1997 New Freshmen Survey
Introduction
In May 1997, new freshmen registering to begin in the fall were surveyed to learn about their motivations for attending college and their reasons for selecting UW-Green Bay. As of July, 790 students had completed the surveys. This represents approximately 85% of the new freshmen who had registered. Because the majority of the surveys were completed during the SOAR (Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration) sessions, the sample may underrepresent populations that are less likely to attend SOAR (e.g., older students, international students, and students who applied and registered late). The survey instrument did not collect any personal identifiers.
Table 1. Reasons to Attend College. Part 1, Items 1 and 2.
| Percent Rated #1 |
Percent Indicating "Very Important" |
|
|---|---|---|
| To be able to get a better job | 45% | 84% |
| To learn about things that interest me | 20% | 71% |
| To prepare for graduate or professional school | 11% | 50% |
| To gain a general education | 10% | 63% |
| To be able to make more money | 9% | 58% |
| To get away from home | 2% | 17% |
| My parents wanted me to go | 1% | 10% |
Table 2. Choice of Schools. Part 1, Item 3.
| UW-Green Bay is my first choice | 75% |
| UW-Green Bay is my second choice | 22% |
| UW-Green Bay is my third choice (or less) | 3% |
Table 3. Top Ten Reasons to Attend UW-Green Bay. Part 1, 5 & 6.
| Percent Rated #1 |
Percent Indicating "Very Important" |
|
|---|---|---|
| Programs/majors | 27% | 69% |
| Graduates get good jobs | 14% | 63% |
| Good academic reputation | 10% | 48% |
| Campus appearance and facilities | 7% | 46% |
| Low tuition | 8% | 44% |
| Type of campus housing | 3% | 43% |
| Size | 5% | 35% |
| Wanted to live near home | 12% | 29% |
| Graduates get into top graduate schools | 3% | 29% |
| Good reputation for social activities | 1% | 26% |
Table 4. Likelihood of Various Things Happening. Part 2, Item 1.
| Not at all | Somewhat likely | Very likely | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get a job to help pay college expenses | 5% | 27% | 68% |
| Make at least a B average | 1% | 35% | 64% |
| Change majors | 28% | 52% | 19% |
| Transfer to another college | 34% | 52% | 14% |
| Work full-time while attending college | 53% | 36% | 11% |
| Attend summer sessions | 40% | 56% | 4% |
| Drop out temporarily or permanently | 94% | 6% |
Table 5. Highest Degrees Earned by Mother and Father, and Planned by Student. Part 2, Item 3 and Part 3, Item 6
| Earned by Mother | Earned by Father | Planned by Student | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High School or less | 46% | 43% | - |
| Some college | 28% | 25% | 2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 17% | 20% | 33% |
| Graduate degree | 9% | 12% | 65% |
Table 6. Top Ten Words or Word-Groups Describing UW-Green Bay.
| n | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| Friendly | 241 | 31% |
| Fun/exciting/cool | 180 | 23% |
| Pretty/beautiful/lovely/scenic | 128 | 16% |
| Small/smaller | 112 | 14% |
| Nice | 75 | 9% |
| Close | 69 | 9% |
| Clean/neat/tidy | 59 | 7% |
| Helpful | 57 | 7% |
| Affordable/cheap/inexpensive/deal | 46 | 6% |
| Bathrooms/dorms/housing | 38 | 5% |
Students used a wide range of words to describe the physical setting of the campus: spacious, open, quiet, cozy, comfortable, peaceful, serene, secluded, safe, natural, etc. They also used a variety of words to describe the university's personnel: attentive, approachable, caring, cheerful, concerned, courteous, dedicated, easy going, honest, kind, personable, polite, professional, qualified, respectful, sincere, etc.