EXPECTATIONS FOR COLLEGE AND STUDENT PERSISTENCE

Tinto postulates that students enter college with expectations. If the se expectations are unmet, there is early disenchantment with the soci al and academic communities. Such disenchantments hinder academic and social integration which, in turn, influence subsequent institutional and goal commitments and ultimately student departure. These formulati ons are tested in a multi-institutional study of 263 first-time freshm en who entered four-year colleges and universities. The findings indic ate that both academic and social integration are positively influence d by the meeting of expectations for academic and career development. Social integration is positively influenced by expectations for opport unities for personal involvement, but negatively affected by expectati ons for a collegiate atmosphere. Indirect effects on intentions to rem ain in the focal college are indirectly influenced by collegiate atmos phere and academic and career development. Implications for enrollment management and the development of linkages between theories of colleg e choice and student departure are drawn.