Office of Undergraduate Research

Student Impact

Student Impact

  • Do you want to get started in research, but you don't know how?
  • Want dedicated support from faculty and staff?
  • Join ASP!

The Achieve Scholars Program at Cal Poly Pomona provides a pathway for students to connect to research, while also giving them valuable graduate and professional training. Exposure to research has significant positive impacts upon students’ academic careers. Students who participate in undergraduate research have increased retention and graduation rates, as well as higher GPAs. They are also more likely to attend graduate school, and work in fields related to their field of study. Furthermore, STEM employers are more likely to hire employees who possess research experience.

 

Benefits of ASP Enrollment

  • 89% of post grad ASP students, whose status was known, were employed, pursuing a graduate degree, or obtained a graduate degree in a STEM field.

  •  In year 6, Achieve Scholars had significantly higher GPAs (M = 3.30, SD = 0.49) than comparison students (M = 3.16, SD = 0.46; p < 0.05).
  • Since its initiation in 2014, ASP has helped to increase graduation rates in the College of Science and the College of Engineering

  • In a post ASP program survey, participants reported increased capability in their research and technical skills, increased STEM awareness and increased sense of belonging in STEM, while reporting decreased levels of uncertainty in STEM, as a result of ASP.
Figure 3: Since the beginning of ASP, a majority of participants have been satisfied with all program activities. Highest rates of satisfaction come from interactions with program staff, ASP orientation, and peer mentoring. (N=285)

 

ASP students have been proven to have higher rates of graduation than the baseline rate. 91% of ASP scholars who graduated in 2014 or prior graduated within 6 years, which is 40% higher than the baseline rate of 51%.