Besides different preconditions for educational success in native and migrant families, an important role has been ascribed to students' educational aspirations in the explanation of ethnic disparities in educational attainment. Based on a sample of several hundred 9^th and 10^th graders in Hamburg, the study investigates the dimensions along which native and migrant students construct their educational and future career aspirations and expectations at the end of compulsory full-time education. The results provide insight into the applicability of traditional approaches...