The direct and indirect effects of academic delay of gratification and self-efficacy on academic performance of minority college students (n=45) were evaluated. The students were enrolled in an introductory writing course as part of a summer immersion program at a Midwestern university. The results of this study support the notion that delay of gratification is a significant mediator between students motivational beliefs (i.e., self-efficacy) and their academic achievement (i.e., final course grade). However, among these students, the association between delay of gratification and final course grade is mediated by the students ability to manage his or her time effectively and effort regulation. On the other hand, self-efficacy has a direct influence on achievement and an indirect effect by its association with the students willingness to delay gratification, use of metacognition, and time management. These findings suggest that minority college students, with limited self-regulatory skills, can profit from instruction geared toward enhancing willingness to delay gratification, enacting time management, enhancing self-efficacy beliefs, and attaining effort regulation. Implications are discussed for bridging research and practice associated with minority college students in the area of self-regulation. An appendix contains sample items from a measure of academic delay of gratification. (Contains 3 tables and 20 references.) (Author/SLD)