2000 Entering Transfer Student Survey
Executive Summary

• NC State conducted its annual survey of entering transfer students during New Student Orientation sessions held in June and August 2000.
• The survey response rate was 71.6% (N=805). Results have a margin of error of +0.98 percent.
• There were no significant differences in gender composition, racial/ethnic composition, or college enrollment between the transfer students actually enrolled at NC State and those responding to the survey.

• Nearly half of all survey respondents (47.1%) expected to receive some form of financial aid. The most frequently reported type of aid expected is based on financial need (32.4%). Substantially more African American students expected to receive financial aid than did whites or other minorities (70.4%, 45.9%, and 40.0%, respectively). Half of African American students expect aid based on financial need.
• Over one-third of financially independent respondents (36.7%) reported 1999 pre-tax incomes below $10,000. Financially dependent respondents reported much higher parent/guardian incomes, with almost one-fourth (23.9%) reporting incomes over $100,000. However, among dependent respondents, 9.4 percent of African Americans and 12.2 percent of non-African American minorities reported parent/guardian incomes over $100,000, compared with 26.6 percent of whites.
• The most common parent/guardian educational attainment reported by all respondents was a four-year baccalaureate degree. About 46 percent of fathers/male guardians (45.6%) and 37 percent of mothers/female guardians (37.4%) had a baccalaureate or higher (M.S., Ph.D.) degree. Non-African American minorities were more likely than whites or African Americans to report that neither parent had attended college (22.4%, 14.8%, and 17.9%).
• Respondents were less satisfied with the college preparation given by their high schools when compared with their own preparation and that of their last institution. African Americans were more likely to report feeling "well prepared" by their own efforts than were whites and non-African American minorities (64.9%, 51.5%, 51.3%).
• Most respondents (83.5%) indicated they will have a computer for personal use at NC State, and over three-fourths of these respondents (75.8%) expect to be able to connect to the Internet at NC State. African American and non-African American minorities are more likely than whites to say they will not have a personal computer (25.5%, 15.1%, and 7.5%).
• About one-fifth of respondents (20.7%) intend to seek employment exclusively in North Carolina when they graduate. This intention is less prevalent among African Americans (9.3%) and males (17.6%).

• Over seventy percent of respondents (70.5%) attended only one other institution before enrolling at NC State.
• Overall, the factors rated most influential in the decision to attend NC State were availability of program (22.7%), location (21.3%), and academic reputation (20.9%). However, there were gender and racial/ethnic differences in responses. Women were more likely to say "location" was the most influential factor (26.0%), whereas men were more likely to say it was "academic reputation" (26.2%). African Americans and other minority respondents most often reported "academic reputation" to be the most influential factor (25.0% and 29.7%), while whites most often said it was "availability of program" (23.3%).
• The majority of respondents were "moderately" or "very satisfied" with university (84.4%) and departmental (88.6%) admissions processes. Fewer respondents (70.6%) reported being as satisfied with the university financial aid process. Women and African Americans were more likely to report being "very satisfied" with university and departmental admissions processes. African Americans were far more likely to be "very satisfied" with the financial aid process relative to whites and non-African American minorities (41.5%, 22.6%, 20.5%).
• About half of respondents (48.7%) were unaware of the Virtual Advising Center. Of those who used the Center, the majority (86.6%) rated it favorably.
• The majority of respondents (87.5%) said the number of classes that transferred was equivalent to or greater than the credit transfer prediction made by NC State.

• A majority of respondents (82.6%) indicated that they were "certain" or "very certain" of their choice in college major. African Americans and whites were more likely than non-African American minorities to have said they were "very certain" of their choice of major (46.4%, 47.2%, and 37.2%).
• The majority of respondents (87.8%) expect to earn their baccalaureate degree in three years or less after enrolling at NC State.
• While a majority of respondents intend to pursue graduate education (67.6%), men (37.6%, versus women: 26.7%) and whites (35.4%, versus African Americans: 3.6%; and non-African American minorities: 27.3%) were more likely to say that a baccalaureate degree is the highest level of education they will pursue.
• Men (40.5%, compared with women: 33.8%) and whites (38.9%, compared with African Americans: 22.8%; and non-African American minorities: 34.6%) were more likely to report that their primary goal or objective for attending NC State is to obtain a degree for career preparation.
• A slight majority of respondents (54.3%) intended to take a course load of 15 credit hours or more during their first semester. Among those taking less than 15 credit hours, the most common reasons reported were "need to work" and "want to make better grades."
• While over 70 percent (72.7%) of respondents plan to work during their first semester at NC State, African Americans were more likely than whites and non-African American minorities to report planning 20 or more hours of work per week (40.7%, 34.7%, 18.4%).
• Respondents indicated greatest interest in fitness (43.0%), intramurals (33.8%), outdoor adventures (32.7%) and the co-op program (31.5%) from a list of 27 co-curricular activities and programs.

• Respondents consistently rated the importance of goals higher than their current level of development in those goals. As a whole, survey respondents look for improvement in all goals.
• Six of the ten highest mean ratings of current level of development were in the area of personal development goals. However, the third and fourth highest mean ratings of current development were for world view goals.
• Personal development goals also received higher mean ratings for importance than did general education and world view goals (9 of the 10 highest ratings).
• Scatterplots depicting the importance and current level of development of each goal reveal that taking responsibility for my own behavior ranks high in both importance and current level of development. Goals ranking high in importance but lower in development include managing my time. Goals ranking low in both importance and development include involved with public and community affairs.
• The patterns of individual goal rankings remained fairly stable by gender and race/ethnicity. However, African American and other minority respondents tended to assign higher importance ratings to goals than did whites.

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For more information on the 2000 Entering Transfer Student Survey reports contact:
Dr. Nancy Whelchel, Associate Director for Survey Research
Office of Institutional Planning and Research
Campus Box 7002
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27965-7002
Phone: (919) 515-4184
Email: Nancy_Whelchel@ncsu.edu

Posted: August, 2001

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