Exploring College Choice Experiences of Rural Students Through Creative Nonfiction - Article 7 - July 2022

Oct 15, 2026

Explores how rural students in southeastern and south-central Kansas understand college choice, including where to attend and which major to pursue, using qualitative narrative inquiry. Frames the study with established research on four layers influencing college selection and highlights gaps in rural-focused literature. Positions the author’s lived identity and research roles as a rural graduate student and college employee as relevant to how participants interpret the college choice process and their own experiences.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Theoretical Framework

Research Questions

Methodological Positioning

Educational Considerations Volume 48 Number 2 Rural Revelations: Our Path Forward Article 7 July 2022 Exploring College Choice Experiences of Rural Students Through Creative Nonfiction Jenna L. Gannon Kansas State University, Butler Community College, [jlgannon@ksu.edu](jlgannon@ksu.edu) Follow this and additional works at: [https://newprairiepress.org/edconsiderations](https://newprairiepress.org/edconsiderations) Part of the Education Commons This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. Recommended Citation Gannon, Jenna L. (2022) "Exploring College Choice Experiences of Rural Students Through Creative Nonfiction," Educational Considerations: Vol. 48: No. 2. [https://doi.org/10.4148/0146-9282.2330](https://doi.org/10.4148/0146-9282.2330) [This Article is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in](This Article is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in)[ ](This Article is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in)[Educational Considerations by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. For more information](Educational Considerations by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. For more information), please [contact](contact cads@k-state.edu)[ cads@k-state.edu](contact cads@k-state.edu). Exploring College Choice Experiences of Rural Students Through Creative Nonfiction Cover Page Footnote A special thank you to the participants for being willing to learn with me through this project and for being willing to share openly and honestly. Thank you to my mom, professors, and work family for supporting and encouraging me through this project. This article is available in Educational Considerations: [https://newprairiepress.org/edconsiderations/vol48/iss2/7](https://newprairiepress.org/edconsiderations/vol48/iss2/7) Exploring College Choice Experiences of Rural Students through Creative Nonfiction Jenna Gannon Introduction The process of making the choice to attend college, where to attend, and for what major, is a complex decision for prospective students. I graduated from a rural high school with a class of 44 situated in a small town in Kansas. A college education was always the step I assumed for myself after completing high school. So, I asked,“What was it that set my expectations and experiences apart from my peers who did not pursue a college education, or those who started five or ten years later? Was it my involvement in all those extra-curricular activities that gave me the drive to succeed? Was it because I had already had experiences on college campuses that made me feel like I had a right to go, and that I already belonged? What is it that motivated me to pursue advanced degrees?” Perna (2006) described in detail the complexity of factors that affect student college choice including four layers,“(1) the individual’s habitus; (2) school and community context; (3) the higher education context; and (4) the broader social, economic, and policy context”(p. 116) . Although college choice literature thoroughly establishes the four main layers of college choice, it focuses mainly on non-rural populations or does not address the differences between the college aspirations of urban/suburban versus rural students. Contemporary authors argue that it is essential more research is done to consider rural students because their college attendance rates are lower than those of their urban and suburban peers (Ardoin, 2018; Barr, 2018; Longhurst, 2014; Pesko, 2020) . Even within the current literature that explores rural student college choice, most studies are centered in the rural southeast or rural northeast (e.g., Harris, 2013; Hlinka et al., 2015; Wright, 2012). In addition, many studies focusing on rural student col

FAQs

What is the purpose of the research described in the document?

To explore how rural students in southeastern and south-central Kansas understand their college choice process, including whether to attend college, where to attend, and which major to choose.

How does the document characterize the factors that influence student college choice?

It references a framework with four layers: the individual’s habitus, school and community context, higher education context, and broader social, economic, and policy context.

Why does the document argue additional research is needed on rural students?

Because existing college choice research often focuses on non-rural populations or lacks clear comparisons between urban/suburban and rural students, while rural attendance rates are described as lower.

Oct 15, 2026

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