The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of educational selection on students'
occupational aspirations by applying a latent growth model. Students who advanced to selective,
high-performing schools showed higher levels of occupational aspirations from middle school to high
school. Students' high school type was affected by both their academic achievement in middle school and
parental socioeconomic status, but academic achievement had a more significant statistical effect than
parental socio-economic status. The student's high school type perfectly mediated the relationship
between parental socioeconomic status and occupational aspirations in such a way that ultimately the
direct effects of parental socioeconomic status on students' initial status and their growth rates of
occupational aspiration was not significant. However, high school type did partially mediate the
relationship between academic achievement and the initial status and the growth rates of occupational
aspirations and thus the direct effect of academic achievement on students' initial status as per their
occupational aspirations was significant. Overall students’ occupational aspirations declined after they
moved to high school. The more prestigious the type of school students attended, the more likely they
were to decrease their occupational aspirations. These results imply that the school system sorts students
according to levels of occupational aspirations in middle schools. The process further aspirations of those
students who want to advance to prestigious schools but mutes the aspirations of those students who
realize they will advance less academically oriented school during middle school.