semester. This would give students the opportunity to choose
their own fate and retain an internal locus of control around being a spring admit.
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University communications with spring admits. Lastly, administrators must re-
examine the communications between its various offices and spring admits. Some spring admits
ride an emotional rollercoaster from the time they are accepted and throughout their first
semester. Improving and increasing the communications disseminated to spring admits can
alleviate some of the ups and downs. Admission and orientation officers may consider keeping
in touch with spring admits through the fall semester through specialized website, newsletters,
and emails. As demonstrated by the document analysis of the WU housing brochure, not all
documents are targeted for this student population. Offices must create publications specifically
for spring admits and carefully consider what content must be different for this population.
Finally, universities can rethink their messaging about spring admits to the rest of the
campus community. Faculty, staff, and fall admits can be educated about spring admits so they
understand the spring will always bring new students who should have the same opportunities
available to them as every other student. Enrolling new students for the spring semester is part
of the normal process and academic calendar, and no group should be caught off guard by the
annual influx of new spring admits.
Future Research
In addition to providing a baseline level of understanding about the spring admit
experience, a major goal of this study was to serve as a springboard for future research and
discussion about spring admits across the nation. Even though more than one-quarter of new
college students enter higher education outside of the fall semester (National Student
Clearinghouse, 2012), there is still not enough data or research about this large population. This
study examined just one university, but the focus was kept intentionally broad in order to provide
a foundational backdrop of the spring admit experience. This study sought to answer questions
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181

about spring admits’ social, academic, and personal experiences, as well as their integration into
the campus community and their desire for additional student services.
Future studies will be able to choose a more narrow focus and learn more about a specific
interest area. For instance, this study observes a relationship between self-efficacy and academic
performance of spring admits. It also begs for further data about spring admits across the nation.
We know more than one-quarter of college students have a non-traditional start date, but we do
not know anything else about them. For example, how many of them actually graduate? How
do their retention and graduation rates compare to fall admits on a national scale? This study
highlights multiple areas that are in need of future research.
Another way to contribute to the research about the spring admit experience is to examine
various populations within the spring admit community. For example, after several attempts, I
was unable to find an international student willing to participate in an interview. How is the
spring admit experience different for international students? Other possible populations of study
include at-risk or underrepresented students such as non-traditional students, students of color,
and transfer students.
Lastly, this dissertation was focused on one institution as a way to thoroughly understand
how its spring admits experience college life. The school’s environment, fall admits, policies,
and structure all contribute to such experiences. Spring admits at other institutions may
encounter college life differently than those at Western University. Institutional studies should
be conducted to provide practitioners and policymakers an overview of the experiences of their
spring admits. Additionally, multi-institutional studies will be equally beneficial to illuminate
trends across the country and to gain research that is generalizable across institutions.

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Conclusion
This study has painted many pictures of the experiences of spring admits in higher
education. For some students, their picture was perfect, worthwhile, and beneficial. For other
students, their picture was dismal, depressing, and disappointing. From social life to
involvement to housing to academic performance, spring admits faced struggles in many of their
collegiate endeavors.
Throughout the course of this study, I learned about the individual experiences of 18
spring admits now in their junior or senior year in college. Their stories came to life in the
interviews and their emotions were still raw at times. Through providing detailed profiles of
each informant, it was my goal for the reader to understand the many ways in which a spring
admit could experience college life, specifically during their first semester. Some of these stories
were uplifting and triumphant, while others were depressing. The other data collection methods
complemented the informants’ stories and provided an understanding of their experiences from
other angles.
Of the 11 themes that emerged during the interviews, students found the greatest
struggles in making friends, getting involved in the campus community, and in their housing
assignment. The five implications focus on directly confronting these three hardships in addition
to advancing the spring admit experience through providing a streamlined academic experience
and assessing how spring admits fit in with the university’s mission, structure, and
communications.
Administrators must work together to improve the experiences of their spring admits,
including creating new programs, changing current communications, rethinking the way an
institution should welcome its spring admits, and considering structural changes in its spring
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183

admission system. Universities must commit to this population of students and place priority on
enhancing the collegiate experience for future cohorts.
On a national level, spring admits are a large and growing population within American
higher education. This study has started to fill the gap in the research about this student
population. The findings have provided a foundational knowledge of the spring admit
experience and should be applied by various stakeholders. First and foremost, practitioners
should use this new knowledge to create programs and services to aid the spring admit
population. Beyond traditional offerings for new first-year students, spring admits need
additional support in integration, socialization, and academics. Policymakers and high-level
administrators should consider the value of spring admission for all constituents and assess if it
fits within the mission of the institution. Alternative programs for admitting and accommodating
spring admits, such as Northeastern University’s N.U. in program, the University of Florida’s
Innovation Academy, and UC Berkeley’s Fall Program for Freshmen, should be considered,
assessed, and implemented as administrators see fit. Lastly, researchers can add to this study’s
findings by furthering the investigation into this student population. Future studies can include
single or multi-institutional samples, can expand on one of the presented themes, or can be
focused on specific subsets of the spring admit population, such as at-risk and underrepresented
student groups.
With ever-present capacity issues and troublesome budget cuts to American higher
education, more institutions will move in the direction of admitting students for the spring
semester. With an already growing spring admit population, it is imperative for higher education
administrators, policymakers, and researchers to come together in order to provide a welcoming
and thriving atmosphere for spring admits across the country.
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Appendix A:

Survey Invitation
Dear student,
In an effort to better understand the experiences of spring admits at Western University, I
ask you to please complete this short online survey. It should take you no longer than five
minutes to complete it. The results from this survey will be included in my doctoral dissertation
about the transitional, personal, social, and academic experiences of spring admits. They will
also help the WU administration understand the unique needs of spring admits in order to
provide beneficial services for this student population. All responses will be kept completely
anonymous. The last question of the survey will ask if you would like to participate in an in-
person individual interview with me. Just like the survey responses, the individual interview will
be kept anonymous- only I will know your identity. I hope you consider sharing your
experiences with me through the online survey and the individual interview. All students who
participate in an interview will be entered into a drawing to win one $50 iTunes gift card.
To complete the survey, please click here.

Sincerely,

Chrissy Roth-Francis
Doctoral Candidate

EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS

194

Appendix B:
Online Survey
Thank you for completing this survey about your experience as a spring admit at WU. The
results of the survey will be used in a doctoral dissertation about spring admits. Your identity
will be kept confidential throughout this entire process. The survey will take approximately 3-5
minutes to complete.

1. Name (blank field)
2. Email (blank field)
3. Phone number (blank field)
4. School (drop-down menu)
5. Class Standing
a. Junior
b. Senior
c. Other (blank field)
6. Please specify your race (check all that apply):
a. Hispanic or Latino
b. American Indian or Alaska Native
c. Asian American
d. Black or African American
e. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
f. White
g. International Student (blank field: country)
h. I decline to answer
7. Sex
a. Male
b. Female
c. Other
d. I decline to answer
EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS

195

8. What was your primary activity during the fall semester before you started at WU?
(check all that apply):
a. Studied at another university
b. Studied at a community college
c. Traveled
d. Community service
e. Work
f. Other (blank field)
9. Where did you live during the spring semester of your first year at WU?
a. On-campus residence hall
b. On-campus apartment
c. Off-campus apartment in WU housing
d. Non-WU housing near campus
e. At home with family
f. Other (blank field)
10. If you did not live with your family, who were your roommates? (check all that apply):
a. Other spring admits
b. Freshmen who began in the fall
c. Sophomores
d. Juniors
e. Seniors
f. Transfer students
g. I did not have roommates
11. What was your GPA during the spring semester of your first year?
a. 3.5-4.0
b. 3.0-3.49
c. 2.5-2.99
d. 2.0-2.49
e. Below 2.0
12. How would you rate your academic performance during the spring semester of your first
year?
EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS

196

a. Very satisfactory
b. Satisfactory
c. Neutral
d. Unsatisfactory
e. Very unsatisfactory
13. Which student services did you utilize before and during the first semester?
a. New Student Orientation
b. Spring Welcome (after move-in)
c. Involvement Fair
d. Academic Advisor
e. Center for Academic Support
f. Writing Center
g. Other (3 blank fields)
14. What types of organizations have you joined at WU? (check all that apply):
a. Academic organization
b. Community service
c. Leadership
d. Intramurals
e. Greek life
f. Religious
g. Ethnic
h. Other (blank field)
i. None
15. How would you rate your social life at WU during the spring semester of your first year?
a. Very satisfactory
b. Satisfactory
c. Neutral
d. Unsatisfactory
e. Very unsatisfactory
16. Who were your close friends during your first semester? (check all that apply):
a. Other spring admits
EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS

197

b. Freshmen who began in the fall
c. Sophomores
d. Juniors
e. Seniors
f. Transfer students
17. Please rank your pre-WU and first-semester obstacles in order of magnitude (1= biggest
obstacle and 10= not an obstacle)
a. Creating class schedule
b. Transferring classes from the fall semester (at another institution)
c. Making friends
d. Living arrangement
e. Getting involved
f. Academic success
g. Feeling comfortable on campus
h. Navigating the campus
i. Utilizing student resources
j. Finding a job
18. Were there any obstacles you encountered that were not previously listed? (blank field)
19. What was the biggest benefit to being a spring admit?
a. Taking the fall semester off from classes
b. Earning academic credit at another institution
c. Saving money by taking classes at another institution
d. Working during the fall semester
e. Vacation/Traveling
f. Other (blank field)
20. At which point in your college career did you consider yourself a sophomore?
a. Fall semester (your second semester)
b. Spring semester (your third semester)
c. Other (blank field)
21. During which semester are you scheduled to graduate?
a. Spring semester
EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS

198

b. Fall semester
c. Other (blank field)
22. Do you still consider yourself a spring admit?
a. Yes
b. No
23. Do you have any comments about your experience as a spring admit? (blank field)
24. May the researcher contact you to schedule an in-person interview about your
experiences? The interviews will be kept anonymous and only the researcher will know
your true identity.
a. Yes
b. No

Thank you for participating in the survey.

EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS

199

Appendix C:
Interview Questions

Interview Questions
RQ1: What are
the social,
personal, and
academic
experiences of
spring admits?
RQ2: How do
spring admits
integrate into the
campus
community?
RQ3: What
student services
do spring admits
look for or
utilize?
Tell me about the notification
of your admission to WU and
your decision-making process
to attend.
x
What did you think it meant to
be a spring admit?
x
What types of information did
you receive from the
university before you began
classes?
x
How did you prepare to start
college in the spring semester?
x
Describe your first week on
campus.
x x x
How did your living
arrangement during your first
semester affect your overall
experience?
x x x
What were social experiences
like during your first semester
at WU?
x x x
How have you gotten involved
in the WU campus
community?
x x x
What were some of your
academic successes during
your first semester?
x x x
What were some of your
academic weaknesses during
your first semester?
x x x
EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS

200

What student services did you
utilize during your first year?
x
Are there any other services
that would have been helpful
to you during your first year?
x
Describe any differences you
may perceive between the
experiences of spring and fall
admits.
x
Why do you think you were a
spring admit?
x
If you could do it over again,
would you have still made the
same decision to come to
WU?
x
In order to better understand
your experience, is there
anything I haven’t asked you
that I should have asked?
x x x

EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS

201

Appendix D:
Information Sheet

INFORMATION/FACTS SHEET FOR NON-MEDICAL RESEARCH

A semester late: A phenomenological study examining
the experiences of spring admits in higher education

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Much research has been conducted to examine the experiences of first-year college students
(Baker & Pomerantz, 2000; Tinto, 1988; Upcraft, Gardner, & Barefoot, 2005; Zhao and Kuh,
2004) as well as transfer students (Duggan & Pickering, 2007; Hoyt and Winn, 2004; Ishitani,
2006; Townsend & Wilson, 2006). What remains to be examined, however, are the experiences
of college spring admits, or students who start college a semester after their peers. In an effort to
begin the conversation about spring admits, their challenges, and special needs, this study will
focus on understanding how spring admits experience college life at WU, an institution where
the greater majority of students begins school during the fall semester.

PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT
You will participate in one interview of approximately 45 minutes. During the interview, you
will be asked about your decision to attend college as a spring admit, your transition to WU, and
your reflections on your first year in college. The interview will be recorded with a digital
recorder.

PAYMENT/COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATION
All interview participants will be entered in a drawing to win one $50 iTunes gift card. You do
not have to answer all of the questions in order to enter the drawing.

CONFIDENTIALITY

There will be no identifiable information obtained in connection with this study. The contents of
the interview will be kept confidential. Only the researcher will know your identity, and you will
EXPERIENCES OF SPRING ADMITS

202

choose a pseudonym that will be used for the purposes of the study. The university will also
receive a pseudonym for the purposes of the study.
The members of the research team and the Western University’s Human Subjects Protection
Program (HSPP) may access the data.
The HSPP reviews and monitors research studies to protect the rights and welfare of research
subjects.

INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
Chrissy Roth-Francis
rothc@usc.edu

Abstract (if available)

Abstract More than 25% of new college students begin their higher education careers outside of the traditional fall start date (National Student Clearinghouse, 2012). This study examines the social, personal, and academic experiences of spring admits at a large, private research institution in the western United States. In this study, a spring admit is defined as a first-year student who applied to a four-year institution, and was admitted for and enrolled in the spring semester. ❧ Using a phenomenological framework and mixed methodology, the study was based on the stories of 18 spring admits at Western University (pseudonym). Additional data were collected using an online survey of 312 respondents, an observation, document analysis, report from the registrar, and member checking. The findings of this study indicate the greatest struggles for spring admits were in making friends, getting involved in the campus community, and in their housing assignment. Additionally, according to a report from the registrar, spring admits attained lower GPAs and retention rates compared to their fall counterparts. Implications from this study include offering increased social support for spring admits, creating more involvement opportunities, implementing improved housing arrangements, providing a streamlined academic experience, and a conducting a thorough assessment of how spring admits fit within the university’s mission, infrastructure, and communications.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Roth-Francis, Chrissy (author)

Core Title A semester late: a phenomenological study examining the experiences of spring admits in higher education

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 10/14/2013

Defense Date 08/15/2013

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag academic success,admission,first-year experience,first-year students,freshmen,OAI-PMH Harvest,spring admits,transfer students,transition

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Tambascia, Tracy Poon (committee chair), Harke, Brian (committee member), Jackson, Michael L. (committee member)

Creator Email rothfrancis@berkeley.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-338802

Unique identifier UC11295227

Identifier etd-RothFranci-2098.pdf (filename),usctheses-c3-338802 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-RothFranci-2098.pdf

Dmrecord 338802

Document Type Dissertation

Format application/pdf (imt)

Rights Roth-Francis, Chrissy

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA