"A Low Cost Way to Expand the Horizons of High Achieving, Low Income Students"

Similar to Suzi's post, I found a recent article posted on The Chronicle of Higher Ed. explains research conducted regarding low income students that score in the top 10 percent of their class, yet are in the bottom quarter financially, and their college application/admission process. These students often "undermatch" when applying for schools, because they don't think they can get into, or afford, more selective institutions that match their high academic level.

The two researchers of this study compiled a list of almost 40,000 students and placed them into a control group, and an "intervention" group. Those that received the "intervention' received more than usual college brochures, information and applications to apply than the control group received. The study found that just by sending these students more information they were 19 percent more likely to apply to more selective institutions, tended to apply to schools with an 86 point increase of SAT score requirements, and were 78 percent more likely to actually be admitted to a school that suited their high achieving academic needs.

 While this is all rainbows and butterflies serving as an inexpensive way to encourage low income students to actually apply and be admitted to these selective institutions, my concern is what happens after they get in? How do they afford these highly selective schools? What is being done to ensure once they're admitted, support is given to actually make it feasible for them to enroll?

I find this very interesting because many pieces we've read this semester argue that we need to find better ways to support and offer higher education to low income students and then help them learn and develop throughout college. But what about these low income, yet brilliant and high achieving students who don't need assistance throughout college, just assistance getting in to college (like Cedric) who just can't afford college, yet can academically keep up? This also reminded me of LaTisha (I believe it was her character) who was in the top of her class, like Cedric, but "undermatched" by going to a small no-name school near her home because she couldn't afford a place like Brown.

• What are your thoughts to the questions I posed above?
• What can be done after the students have been encouraged to apply, to encourage them to enroll?
• Does this article/study solve the dilemma of low income, yet high achieving students under matching their applications? 
• Overall thoughts?