Aspirations to complete Year 12 and post-school study plans formed during high school are strong predictors of Year 12 completion and participation in further education and training. The precise role that aspirations play in the educational and occupational choices of young people is not straightforward. In this briefing paper the authors analyse Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) data and synthesise the research on the impact of aspirations on the educational and occupational choices of young people. The authors go on to examine the factors that influence educational aspirations to provide an insight into the strategies that could be used to raise aspirations.