Radically Early College Entrants on Radically Early College Entrance: A Heuristic Inquiry

Although acceleration has been studied thoroughly as an educational practice for the gifted, early entrance to college specifically has been overlooked. Furthermore, a large portion of this research pertained to early college entrance programs, which provide resources that many early college entrants may not have. The lived experiences and perceptions of radically early college entrants (3 or more years advanced) were explored through interviews and heuristic inquiry. The interviews addressed affective aspects of early college foremost, with additional discussion of academic experiences, college choice, and career outcomes. Findings support that radically early college entrants are happy with their choice overall, although more specific findings elaborate on the benefits and limitations of early college, possible regrets, and the social issues this population faces.

Social Adjustment of Female Early College Entrants in a Residential Program

Previous studies of the general emotional adjustment of early college entrants have not investigated the social adjustment of adolescents who leave home to attend a residential program. This study assessed the social adjustment of female early college entrants using standard measures of adjustment and two comparison groups (traditional college students and boarding school students). Social adjustment was assessed in the areas of social activities, social skills, social confidence, social conformity, and social support. Although all groups evidenced good overall adjustment, there were noteworthy group differences. Early entrants evidenced higher social conformity and solitary activity than boarding students, who had more social activity. Early entrants and college students evidenced similar social adjustment, but early entrants reported a high level of dissatisfaction with their social lives. Overall, female early college entrants in a single-gender residential program are socially well-adjusted, although there are specific areas in which their social adjustment could be improved.