Journal of College Orientation, Transition, and Retention

Influence of Academic Goal Commitment on Late Registrant Success

Ben Littlepage

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/jcotr.v23i1.2895

Keywords: Late registration, success, motivation, commitment, goal setting

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Abstract

Late registration is widely accepted as an attrition-prone practice with short-sighted institutional gains, yet some late registrants are academically successful and overcome obstacles early in the term. This study investigated whether the academic success of 538 late registrants was influenced by their academic goal, academic level, enrollment status and gender during the fall 2012 term. Academic success was cumulatively defined as a grade point average of 2.0 or better, completion of all attempted hours and persistence to the following term. Late registrants who enrolled full time and had an academic goal of transferring or pursuing a nursing career pathway were more likely to be successful. Associations with motivation, academic commitment and goal setting were drawn upon as possible explanations for the success of late registrants.