| Abstract: | The purpose of this study was to identify those factors related to academic success in high‐risk students so that college educators could more precisely develop remedial programs to heighten the probability of academic success for high‐risk populations. Demographic, academic, and personality variables were analyzed for groups of successful and unsuccessful high‐risk students in order to determine which were significant predictors of academic success. An analysis of the data revealed that a greater proportion of the students in the successful group were married and female. The successful group's reading score at the time of admission was significantly higher than the unsuccessful group's. The majority of the successful group had enrolled in college to acquire job related skills; the unsuccessful group had enrolled to receive transfer credits toward a baccalaureate degree. The personality analysis indicated that the successful group scored significantly higher on self‐esteem, assertiveness, and internal locus of control. Their learning style was characterized by their desire for detailed instruction, their preference for working with inanimate objects, and reading was their preferred modality for learning. The unsuccessful group scored lower on self‐esteem and higher on control by chance. The learning style inventory revealed that they did not like detailed instruction, they preferred working with people, and listening was their preferred mode of learning. Their grade expectancy was extremely unrealistic; they predicted higher grades for themselves than did the successful group. The authors suggest strategies for utilizing these findings in the development of remedial programs for high‐risk students. |
