Ambra

High school students and university choice

Context
This applied research project was developed as part of a university research course to analyze how high school students approach university selection and decision-making processes, with a specific focus on the perceived image of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.

The project combined qualitative and quantitative methodologies to investigate behavioral patterns, decision drivers, and information acquisition processes related to higher education choices.

My role
I contributed to all stages of the project, including:

• qualitative and quantitative research design
• interview and questionnaire development
• data collection and analysis
• synthesis of findings for reporting and presentation

The work involved both collaborative coordination and independent analytical activities across the full research workflow.

Process / Objectives
The analysis focused on three main areas:

• orientation processes (school-provided guidance vs. self-directed research)
• university and faculty choice drivers
• perception and image of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

The qualitative phase was used to identify relevant themes, behavioral patterns, and decision variables that later informed the structure of the quantitative questionnaire. The quantitative phase enabled structured trend analysis and comparison across participant responses.

Methodology

1. Qualitative Phase Purpose: to identify relevant themes, informational gaps, and behavioral variables for the quantitative phase.

   Design:

   • Semi-structured interviews (~30 questions) conducted with 5 high school students
   • Interviews organized around three macro areas:
     1. orientation processes and information sources
     2. decision-making dynamics for university/faculty selection
     3. awareness and perception of Università Cattolica

   Procedure:

   1. Each group member conducted one interview
   2. Interviews were cross-analyzed by different group members to improve analytical consistency and reduce interpretation bias
   3. A structured coding framework was used to organize findings:
      • Column 1: main themes / labels
      • Column 2: interview content
      • Column 3: relevant verbatim

   Outcome:

   • Identification of previously unconsidered orientation factors (e.g. university fairs and external events)
   • Structured analytical foundation for questionnaire development and quantitative validation

2. Quantitative Phase
   Purpose: to measure and compare trends, perceptions, and decision patterns identified during the qualitative phase.

   Design:

   • Structured questionnaire (~15 minutes) administered to 10 students
   • Results scaled for exploratory analysis to simulate a larger sample (N=100)
   • Three macro areas mirrored the qualitative study: orientation, choice process, and university image.
   • Standardized Likert scales used for evaluative items.
   • Filter questions differentiated between students who chose university paths vs. workforce paths.

   Procedure:

   1. each group member conducted one interview
   2. interviews were analyzed by other group members to ensure objectivity
   3. a coding table was used to extract insights:
      • Column 1: main themes / labels
      • Column 2: content from interviews
      • Column 3: relevant verbatim.

   Outcome:

   • Identification of unanticipated factors (e.g., public fairs) that informed the questionnaire.
   • Structured foundation for quantitative data collection.

   Questionnaire Structure:

   1. Demographics: Age, gender, school type.
   2. Orientation:
      • information sources used (school vs. personal research)
      • Perceived usefulness
   3. Choice Process:
      • University/faculty selection
      • Influences (parents, peers, teachers)
      • Timing of decision-making
   4. University Image:
      • Opinions and knowledge
      • Perceived services, costs, logistics
      • Communication effectiveness
   5. Improvement suggestions: Items derived from qualitative insights

   Analysis:

   • Descriptive statistics for all items.
   • Trends comparison between orientation modes.
   • Identification of key gaps in knowledge and perceptions.

3. Integration of Qualitative and Quantitative Findings

   • Qualitative findings were used to structure questionnaire design and define relevant variables for quantitative measurement.
   • Quantitative results enabled trend validation and structured comparison across participants, providing a broader understanding of student decision-making processes and university perception dynamics.
   • Together, both phases allowed a comprehensive understanding of student decision-making and perceptions.

Detailed data collection instruments are provided in the appendices:

• Appendix A: - Interview guide
• Appendix B: - Questionnaire guide

Participants
Students in the 5th year of high schools in Lombardy. The project was exploratory in nature and external validity is limited to this population.

Outputs

• Self-directed online research emerged as the most frequently used orientation method
• School-organized activities were valued primarily for direct interaction with university representatives
• Many participants had not finalized their university choice by May
• Università Cattolica was generally perceived positively, although costs represented a recurring limitation

Detailed outputs are provided in the appendix:

• Appendix C: - Results and insights

Key takeaways
This project provided practical experience in structured research workflows, including:

• applied qualitative and quantitative research
• interview-based data collection
• questionnaire design and administration
• thematic coding and trend analysis
• synthesis of multi-source findings into structured outputs and presentations