College Choice among Nontraditional Students

Transcription

1 College Choice among Nontraditional Students Mary Hutchens PhD Candidate Vanderbilt University Please Note: This information stems from my dissertation research, supported, in part, by an ExpERT Pre-Doctoral training grant from the Institute for Education Science. All results presented here are preliminary, and may not be shared without permission. Feel free to contact me should you have any questions, concerns, or comments.

2 Basics Levels of Nontraditionality Age N % Mean 31.4 years Minimally Nontraditional % Range 17 to 72 years Moderately Nontraditional % Highly Nontraditional % Total % Before your current institution, were you enrolled in In how many other institutions were previously college? enrolled? N % Mean 1.54 Yes % Range 1 to 9 inst No % Did you apply elsewhere when you applied to your current If you applied elsewhere, to how many other institution? schools did you apply? N % Mean 2.36 schools Yes % Range 0 to 21 schools No % To how many of the schools to which you applied were you admitted? Mean 2 schools Range 0 to 9 schools

3 Why did you decide to enroll in college at this point in your life? N % Significant Personal Event % Lost Job % Seeking Better Paying Job % Required for Job 7 0.9% Personal Growth % Always Planned To, Right Time % Change Career Fields % Other (See Text) % Total % Reasons for enrolling, as they relate to level of nontraditonality: N % N % N % Significant Personal Event % % % Lost Job 5 3.0% % 7 3.5% Seeking Better Paying Job 7 4.1% % % Required for Job 0 0.0% 4 1.0% 3 1.5% Personal Growth % % % Always Planned To, Right Time % % % Change Career Fields % % % Other (See Text) % % % Total % % % Column totals not equaling 100% are due to rounding. Reasons for Enrolling

4 How long before you enrolled did you start looking at potential colleges? N % Less than 1 month % 1-6 months % 6 months - 1 year % More than 1 year % Total % Column totals not equaling 100% are due to rounding. Search time as it relates to level of nontraditionality: N % N % N % Less than 1 month % % % 1-6 months % % % 6 months - 1 year % % % More than 1 year % % % Total % % % Column totals not equaling 100% are due to rounding. How did you go about looking for places to enroll? N %* Internet % Word of Mouth % Driving By % Other % *This is percentage of total survey respondents. Search Process Search methods as they relate to level of nontraditionality: N % N % N % Internet % % % Word of Mouth % % % Driving By % % % Other % % % *This is percentage of that type of nontraditional student that gave this answer, i.e. 55.9% of minimally nontraditional students used the internet to search, compared to 59.4% of moderately nontraditional students.

5 Information Gathering How did you go about gathering information about potential colleges? N %* Institution websites % Phone calls % In-person visit to campus % Organized campus visit day % Conversations with current students % Guidebooks/Websites % Other % *This is percentage of total survey respondents. Information gathering as it relates to level of nontraditionality: N % N % N % Institution websites % % % Phone calls % % % In-person visit to campus % % % Organized campus visit day % % % Conversations with current students % % % Guidebooks/Websites % % % Other % % % *This is percentage of that type of nontraditional student that gave this answer.

6 Important Characteristics Please indicate how important each of the following characteristics was to you in choosing the college in which you are enrolled. You may also indicate "not applicable." N Mean % Important/Very Important Quality of faculty % Availability of a specific major % Overall academic reputation % Quality of academi facilities % Variety of courses offered % Access to faculty % Concentration on undergrads % Prominent intercollegiate athletics % Cost to you % Athletic programs for you % Available extracurriculars % Off campus culture and recreation % Availability of religious activities % Quality of social life % Attractiveness of campus % Surroundings % Where the college is located % On-campus housing % Availability of child care % Size of student body % Individual attention % Career Services availability % Adult student services % Services/aid for veterans %

7 Important characteristics as they relate to level of nontraditionality: N Mean N Mean N Mean Quality of faculty Availability of a specific major Overall academic reputation Quality of academi facilities Variety of courses offered Access to faculty Concentration on undergrads Prominent intercollegiate athletics Cost to you Athletic programs for you Available extracurriculars Off campus culture and recreation Availability of religious activities Quality of social life Attractiveness of campus Surroundings Where the college is located On-campus housing Availability of child care Size of student body Individual attention Career Services availability Adult student services Services/aid for veterans

8 Opinions of Others Students often take into account the opinions of other people when making college choices. Please indicate how important the opinions of the following peole were when making your college choice. % N Mean Important/Very Important Parents/Guardians % Spouse/Significant Other % Children % Friends/Coworkers % Potential Future Employers % Other % Importance of others' opinions as it relates to level of nontraditionality: N Mean N Mean N Mean Parents/Guardians Spouse/Significant Other Children Friends/Coworkers Potential Future Employers Other