Several studies have reported a positive impact of increased academic momentum on transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions. This result may be due to selection bias. Using data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students dataset, I test whether taking more credits in the first year has an impact on transfer rates among bachelor's…

The impact of increased academic intensity on transfer rates from community colleges to 4-year institutions has been estimated only from observational data, with the possibility of selection bias. This study uses matching estimators to overcome possible selection bias and estimate the causal impact of increased academic intensity on transfer…

Currently, 40 percent of all first-time freshmen begin their postsecondary careers in community colleges, the great majority of them intending eventually to complete a bachelor's degree. But along the way something happens, and for most of them that ambition is thwarted. The question is, to what extent does this pattern reflect students' choices,…