Beyond Admission: Reducing Opportunity Melt and Supporting a Successful Transition by Proactively Assigning Peer Mentors to Incoming Students at a Large Public Regional University

The transition from high school to college can cause an undue amount of attrition for fully qualified, college-intending first-generation students. Although the students may have overcome multiple obstacles to be accepted to a college and arrive at the transition over summer, it can feel overwhelming to complete the flood of tasks without access to a supportive network to guide and interpret the intricate steps. Many programs focus on college preparation and access to college but do not devote attention to the delicate transition from access to enrollment during the summer months. The term opportunity melt for students who confirm their enrollment and do not enroll in any institution of higher education in the fall semester. This study identified the influence of strategic peer mentor support during the summer months for Chico State students who applied, were admitted, and accepted their college admission. This action research intervention applies key concepts of academic capital theory and follows up on previous cycles of action research in the California State University system to identify barriers for those who intended to enroll but decided not to attend any Cal State or other institution of higher education in the Fall semester after high school graduation.