Many students seeking opportunity through higher education face barriers enrolling and completing college. This is especially true for those students from lower-income backgrounds. These barriers can include challenges with academic readiness, financial constraints, and a lack of college guidance counseling when in high school.  In 2012, GSU launched the Summer Success Academy (SSA) to address such barriers. The SSA is offered to students whose academic qualifications fall near or below GSU’s standard acceptance criteria. Students participating in this program are enrolled in a seven-week summer term before their first fall semester, taking seven credit hours of non-remedial summer courses. Participants also join freshman learning communities and are offered tutoring, advising, financial literacy workshops, and peer mentoring to enhance belonging. 

Two Georgia State researchers, Dr. Ross Rubenstein and Ms. Junemi Kang, conducted a research study evaluating the impacts of the Summer Success Academy and were subsequently interviewed with Dr. Priscilla Bell of the National Institute for Student Success about their findings. The following is an excerpt from that interview. (The conversation has been edited for clarity.) 

What prompted your interest in the Summer Success Academy? 

Ross: My interest in higher education research led me to the Summer Success Academy (SSA), which I discussed with Ben Brandon and Dr. Tim Renick. The SSA stood out to me because it focuses on teaching students the skills they need to be successful once they’re in school, rather than only helping them get admitted. There are also ongoing challenges with conducting rigorous evaluations in higher education programs, but the SSA’s relatively clear criteria for participant selection made it a good candidate for such evaluations.  

Junemi:  To echo Ross’s point, what’s particularly unique about the SSA is not just that it offers opportunities to students who may have otherwise deferred to the next spring or faced rejection, but that it offers students tailored support to ensure their academic success at GSU. The SSA also offers non-remedial courses for credit to students, rather than solely providing catch-up coursework. This is a departure from traditional, remedial programs.  

What were you trying to understand with this study? 

Ross: Fundamentally, our goal was to understand the impact of participation in the SSA on academic success metrics like GPA and persistence to the next year. However, there is a broader policy question driving our inquiry. We’re questioning whether certain students who may not meet traditional admission metrics—such as standardized test scores and grades—could still thrive with the right support systems. This has implications not only for Georgia State but also for higher education institutions nationwide, especially considering the projected enrollment decline. Our aim was to determine if programs like SSA can broaden the pool of admitted students, provide them with appropriate support, and see them succeed at the same level as traditionally admitted students.  

What were the results and what are the big picture takeaways? 

Ross: We found a significant positive effect on one-, two-, and three-year persistence rates for SSA participants compared to non-participants. For women, we found a positive effect on one-year persistence. Black students also had a significant positive effect on one– and two–year persistence. And for Pell-eligible students we found strong positive effects on one- and two-year persistence. Additionally, despite having slightly lower incoming academic credentials, we found a significant positive effect of participation in the SSA on college GPA for Black students and Pell-eligible students in the first fall term compared to those who did not participate. Overall, these findings underscore the effectiveness of SSA, especially for marginalized student groups, and highlight its potential in addressing disparities in higher education outcomes. 

Junemi: One key implication is that our research suggests there’s an untapped demographic of students nationally who could thrive in college if given the proper support through programs like the SSA. This is particularly relevant given the anticipated enrollment decline. Furthermore, our results highlight the need for continued support for students once they’re in college, to sustain the positive momentum observed in the first year and ensure persistence through to graduation. It’s crucial to provide ongoing support, especially for students who may face additional challenges, to help them successfully navigate their college journey and attain their educational goals. 

What advice would you give to administrators considering implementing something similar? 

Junemi: One piece of advice would be to offer campus housing to program participants. Providing accommodation would allow students to participate more easily, removing barriers related to transportation or distance. Additionally, keeping in mind the cost of the program to students is crucial. It would need to remain accessible, especially since our research shows high participation from students from lower-income households.  

Ross: I would add that it’s important for practitioners to view programs like SSA as a menu of services rather than isolated interventions. The way the program was designed, it’s hard to disentangle the individual effect of a specific piece of the program. Therefore, when considering implementing similar initiatives, it’s crucial to understand the diverse needs of the student population and tailor services accordingly. Rather than cherry-picking individual components, it’s more effective to approach these programs as a holistic and comprehensive package of supports that address the varied needs of their students.  

Dr. Rubenstein and Ms. Kang’s findings underscore the effectiveness of SSA, especially for marginalized student groups, but they also highlight the SSA’s potential to address disparities in higher education outcomes nationally. Overall, their research suggests largely positive effects of Summer Success Academy participation on students’ success in their first two years of college, with notable impacts on Black and lower-income students. These findings highlight the potential of summer bridge programs in narrowing achievement gaps and improving access to higher education for academically at-risk and historically underserved students.