Survey Methods

• NC State conducted its annual survey of entering transfer students during New Student Orientation sessions held in June and August 1998.
• The survey response rate was 64.6 percent (699 of 1,035 students).
• There were no significant gender or racial/ethnic differences between the transfer students actually enrolled at NC State and those responding to the survey.

• Half of all survey respondents (50.8%) expected to receive some form of financial aid. Over one-third of all respondents (36.5%) expect aid based on financial need.
• More than one-fourth of respondents reported that at least one of their parents/guardians had a high school education or less.
• Less than one-third of transfer student respondents (31.2%) said they were "well prepared" for college by their high school.
• Almost one-fourth of respondents (23.1%) intended to look for work exclusively in North Carolina.

• Two-thirds (66.2%) of survey respondents said they had attended only one other institution.
• The factors rated most influential in respondents� decision to attend NC State were academic reputation, availability of program, and location.
• The majority of respondents were "moderately satisfied" or "very satisfied" with university (87.0%) and departmental (90.3%) admission processes.

• Over half of the respondents (55.1%) intended a course load of 15 credit hours or more their first semester. The most common reasons given for taking on a course load of less than 15 credit hours were "will need to work" and "wants better grades."
• Almost half the respondents (48.7%) reported that their primary goal in attending NC State was "to obtain a bachelor�s degree" as preparation for graduate or professional school.
• Forty-six percent of survey respondents expected to finish their degree in two years or less.
• While one-third of respondents (32.4%) did not plan on working during their first semester, about 30 percent (29.5%) planned on working 20 hours or more each week.
• Respondents indicated greatest interest in fitness, outdoor adventures, co-op program, and intramurals from a list of 27 co-curricular activities and programs available at NC State.

• Seven of the highest mean ratings of items in respondents� current level of development were in the area of personal development goals, such as taking responsibility for own behavior, and viewing learning as a lifelong process. The other two highest ratings were from the area of world view goals, valuing gender equity and valuing racial equity.
• Personal development goals also received higher mean ratings for importance than did general education and world view goals (8 out of the 10 highest scores). Highest ratings for importance were for taking responsibility for own behavior and having self-confidence.
• There were often large gaps between rank orders of average ratings given to current development and importance of the various goals. For example, handling stress and managing my time ranked 6^th and 5^th respectively in importance but only 23^rd and 29^th respectively in current development.
• As a whole, survey respondents look for improvement in all the goals.

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