Table of Contents
TL;DR
TimelyCare’s new academic confidence score helps measure how students perceive their ability to succeed in college. Based on the Sense of Social Fit Scale, the tool reveals that student confidence significantly improves after Success Coaching sessions. These insights support better student outcomes by connecting confidence to academic persistence, mental wellness, and long-term success.
At TimelyCare, we’re committed to supporting students on their academic journeys. One of our latest innovations is the academic confidence score, launched in February 2025. This tool provides insight into how students perceive their academic abilities and strategies for success. It also helps evaluate the impact of our Success Coaching program and fosters data-informed conversations about student outcomes.
What is the academic confidence score?
The academic confidence score was developed out of the Sense of Social Fit Scale, a psychological tool developed by Stanford’s SPARQtools. This scale evaluates how supported and connected students feel within their academic environments.
In the full Sense of Social Fit Scale, students respond to prompts such as:
- “I feel like I belong at this school.”
- “People like me are welcome here.”
- “I fit in with the students on this campus.”
- “I know how to do well at [insert school name].”
Responses are rated on a Likert scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree. These results help measure a student’s sense of belonging, which research shows is critical for persistence, engagement, and well-being.
TimelyCare is interested in the impact that success coaching may have on the academic components of a student’s sense of belonging, which we conceptualize as “academic confidence.” Therefore, we have implemented these questions from the scale at the start and end of each success coaching session:
- Pre-session: “I know how to do well at [insert school name].”
- Post-session: “Now that you have completed your session and have had an opportunity to visit with a Success Coach, how would you rate the following statement…I know how to do well at [insert school name].”
This structured approach allows us to measure shifts in self-perception and track the impact of our coaching.
Early results: Confidence is rising
After just four months of data collection, the results are clear. Students’ academic confidence improved over the course a success coaching visit, with average scores increasing from 4.2 to 4.4. Moreover, this change was statistically significant, meaning it is not likely to be attributable to random chance (p<.05). This finding highlights the measurable value of our Student Success Coaching program in helping students feel prepared to succeed.
Why academic confidence matters
Academic confidence shapes more than just classroom performance. It influences persistence, wellness, and long-term achievement.
Academic outcomes
- Higher GPAs: Confident students engage more with coursework and navigate challenges more effectively.
- Greater participation: They ask questions, join discussions, and build connections with peers and faculty.
- Stronger retention and graduation rates: Belief in their ability keeps students on track toward degree completion.
Mental and emotional benefits
- Reduced anxiety: Confidence helps buffer academic stress.
- Resilience: Confident students recover more quickly from setbacks.
- Growth mindset: They seek feedback and embrace challenges as opportunities to improve.
Long-term impact
- Career readiness: Confidence supports self-efficacy, a key professional trait.
- Leadership development: Students with academic confidence often take on leadership roles, internships, and lifelong learning.
How Success Coaching builds confidence
Virtual Success Coaching is a service offered to college students by select TimelyCare partner colleges and universities. It focuses on academic and personal skill-building, distinct from therapy. Coaches work with students on:
- Goal setting and time management
- Study strategies and motivation
- Stress management and accountability
- Personalized support through flexible scheduling
By reinforcing a sense of capability and belonging, coaching equips students to navigate academic life with clarity and purpose.
The link between belonging and confidence
The academic confidence score is more than a metric. It reflects TimelyCare’s broader mission to deliver student-first, data-informed solutions. Together with Success Coaching, it helps foster both academic performance and a sense of belonging.
By tracking how students see themselves before and after a coaching session, we better understand their growth, challenges, and potential. Tools like the Sense of Social Fit Scale help us guide students toward greater confidence, connection, and achievement.
Fostering confidence as a foundation for student success
At a time when student support must be personalized, timely, and effective, TimelyCare’s academic confidence score offers a research-backed way to measure impact. It supports student belonging, reinforces coaching outcomes, and equips institutions with actionable insights.
Contact TimelyCare to learn how we can help your campus thrive.
Key Takeaways
- TimelyCare launched an academic confidence score in February 2025 to measure students’ perceived likelihood of achieving academic success.
- The tool is based on the Sense of Social Fit Scale and adapted for coaching sessions.
- After coaching, students’ average confidence scores rose from 4.2 to 4.4, a statistically significant difference.
- Academic confidence supports better grades, mental health, and long-term success.
- TimelyCare’s virtual coaching helps students set goals, build resilience, and feel more capable in college.
FAQs
It’s a psychological tool developed by Stanford’s SPARQtools that evaluates how much students feel they belong in their academic environment.
Students rate their academic self-perception before and after coaching sessions using adapted questions from the Sense of Social Fit Scale.
Students with higher confidence typically earn better grades, participate more, manage stress effectively, and are more prepared for careers.
No, coaching focuses on academic and personal growth strategies, while therapy addresses mental health concerns. Both are valuable but serve different purposes
Campuses can use insights from confidence scores to support student retention, tailor coaching programs, and enhance student success initiatives.
