NC State conducted its annual survey of entering first-year students during the summer of 2009. For the first time since the survey was first administered in 1972, the survey was conducted entirely online. After attending New Student Orientation students were e-mailed an invitation to complete the survey. At the start of the Fall semester students who had not attended orientation were also invited to participate.

The survey response rate was 68.8 percent (N=3,287 of 4,778). Due to their high response rate, women are slightly overrepresented in survey results. There are no significant racial/ethnic differences between the first-year population and survey respondents. Survey respondents tended to have slightly higher written SAT scores and high school grade point averages than the population as a whole.

Respondents most commonly reported coming to NC State from a "moderate size city" (29.1%), or a "small town" (27.7%). Equal numbers hail from "rural areas" (15.4%), "large cities" (13.0%), and "urban areas" (14.9%).

More than 70 percent of first-year students reported a household size of 4 or more (71.9%) . Close to two-thirds reported being the only household dependent currently enrolled in college (64.3%) and another 30 percent reported two household dependents in college.

About 40 percent of respondents reported a family income over $100,000 per year (40.1%). African American respondents were most likely (30.8%) and white respondents were least likely (6.3%) to report a family income of $30,000 or less.

A majority of respondents reported that their father/male guardian had received a 4-year baccalaureate degree or higher (e.g., M.S., Ph.D.) degree (62.4%). This figure was slightly lower for mothers/female guardians (59.2%). Twenty percent reported having one parent/guardian with some college experience, but no degree. Less than 10 percent of respondents (6.4%) are first generation college students, with no parent/guardian having ever attended college. Hispanic respondents were most likely (19.4%) and white respondents were least likely (4.8%) to report being a first generation college student.

Baptist (22.8%) was the most frequently selected religious preference, followed by Catholic (12.4%) and United Methodist (11.8%).

One-third of respondents reported that they play a musical instrument (33.1%) and close to one-fifth reported recent participation in a choral group (18.8%). Women were more likely than men (26.9% vs. 18.4%) and African Americans (34.2%) were more likely than Asian Americans (11.1%), Hispanics (16.8%), and whites (17.7%) to report participation in a choral group.

Nearly all respondents reported that they planned to bring a laptop computer (91.9%), a desktop computer (1.2%), or both a desktop and a laptop (4.4%) to campus.

About 15 percent of respondents reported that NC State was the only school to which they applied (13.8%). Slightly more than two-thirds of respondents applied to "three or more colleges" including NC State (67.5%). Men were more likely than women (17.1% vs. 10.5%) and whites (15.3%) were more likely than Asian Americans (8.9%), African Americans (8.0%), and Hispanics (7.3%) to report having applied "only to NC State." Respondents in the Colleges of Engineering (20.0%) and Natural Resources (19.0%) were most likely and those in the College of Management (5.4%) least likely to report having applied "only to NC State." Close to two-thirds of respondents said that NC State was their first (52.5%) or only choice (11.7%) among colleges to attend.

The vast majority of respondents were "moderately" or "very satisfied" with university (97.2%) and departmental (96.7%) admissions processes. A majority of respondents reported that after applying for admission to NC State they received a letter from someone at NC State other than the Admissions Office (51.6%). Respondents were more likely to report having received a call from a current student (17.3%) than from a faculty/staff member (11.6%) or NC State alumni (7.2%). African American respondents (22.9%) were twice as likely as Asian American (9.0%), Hispanic (9.2%), and white (10.9%) respondents to have reported receiveing a call from a faculty/staff member during the admissions process.

Students were most likely to rate the level of support for their intended major (41.9%), the availability of intended program of study (39.4%), and the academic reputation of NC State (38.7%) as having a "very strong influence" in their desision to attend NC State. When asked to indicate the single most influential factor in their decision to attend NC State, half the student said either academic reputation (26.1%) or level of support for intended major (25.4%). About 15% considered the financial aspect of attending NC State as critical, saying that either cost (7.4%), scholarships/financial aid available (6.7%), or the Pack Promise Program was the most influential reason for attending NC State.

About three-fourths of respondents (72.5%%) said they had used NC State's Virtual Advising Center website. Those in First Year College and the College of Management were most likely to have used the website, and those in the College of Design and College of Engineering least likely. The majority of all users, regardless of College, were pleased with the website, giving it a rating of "excellent" (25.5%) or "good" (60.6%).

The vast majority of respondents said they would cover their educational expenses, at least in part, using "family resources (parents, relative, spouse, etc.)" (88.0%). Two-thirds of respondents said they would use their "own resources (savings from work, other income)" to help cover educational expenses (65.9%). More than two-thirds of respondents reported that they would rely on "aid that does not need to be repaid" to help cover educational expenses. Although less likely to be used to help cover expenses, fully half of respondents reported relying on "aid that must be repaid" as a financial resource (49.8%).

Respondents were slightly more likely to report feeling "very well" prepared for college by their own efforts (42.8%) as they were to report feeling "very well" prepared by their high school (40.4%). However, they were three times as likely to report being "not very well" prepared by their high school as they were to report being "not very well" prepared by their own efforts (10.1% vs. 3.0%, respectively). Respondents in the College of Design (51.7%) were most likely and those in the Colleges of Natural Resources (34.0%) and Education (34.5%) were least likely to say they were "very well" prepared by their high school. Respondents in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (50.5%) were most likely and those in the First Year College (33.9%) were least likely to say they were "very well" prepared by their own efforts.

For each of 34 knowledge, skills, and personal development goals held by NC State, respondents were asked to rate their current level of development and their perception of the importance of the goal to an undergraduate education. Respondents consistently gave higher ratings to the importance of the goals than to their current level of development of the goals. In general goals that received high importance ratings tended to receive high development ratings.

The 34 goals were grouped into three categories, representing those related to 'general education' (e.g., comprehension skills, problem-solving skills), 'world views' (e.g., appreciating gender equity, ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds) and 'personal development' (e.g., time management, ability to handle stress). Respondent's ratings for their current level of development of the goals were generally highest for those related to world views . Importance ratings, on the other hand, were highest for personal development goals.

Comparisons of the average ratings for perceptions of the importance of a goal to ratings of current level of development of each goal reveal that the world view goals of appreciating gender equity and appreciating racial equity and the personal development goal of ability to function as part of a team were among the highest rated goals in terms of both current development and importance. The personal development goals of ability to handle stress and time management ranked high in importance, but low in development. Several goals central to the University's core general education curriculum received low importance and development ratings, including applying scientific methods of inquiry and writing skills.

About 60 percent of respondents reported that their primary goal or objective for attending NC State is to "obtain a bachelor's degree as preparation for graduate or professional school" (60.6%). Women (65.4%) were more likely than men (55.9%) to report that their primary goal or objective is to "obtain a bachelor's degree as preparation for graduate or professional school." On the other hand, men (30.8%) were more likely than women (25.3%) to report that their primary goal or objective is to "obtain a bachelor's degree as preparation for a career."

Two-thirds or more respondents in the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences (81.3%), Humanities and Social Sciences (67.4%), and Physical and Mathematical Sciences (67.1%) reported that their primary goal or objective for attending NC State is to "obtain a bachelor's degree as preparation for graduate or professional school." Respondents in the Colleges of Natural Resources (43.4%) and Design (42.6%) were more likely than those in other colleges to report that their primary goal or objective for attending NC State was career preparation.

The vast majority of respondents reported that their highest intended level of education was a Master's degree or higher (75.1%). Women (77.7%) were more likely than men (72.6%), and Asian Americans (86.2%) were more likely than African Americans (83.7%), Hispanics (80.5%), and whites (72.5%) to report that they intend to obtain a Master's degree or higher.

More than 80 percent of respondents in the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences (89.7%) and Physical and Mathematical Sciences (81.6%) reported that they intend to obtain a Master's degree or higher. Respondents in the Colleges of Natural Resources (46.5%) and Textiles (40.2%) were more likely than respondents in other colleges to report the baccalaureate as their highest intended level of education. Physical and Mathematical Sciences respondents were much more likely than respondents in other colleges to say they planned to earn a doctoral degree (37.6%).

More than three-fourths of respondents said they were "certain" (41.0%) or "very certain" (35.9%) of their choice of college major. As compared to respondents in other colleges, Design respondents were much more likely to say they were "very certain" of their choice of major (70.5%).

The majority of respondents reported that they do not intend to work during their first year at NC State (53.1%). Hispanic respondents (56.1%) were most likely and white respondents (44.7%) were least likely to say they plan to work either on or off campus during their first year. Among respondents who plan to work during their first year, the vast majority of those who plan to work either on campus (92.6%) or off campus (91.2%) said they would work 20 or fewer hours per week.

From a list of 29 co-curricular activities and programs, respondents indicated greatest interest in study abroad/national student exchange (48.6%), intramural sports (43.7%), and organizations/clubs related to your major (43.7%). There were persistent gender differences in interest in participating in the various activities. In general, women expressed more interest than men in activities and programs related to community service, personal development, art, and diversity, while men expressed more interest than women in activities and programs related to work and recreation. For example, women were far more interested than men in study abroad/national student exchange, fitness/wellness, and volunteer services, while men were more interested than women in intramural sports, co-op programs, and club sports.

Slightly more than one-fifth of respondents (21.3%) said they would not be seeking employment after graduation, most likely indicating their intention to attend graduate or professional school. Among those who will be seeking employment after graduation, respondents were much more likely to report that they will seek employment "anywhere" (36.8%) or "anywhere in the United States" (41.3%) than to report that they will seek work "in North Carolina only" (21.2%). Of respondents who will be seeking employment immediately after graduation, respondents in the Colleges of Textiles (43.6%) and Physical and Mathematical Sciences (43.6%) were most likely to report that after graduation they will seek employment "anywhere." Respondents in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (65.0%) were most likely and those in the College of Design (7.5%) were least likely to report that they will seek employment "in North Carolina only."