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This overview presents findings from all transfer students participating
in the 1998 New Transfer Student Survey. Additional frequency distributions
and tables of responses by gender, race/ethnicity, and college are available
on the web at tr98toc.htm.
For information about the survey and analysis methods, see "1998
Entering Transfer Student Survey: Introduction, Methods, and Student Demographic
Profile."
Table of Contents:
Background Information:
This section presents background information provided by transfer students who responded to the survey, including whether they expect to receive financial aid, information about their households, their employment plans, and other personal information.
Financial Aid (Table 3-1)
Transfer students indicated whether they expected to receive financial aid, including work-study, grants, loans, and scholarships. Half of all respondents (50.8%) stated they expected some sort of financial aid. Over one-third of all respondents (36.5%) expected aid based on financial need. Table 3-1 presents the breakdowns of the types of financial aid respondents expect to receive.
Table 3-1: Types of Financial Aid
| Basis of Aid |
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| Financial need |
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| Academic |
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| Other than listed |
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| Athletic |
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| Other (dance, music, etc.) |
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|
Student and Parent/Guardian Income (Table 3-2)
Students were given 14 income brackets ranging from under $10,000 to over $200,000 per year, and asked to indicate which best described both their own and their parent�s or guardian�s combined 1997 pre-tax income. Forty percent of respondents said their own income was $10,000 or less. One-third (33.1%) of respondents reported their parent�s or guardian�s income as $50,000 or less, while 19.4 percent said it was over $100,000.
Table 3-2: Student and Parent Income
| Pre-tax Income |
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| $10,000 or less |
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| $10,001-$15,000 |
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| $15,001-$20,000 |
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| $20,001-$25,000 |
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| $25,001-$30,000 |
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| $30,001-$35,000 |
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| $35,001-$40,000 |
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| $40,001-$50,000 |
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| $50,001-$60,000 |
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| $60,001-$75,000 |
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| $75,001-$100,000 |
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| $100,001-$150,000 |
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| $150,001-$200,000 |
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| $200,000 plus |
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Parent/Guardian Education (Charts 3-1, 3-2)
Respondents were asked to report the educational attainment of both their father/male guardian and their mother/female guardian. About 45 percent of respondents reported their father/male guardian as having at least a four-year degree, compared to 37.4 percent of the mothers/female guardians. More than one-fourth of respondents reported that their father/male guardian (27.0%) or their mother/female guardian (28.3%) had a high school education or less. Almost 17 percent of survey respondents said that neither parent/guardian had attended college.
Chart 3-1: Parent/Guardian Educational Attainment
Chart 3-2: First Generation Students
Preparation for College (Chart 3-3)
Almost 60 percent (59.1%) of entering transfer students said they were
well prepared for college by their last institution. Slightly fewer (56.4%)
said they had been well prepared for college on their own. Respondents
were least satisfied with their high schools, with one-fourth (24.7%) saying
they were poorly prepared for college by their high school and only one-third
(31.2%) saying their high school had prepared them well.
Chart 3-3: Preparation for College
Religious Preference (Table 3-3)
The religious preference most often reported by respondents was Baptist
(28.4%), followed by Catholic (14.5%), and Methodist (10.5%). Almost one-fourth
(24.2%) of respondents selected the "no preference" option.
Table 3-3: Religious Preferences
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
Back to Top
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
Back to Top
| Religious Preference | n | % |
| Baptist | 182 | 28.4 |
| No preference | 155 | 24.2 |
| Catholic | 93 | 14.5 |
| Methodist | 67 | 10.5 |
| Other | 53 | 8.3 |
| Presbyterian | 27 | 4.2 |
| Episcopal | 13 | 2.0 |
| Lutheran | 11 | 1.7 |
| Hindu | 9 | 1.4 |
| Islamic | 7 | 1.1 |
| Unitarian | 7 | 1.1 |
| Jewish | 6 | 0.9 |
| Latter-Day Saints | 5 | 0.8 |
| Disciples of Christ | 3 | 0.5 |
| Moravian | 2 | 0.3 |
Survey respondents were asked to indicate the general location in which they intend to seek employment after graduation. Almost one-fourth (23.1%) of respondents intend to look for work exclusively in North Carolina.
Chart 3-4: Intended Work Community
Application Process
This section of the report explores transfer students� experience with
the application process and examines those factors students considered
influential in their decision to attend NC State.
Number of Institutions Previously Attended (Chart 3-5)
Two-thirds (66.2%) of respondents said they had attended only one other
institution before enrolling at NC State. About one-fourth (23.9%) had
attended two other institutions.
Chart 3-5: Number of Institutions Previously Attended
Factors Influencing Attendance Decision (Chart 3-6)
Respondents indicated the extent to which each of 18 factors influenced
their decision to attend NC State. Their ratings were based on a scale
from 5="very strong influence" to 1="very weak influence." On average,
respondents were most likely to have said that availability of program
(4.02), academic reputation (3.97), and location (3.90) were
strong influences in their decision to attend NC State.
Respondents were also asked to indicate the single must influential
factor in their decision to attend NC State. Almost one-fourth said
either "academic reputation" (23.4%) or "availability of program" (23.1%)
were most influential, while another 20.5 percent said "location" was most
influential.
Chart 3-6: Factors Influencing Decision to Attend NC State
Satisfaction with Admissions (Chart 3-7)
Survey respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction with the quality
of various aspects of the NC State admissions process, using a scale
from 4 = "very satisfied" to 1 = "very dissatisfied." (Respondents who
checked a "don�t know/did not use" option were not included in the analyses).
The majority of respondents said they were either "very" or "moderately
satisfied" with university (87.0%) and departmental (90.3%) admissions.
Fewer respondents were as satisfied with the financial aid process (70.0%).
Chart 3-7: Satisfaction with Admissions
Transfer of Credit Hours (Chart 3-8)
Three-fourths (75.0%) of respondents said the number of classes that
transferred was about what they were led to believe would transfer by NC
State, and another 11.2 percent said it was more than they had expected.
About fourteen percent (13.8%) of respondents said more credit hours transferred
than they were led to believe would transfer by their previous institution.
Respondents were slightly more likely to report having fewer courses transfer
than they were led to believe by their previous institution (20.4%) than
by NC State (13.8%).
Chart 3-8: Transferred Credit Hours
Educational Intent and Interests
This section of the report focuses on the respondents� educational intent
and interests. Specifically, it explores their interest in student affairs,
their enrollment status, how long they expect it will take them to complete
their degree, and their plans for further education. How certain the respondents
were of their major at the time of the survey, and number of hours they
expect to be employed during their first semester at NC State are also
reported.
Student Affairs (Table 3-4)
Survey respondents identified the co-curricular programs and activities
in which they were interested, from a list of 27 such options at NC State.
Greatest interest was indicated for fitness (aerobics, walking, etc.) (48.3%),
outdoor adventures (backpacking, camping, rock-climbing, etc.) (41.7%), co-op (cooperative
education) program (39.9%), and intramurals (34.1%).
Table 3-4: NC State Co-curricular Programs/Activities
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
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Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
Back to Top
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
Back to Top
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
Back to Top
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
Back to Top
| Program/Activity |
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| Fitness |
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| Outdoor adventures |
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| Co-op program |
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| Intramurals |
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| Volunteer services |
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| Theater as audience |
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| Club sports |
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| Study abroad/student exchange |
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| Indoor recreation |
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| Healthy lifestyles |
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| Attend art exhibits |
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| Social fraternity/sorority |
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| Performing arts |
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| Student government |
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| Student leadership |
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| Musical interests |
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| Student publications/media |
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| Informal recreation |
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| Gender issues |
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| Programs/services for children/families |
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| Theater as artist |
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| Crafts center |
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| Dance |
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| UAB programs/activities |
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| Student Judicial Board |
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| ROTC |
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| Residence Hall Council |
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First Semester Enrollment Status (Chart 3-9; Table 3-5)
Respondents were asked to report the number of credit hours for which they were enrolled during their first semester at NC State. A slight majority (55.1%) said they would be taking 15 credit hours or more.
Of those reporting less than a 15 hours enrollment status (n=288), the most frequently reported reasons were "will need to work" (51.0%) and the respondent "wants better grades" (47.9%).
Chart 3-9: First Semester Enrollment Status
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
Back to Top
Table 3-5: Reasons for Less than 15 Credit
Hour Enrollment Status*
| Reason |
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| Will need to work |
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| Want to make better grades |
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| Was advised by my advisor |
|
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| Courses not available |
|
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| Combination of courses |
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| Family responsibilities |
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| Other** |
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| Did not need more courses |
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| Internship |
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Amount of Time to Complete Degree (Chart 3-10)
Most (88.2%) entering transfer respondents expect to earn their degree in three years or less after arriving at NC State.
Chart 3-10: Years Expected to Complete Degree
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
Back to Top
Highest Level of Education (Chart 3-11)
About two-thirds of respondents (67.8%) indicated they plan to continue their education beyond a Bachelor's degree.
Goals and Objectives at NC State (Charts 3-12 and 3-13)
Almost half (48.7%) the respondents reported that their primary goal in attending NC State was "to obtain a bachelor�s degree as preparation for graduate or professional school." The next most common objective was "to obtain a bachelor�s degree as preparation for a new career or profession" (37.3%). The majority of respondents said they were either "very certain" (52.1%) or "certain" (34.8%) in their choice of college major.
Chart 3-12: Goals and Objectives at NC State
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
Back to Top
Chart 3-13: Certainty of Major
First Semester Employment Plans (Chart 3-14)
Respondents were asked to report the number of hours they intended to
work during their first semester at NC State. While one-third (32.4%) do not plan
on being employed, about 30 percent (29.5%) said they plan to work 20 hours
or more each week.
Chart 3-14: First Semester Employment Plans
Goals for Undergraduate Education
This section presents information about respondents� educational goals.
The 35 goals asked about related to either personal development, general
education, or world views. (See Charts 3-15, 3-16, and 3-17).
Respondents were asked to rate their current level of development
on each goal and how important the goal is to them right now. Current
level of development was rated on a scale from 5="very high" to 1="very
low." Goal importance was rated on a scale from 5="very important" to 1="not
important." "Don�t know" responses in both lists were excluded from the
analysis.
Overall, personal development goals tended to receive higher mean ratings
on current level of development than did the other areas, with 7 of the
10 highest mean ratings. The personal development goals of responsibility
for own behavior (4.5) and view learning as a lifelong behavior
(4.3) had the highest average ratings. The next two highest average ratings
on current level of development were for the world view goals of valuing
gender equity (4.2) and valuing racial equity (4.2).
Ratings of goal importance were consistently higher than ratings of
current level of development. Again, personal development goals were given
higher ratings than those related to general education and world views.
The five highest average ratings of goal importance were for responsibility
for my own behavior (4.7), having self confidence (4.7), realizing
my potential (4.6), having self-discipline (4.6), and managing
my time (4.6).
Chart 3-16: World View Goals
Chart 3-17:General Education Goals
Comparing the Rank Order of Average Ratings for Current
Development and Importance of Goals (Table 3-6)
Charts 3-15, 3-16, and 3-17 show that the average ratings of each goal's
importance was higher than the students' ratings of their own current development
in that area. However, there are some interesting variations in the rank
orders of current development and importance ratings.
For example, valuing racial equity had the fourth highest average
rating for current development, but the 19th highest average rating for
importance. This can occur because the average importance ratings are generally
so much higher than the development ratings. Even though the average importance
rating for valuing racial equity is 4.39 and the average development
rating is 4.22 (Chart 3-17), there are many importance ratings higher than
4.39 but only a few development ratings higher than 4.22. Even more strikingly
disparate, the goal of valuing gender equity had the third highest
average rating for current development, but was 22nd relative to other
goals with respect to importance. Recognizing and acting on ethical
principals and being able to interact and work with people from
diverse backgrounds also ranked in the top ten goals for current development
(5th and 9th respectively), but had much lower average ratings of importance
relative to other goals (17th and 24th). These differences in rankings
indicate that respondents appear to believe they have achieved these goals
to some extent, and do not feel they are the most important ones to focus
on while at NC State.
On the other hand, there are a number of goals for which respondents
rate their current development relatively low compared to other goals,
but to which they give relatively high importance ratings. Managing
my time was ranked among the highest average ratings for importance
(5th), but was ranked 29th in current development. Respondents' average
rating for handling stress ranked 6th for importance, but 23rd in
current development. Developing computer skills ranked 9th for importance,
but was ranked almost near the bottom (33rd) in current development. Other
goals ranked somewhat lower in development than in importance include having
self-confidence (2nd vs.17th) and having self-discipline (4th
vs.15th). Thus, these are goals that are important for the students,
but which, on average, they feel have not been developed to the same extent
as other goals.
It is also worth noting goals that rank relatively high for both current
development and importance. For example, being independent and self-reliant
(6th in development and 7th in importance), and understanding own abilities
and interests (8th and 8th) are ranked high in both development and
importance. Ability to function as part of a team (7th in development
and 12th in importance) and viewing learning as a lifelong process
(2nd and 10th) were ranked just slightly higher in current development
compared to importance. Realizing my potential for success was ranked
slightly lower in development (11th ) than in importance (3rd).
In general, these are all goals that respondents feel are important and
on which they feel they have made a good start.
Finally, there are several goals which respondents neither feel they
have currently developed (relative to other goals) nor believe are important.
Advancing my appreciation of the arts, music, and literature, ability
to apply scientific principles, understanding issues and problems
facing the world, being involved in public and community affairs,
and understanding the present as it relates to history were ranked
in the bottom six on both current development and importance. Thus, in
general these are goals that the respondents don't seem to care much about.
Interestingly, all five are important goals of the University's core general
education curriculum.
Table 3-6: Comparison of Rank Order of Average Ratings
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
Back to Top
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
Back to Top
Chart 3-15: Personal Development Goals
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
Back to Top
for Current Development and Importance of Goals
| Goal |
|
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| Taking responsibility for behavior |
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| Viewing learning as a lifelong process |
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| Valuing gender equity |
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| Valuing racial equity |
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| Recognizing and acting upon ethical principles |
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| Being independent and self-reliant |
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| Ability to function as part of a team |
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| Understanding my own abilities and interests |
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| Being able to interact and work with people from diverse backgrounds |
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| Clarifying personal identity |
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| Realizing my potential for success |
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| Coping with change |
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| Having a tolerance for different points of view |
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| Ability to plan and carry out projects independently |
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| Having self-discipline |
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| Developing good listening skills |
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| Having self-confidence |
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| Acquiring a broad general education |
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| Developing a commitment to personal health and fitness |
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| Developing good reading comprehension skills |
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| Improving leadership and management skills |
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| Ability to critically analyze events, information, and ideas |
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| Handling stress |
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| Ability to communicate ideas in writing |
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| Ability to communicate ideas orally |
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| Understanding how science and technology influence everyday life |
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| Ability to apply mathematics skills |
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| Understanding diverse cultures and values |
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| Managing my time |
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| Understanding issues and problems facing the world |
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| Advancing my appreciation of the arts, music, and literature |
|
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| Understanding the present as it relates to historical events/processes |
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| Developing computer skills |
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| Ability to apply scientific principles |
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| Being involved with public and community affairs |
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For more information on the 1998 Entering Transfer Student Survey contact:
Dr. Nancy Whelchel, Associate Director for Survey Research
Office of Institutional Planning and Research
Box 7002
NCSU
Phone: (919) 515-4184
Email: Nancy_Whelchel@ncsu.edu
Posted: December, 1999
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