This study examined the effects of experiential learning courses on the well-being of undergraduate students (n = 76, 77.6% female, 67.1% White). A repeated-measures design was used to compare changes in resilience, mindfulness, emotional reappraisal, and social connectedness across three different course formats. All students saw increases in mindfulness; social connectedness was particularly sensitive to the course format. Through integrating academic and experiential learning, students can experience steady increases in multiple components of well-being.

Although recognized as a highly effective subject-acceleration intervention, accessibility of Advanced Placement (AP) coursework is not equally available to all students. This lack of access may contribute to documented disparities in AP participation between rural schools and their urban and suburban counterparts. The current study explores the effect of an online AP program on AP participation and exam-passing rates, in a single Midwestern state with a sizable rural population. Study results show that increased availability of AP coursework in rural schools increased access to AP in small to middle sized schools; however, the increased availability did not translate into increased AP exam participation. Nevertheless, exam-passing rates for those who took the exam was higher for schools that participated in the online program. Recommendations for building pathways to academic acceleration and achievement for rural students are discussed.

This study examined how family socioeconomic status and social emotional climate together with neighborhood affluence predict the probability that college attainment in emerging adulthood (20–26 years old) matched college expectations reported during adolescence. Using three waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health (n = 7,213, 54% female, 53% White, 21% Black, 15% Hispanic, 11% other), results from multilevel multinomial logistic models reported direct and positive effects of neighborhood and family affluence on the probability that college attainment in emerging adulthood matched or exceeded the expectations reported during adolescence. Family cohesion was associated with lower odds of overachievement. An interaction effect revealed that parents’ educational expectations were more strongly associated with college achievement outcomes in higher income families. Understanding how families and neighborhoods predict college achievement can help institutions focus on methods of intervention to best support the transition to adulthood.