The Challenge of Summer Bridge Programs
Abstract
Given the number of students who enter postsecondary education not ready for college, many universities have instituted summer bridge programs to better transition students to their freshman year. These programs occur during the summer before a student’s freshman year and are considered a bridge from high school to college. Yet despite the prevalence of these interventions across postsecondary institutions—community colleges and 4 years, public and private—few empirical studies exist evaluating these programs. The objectives of this article are to (a) provide a characterization of the breadth of summer bridge programs, (b) review the extant literature on summer bridge programs, and (c) discuss implications of these reviews for the future of summer bridge programs.
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Limited empirical research on summer bridge programs is available, and much of it is descriptive accounts, qualitative results, and literature reviews rather than systematic and quantitative evaluations of bridge program success.
“limited empirical research is available, and much of this research is in the form of highly descriptive accounts, qualitative results, and literature reviews (Sablan, 2014; Kitchen et al., 2018) rather than systematic and quantitative evaluations of bridge program success (Gullatt and Jan, 2003).”
From A Meta-analysis of University STEM Summer Bridge Program Effectiveness (2021) · cites this paper as Sablan, 2014
The literature shows little consistency across definitions of SBPs.
“However, the literature shows little consistency across definitions of SBPs (Sablan, 2014) because each program is tailored to an HEI's specific goals and constraints, making each SBP unique.”
From Methodological Choices When Assessing Summer Bridge Programs in STEM Majors: A Scoping Review (2026) · cites this paper as Sablan, 2014
Little attention has been given to program duration and the time allocated to specific activities in SBPs.
“Finally, little attention has been given to program duration and the time allocated to specific activities (Sablan, 2014).”
From Methodological Choices When Assessing Summer Bridge Programs in STEM Majors: A Scoping Review (2026) · cites this paper as Sablan, 2014
Sablan (2014) emphasized the importance of considering differences and similarities among SBPs.
“Sablan (2014) also emphasized this issue and stressed the importance of considering differences and similarities among SBPs.”
From Methodological Choices When Assessing Summer Bridge Programs in STEM Majors: A Scoping Review (2026) · cites this paper as Sablan (2014)
Cites
Estimating causal effects of treatments in randomized and nonrandomized studies
Rubin, D. B. (1974) · Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1037/h0037350 · Cited by 9,436 · see citing works
Effects of time-management practices on college grades.
Britton, B. K., & Tesser, A. (1991) · Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-0663.83.3.405 · Cited by 858 · cited 1× · see citing works
“For example, given that time management is related to students’ success in college (Britton & Tesser, 1991), this academic behavior is a documented skill SBPs try to address (Buck, 1985; Kezar, 2000).”
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Ashley, M., Cooper, K. M., Cala, J. M., & Brownell, S. E. (2017) · CBE—Life Sciences Education · doi:10.1187/cbe.17-05-0085 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
A Meta-analysis of University STEM Summer Bridge Program Effectiveness
Bradford, B. C., Beier, M. E., & Oswald, F. L. (2021) · CBE—Life Sciences Education · doi:10.1187/cbe.20-03-0046 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Methodological Choices When Assessing Summer Bridge Programs in STEM Majors: A Scoping Review
Caballero Díaz, D., Amin, A., Musa, P., & Leung, V. (2026) · Education Sciences · doi:10.3390/educsci16020220
- Authors
- Sablan, J. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Southern California (US)
- Corresponding author
- Sablan, Jenna R.
- Venue
- American Behavioral Scientist
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2013-12-23
- Volume
- 58
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1035-1050
- ISSN
- 0002-7642 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-3381
- OpenAlex
- W2317994479
- Cited by
- 95
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 2
- FWCI
- 12.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Behavioral Scientist (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Higher Education Research Studies
- Social Sciences › Education › Education and Military Integration
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Modeling and Simulation › Mathematics Education and Programs
- Keywords
- summer bridge programs, college readiness, transition to college, first-generation college students, community colleges, program evaluation, student retention
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