Student Characterization and Admission to Higher Education: Results of a College Readiness Program Conducted in Colombia

This paper presents the results of a research that estimated the effect of a university entrance preparation program conducted by a public university in Colombia. Specifically, it highlights the relationship between personal, socioeconomic, and academic characteristics to the participants, the actions of the program in which they participated, and their chances of entering higher education. Through an observational analysis of secondary information sources, a sample of 20,708 program participants, who enrolled at the university between 2015 and 2019, was structured and standardized. The variables of interest were measured only once. The results derived from a frequency analysis of variables determined during the research and from the establishment of possible associations between the outcome variables with the independent ones. The results revealed that the characteristics of the participants, except for the geographical location of the educational institution, have a statistically significant association with the passing of the admission exam. Being male, under 18 years of age, coming from urban areas of stratum three and four, having studied in academic institutions, and taking independent courses in literacy, mathematics, and physics, improve the possibility of entering university. Finally, the text discusses the contribution of the student characterization component in university preparation programs aimed at promoting equitable access to university education and proposes to understand them as continuous and multidimensional processes, from which training actions must be adapted and improved.