Late enrollment in computer science courses presents unique challenges that may impact student performance, engagement, and retention. This paper investigates the academic trajectories of late enrollees compared to their on-time peers, focusing on performance across different assessment types, the cumulative impact of coursework, and engagement with course resources such as office hours, discussion sections, and review sessions.

Using enrollment data, course performance metrics, and student engagement records, we conduct an analysis of academic outcomes across various demographics. We assess whether late enrollees are more likely to struggle with coursework, exhibit lower participation in support resources, or demonstrate different success rates. Furthermore, we examine potential policy and instructional interventions, such as modular course structures or expanded support services, to mitigate performance gaps.

Our findings contribute to ongoing discussions on equitable access to computer science education by identifying structural barriers that hinder late enrollees’ success. We explore whether restricting late enrollment beyond a certain point would improve student outcomes or if alternative support mechanisms could foster better inclusion. Ultimately, this experience report can inform institutional policies and instructional practices aimed at improving student retention, engagement, and overall learning outcomes in introductory computer science courses.