Transferring to an Elite School as a First-Gen, Low-Income Student
Paola Cruz thought the probability of her attending an elite university as FGLI was zero – until she got in.
Young Invincibles / May 28, 2020
This narrative inquiry study analyzed 190 first-generation students’ worries about the first year of college as surveyed upon admission to a four-year university. Five themes emerged from the data: time, connection, academic success, adjusting, and basic needs. The theme of time appeared most frequently in student narratives, suggesting that first-generation students are most worried about managing and understanding the concept of time in college above other academic and personal factors. Future research is needed to explore how staff and faculty can best use these results to inform first year programming for firstgeneration college students.
