The summer after high school can be a time of significant attrition among college-bound seniors-especially for those from low-income families. Stunningly, as many as forty percent of these students fail to matriculate at any postsecondary institution the following fall.
In Summer Melt, Benjamin L. Castleman and Lindsay C. Page explore the complex factors that contribute to this trend and show how schools and districts can develop effective, low-cost, scalable responses-including the use of counselor outreach, peer mentoring, and text messages and social media-to help students stay on track over the summer.
"Summer Melt addresses an urgent national issue. These practical strategies for increasing college enrollment among underrepresented students will affect the lives of thousands of young people across the country." - Teresa A. Sullivan, president, University of Virginia
"Benjamin L. Castleman and Lindsay C. Page take a hard look at the all-important transition from high school graduation to college enrollment, and highlight the critical need for support-especially for first-generation college students-when navigating the final steps during the summer." - Kim Cook, executive director, National College Access Network
"Summer Melt is an outstanding example of how rigorous academic research can make the world a better place. Benjamin L. Castleman and Lindsay C. Page don't just identify a stunning problem; they come up with and test solutions so that policy makers and education leaders have an evidence-based path to helping more low-income youth succeed in college. The official report for the White House College Opportunity Summit relied heavily on the research described in this book." - Gene Sperling, national economic advisor and director of the National Economic Council for President Obama (2011-2014) and President Clinton (1996-2000)
"By using the strategies discussed in Summer Melt, we have helped many of our students fulfill their aspirations of attending college. All K-12 leaders should read this book!" - Robert M. Avossa, superintendent, Fulton County Schools, Georgia

Benjamin L. Castleman is an assistant professor of education and public policy at the University of Virginia. Lindsay C. Page is an assistant professor of education and a research scientist at the Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh.

Benjamin L. Castleman is an assistant professor of education and public policy at the University of Virginia. His work applies insights from behavioral economics to help students and their families navigate complex educational decisions, and focuses primarily on improving college access and success for low-income and first-generation college students.

Lindsay C. Page is an assistant professor of education and a research scientist at the Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh. Her work focuses on quantitative methods and their application to questions regarding the effectiveness of educational policies and programs across the preschool to postsecondary spectrum.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Melting Dreams 1
PART I: UNDERSTANDING SUMMER MELT
CHAPTER 1
A Trickle or a Torrent? 17
The Scope of Summer Melt
CHAPTER 2
Three Students, Three Summers 33
Navigating the Transition to College
CHAPTER 3
"Summer Melt Begins in February" 43
Punctures in the College Pipeline
PART II: MITIGATING SUMMER MELT
CHAPTER 4
Capitalizing on Counselors 71
Summer Outreach Within and Outside Schools
CHAPTER 5
Ten Texts to College 95
Using Technology to "Nudge" Students
CHAPTER 6
With a Little Help from My Friends 119
Peer Mentors Offer Summer Support
PART III: IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND POLICY
CHAPTER 7
Assessing and Addressing Summer Melt 145
What High Schools and Community Groups Can Do

CHAPTER 8
Revisiting the Road Map to College 161
Opportunities for Cross-Sector Collaboration
CONCLUSION
Lessons from Summer Melt 179
APPENDIX A
Sample College Transition Cheat Sheet 183
APPENDIX B
Sample High School Exit Survey 185
APPENDIX C
Text Message Templates for Students and Parents 187
APPENDIX D
Overview of Required College Matriculation Tasks 191
NOTES 195
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 203
ABOUT THE AUTHORS 209
INDEX 211