A Profile Of 1997 Entering Transfer Students:
Educational Intent And Interests

• Summary
  

• College Major
  

• Primary Goal for Attending NC State
  

• Educational Aspirations
  

• Time to Degree Completion at NC State
  

• Enrollment Status
  

• Plans to Work
  

• Student Affairs
  

• Tables for NC State Respondents: Educational Intent and Interests
  

• Tables for College Summaries: Educational Intent and Interests
  

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This report presents educational intent and interests from the 1997 entering transfer students at NC State. It is based on their responses to the survey given to new students during summer and fall orientation. Educational intent and interests concern students' majors, course load, and extra-curricular interests.

A total of 764 surveys (67% of the transfer students registered for fall 1997) were usable for this report. No significant differences were found between the survey group and the broader population of registered students; thus, the results may be regarded as representative of the entire transfer class. Significant differences were found in answers to some questions, however, when gender, and/or ethnicity were considered.

The data obtained from the transfer orientation sessions were analyzed using standard statistical methods. Responses were tested to determine whether there were significant differences when gender, and/or ethnicity were considered. Analysis was also done across baccalaureate academic units and those findings are available on the web. All questions requiring categorical responses were analyzed using chi-square tests, and all questions with numerically coded responses were analyzed using either T-tests or one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Duncan's multiple comparison procedure.

Summary

• The majority of respondents said they were either "certain" or "very certain" about their majors.
• The majority of transfer students marked that their primary goal for attending NC State is either to obtain a bachelor's degree as preparation for further schooling or to obtain a bachelor's degree as preparation for career.
• Most students planned to continue their education beyond a bachelor's degree, with the plurality anticipating completing a master's degree.
• Nearly nine in ten transfer students said they plan to complete their bachelor's degree at NC State in either two or three years.
• Almost half of the students intended to take at least 15 credits during their first semester.
• Two-thirds of the respondents intended to work during their first semester at NC State.
• The highest percentage of respondents indicated an interest in fitness. Males tended to express more interest in recreational activities while females more often planned to participate in non-recreational activities. African-American students expressed significantly more interest in Union Activities Board, and social fraternity/sorority. Other minority students indicated more interest in student leadership development program and student dance companies while white students marked more often that they were interested in intramurals.

College Major

Nearly all of the transfer students surveyed indicated that they were relatively positive about their choice of majors. Nine in ten (92.0%) said they were either "certain" or "very certain" about their majors. Ten percent (10.9%) reported being "uncertain" while only eight students (1.1%) indicated being "very uncertain."

Significant differences did not materialize when examining the data across genders and ethnic groups.

Primary Goal for Attending NC State

As shown in Chart 1, a majority of transfer students marked that their primary goal or objective for attending NC State is either to obtain a bachelor's degree as preparation for further schooling (45.7%) or to obtain a bachelor's degree as preparation for a career (39.5%).

Significant differences (p=0.001) were found when gender was considered. More females (50.0%) said they are preparing for further schooling than did males (42.2%). Males (13.5%) indicated more often than females (7.0%) that their intent was to earn a bachelor's degree or certificate only.

Educational Aspirations

Two-thirds of the transfer students (66.1%) plan to continue their education beyond a bachelor's degree. The plurality of students (43.2%) said the highest level of education they are anticipating is completing a master's degree. One in ten (12.2%) said they intend to earn a doctoral degree (see Chart 2).

Significant differences did not materialize when examining the data across genders and ethnic groups.

Time to Degree Completion

Nearly equal percentages of transfer students said they plan to complete their bachelor's degree at NC State in either two years (42.3%) or three years (43.9%). A small percentage of students (11.0%) said they would need four or more years to complete their degree (see Chart 3).

Enrollment Status

Nearly half of the transfer students (47.3%) indicated that they intend to take 15 credit hours of classes or more during their first semester at NC State. Over forty percent (43.3%) said they would take 12 to 14 hours, while just 9.5% registered for fewer than 12 credit hours. Those taking less than 15 credits in their first semester indicated their reasons why. The top concerns reported include: will need to work, and want to make better grades. The majority of respondents (87.1%) also reported that they did not plan to take the majority of their courses in late afternoon and evening.

Plans to Work

Two-thirds of the students (66.9%) marked that they intend to work during their first semester (see Chart 4). Over one-third of the students (36.3%) indicated they plan to be working less than 20 hours each week. Three in ten (30.6%) anticipated working more than 20 hours per week.

Student Affairs

Transfer students indicated their interest in 26 programs and activities. Chart 5 presents the percentage of respondents interested in each program or activity by gender and ethnicity. The highest percentage of all respondents indicated an interest in the following programs or activities: fitness (40.7%), outdoor adventures (40.1%), co-op program (35.1%) and intramurals (33.8%).

There were significant differences (p<0.01) between males and females for 16 of the 26 programs and activities. Males tended to express more interest in recreational activities while females more often pursued non-recreational activities (arts/crafts, volunteerism, study abroad, etc.).

Significant differences (p<0.01) also were found among the three ethnic groups for 5 of the 26 programs and activities. African-American students expressed significantly more interest than white or other minority students in Union Activities Board, and social fraternity/sorority. Other minority students indicated more interest in student leadership development program and student dance companies than did either African-American or white students. And white students marked more often than African-American or other minority students that they were interested in intramurals.