Belonging and Belief: A Proven Strategy to Close the Success Gap for First-Gen and Underserved College Students

Too often, underserved college students—especially those from urban areas, first-generation backgrounds, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)—begin their academic journey with both potential and pressure. The pressure to succeed. The pressure to represent. The pressure to figure it out without a roadmap.

A breakthrough study published in the Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness offers both hope and strategy. Titled “Reducing Inequality in Academic Success for Incoming College Students: A Randomized Trial of Growth Mindset and Belonging Interventions,” this study tested a simple, research-backed truth: When students believe they belong and are capable of growth, their academic performance rises.

What the Study Discovered

The researchers conducted a large-scale randomized trial involving over 12,000 incoming college students, measuring the effects of two psychological interventions:

1. Growth Mindset Intervention – Reinforced the idea that intelligence and ability can develop through effort and learning.

2. Belonging Intervention – Emphasized that it’s normal to feel out of place at first, and that over time, all students find connection, purpose, and community.

The results were powerful—especially for first-generation and underrepresented students:

• Significant increases in GPA among first-gen students.

• Improved retention and academic engagement.

• Reduction in equity gaps between first-gen and continuing-generation students.

In other words, two brief, online interventions delivered before classes even began created measurable improvements in student success.

The Thought Seeking Model (TSM) in Practice

At Elevated Thoughts Academy, we’ve long recognized what this study proves: mindset alone isn’t enough—you must also address identity and belonging. That’s why the Thought Seeking Model (TSM) begins not with behavior or thoughts, but with beliefs.

Here’s how this study affirms and activates TSM:

1. Beliefs – Many first-gen and underrepresented students silently carry the belief: “I don’t belong here.” The interventions challenged and restructured that belief.

2. Reinforcement – Positive, culturally affirming messages reinforced a new internal truth: “I do belong, and I can grow.”

3. Actions – Students who internalized these new beliefs began engaging more—seeking help, participating in class, and persisting through challenges.

4. Emotions – The interventions reduced emotional isolation and anxiety, replacing them with hope, identity affirmation, and purpose.

5. Thoughts – Over time, students shifted from “I’m not smart enough” to “This is part of the journey, and I’m equipped to grow.”

TSM provides the internal map for the journey students take when belief and belonging intersect.

Elevating the Impact with MV-SOAR

The MV-SOAR Model takes this transformation even deeper by offering a full-spectrum development path rooted in:

• Mindset – Interventions help students redefine what success looks like and how it’s achieved.

• Values – Belonging isn’t just external—it’s tied to how students see themselves. Do they believe they’re worthy of success?

• Strengths – When students feel safe, they’re more likely to tap into and trust their natural abilities.

• Obstacles – Shame, self-doubt, and isolation are major barriers to retention—MV-SOAR reframes these as growth moments.

• Accountability – Students learn to own their narrative and seek support, rather than retreat in silence.

• Responsibility – A transformed student doesn’t just survive—they take responsibility for creating an environment of success, for themselves and others.

Growth and belonging are not random experiences—they are intentionally cultivated, modeled, and supported.That’s the MV-SOAR difference.

What This Means for Campuses and Coaches

For colleges, this research is a call to reimagine orientation, first-year programs, and support services. When students are told, “You belong here,” and are shown how they can grow from struggle, they respond—not because we changed the curriculum, but because we changed the internal climate.

And for students: if you’ve ever walked into a room and questioned if you were good enough, smart enough, or “college material,” this message is for you.

You do belong. You can grow. You’re not behind—you’re becoming.

Final Word: Belonging Is the Beginning of Becoming

At Elevated Thoughts Academy, we believe that identity is the soil in which mindset grows. When students are rooted in belonging and equipped with tools to grow their belief systems, purpose becomes not just possible—but inevitable.

This study confirms it. Our models prove it. And our mission will continue to deliver it—on every campus, in every cohort, one elevated thought at a time.

Reference:

Yeager, D. S., Romero, C., Paunesku, D., et al. (2016). Reducing inequality in academic success for incoming college students: A randomized trial of growth mindset and belonging interventions. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 10(3), 297–331. Full Article via PMC