Mindsets and the Learning Environment: A Big Biodata Approach to Mindsets, Learning Environments, and College Success

Source: Sidney D’Mello (PI), University of Colorado Boulder, Angela Duckworth (Co-PI), University of Pennsylvania

Summer, 2018

This research utilized the Common Application-National Student Clearinghouse dataset, encompassing data from nearly 280,000 U.S. students who enrolled in college in 2009. The study aimed to understand how mindsets and learning environments influence college success.

Key findings include:

• Students who sustained participation in multiple extracurricular activities reported higher levels of grit, self-control, and growth mindset.
• Moderate levels of sustained extracurricular participation (3–4 activities) were most strongly linked to on-time college graduation.
• A machine learning model accurately predicted college graduation rates for 73% of students using only data from their high school applications.

These findings highlight the importance of psychological factors and engagement in extracurricular activities as predictors of college success.