Gifted students’ readiness for college: Factors that influence students’ performance on a college entrance test

Gifted students’ performance on a Chilean university admission test, Prueba de Selección Universitaria (PSU), was investigated in this study. Sixty-six students participating in an enrichment-based university program for gifted youth were selected. The sample included both male and female gifted adolescents who studied in public and voucher (charter) high schools. The purpose was to investigate which combination of factors was the best predictor of students’ scores and the differences between male and female students’ performance. Only intelligence, as measured by the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices test, correlated with the scores on the PSU. Males from voucher schools outperformed females on the PSU. Providing academic support and adequate preparation has been discussed as an important element for college readiness, successful transition to college, and to diminish the existing performance gap between students from different types of schools in Chile.