Description: This paper presents a path model emphasizing social psychological as well as social structural antecedents of educational and occupational attainment. A causal sequence is proposed which commences with the parents' stratification position and the individual's mental ability. From there it moves to performance in school, then to the influence of significant others, then to levels of educational and occupational aspiration, and, finally, to educational and occupational attainments. The model proves its utility when applied to longitudinal data for a large sample of Wisconsin farm-reared males.