This report describes the results of the Summer 2005 administration of the BGSU First Year Student Questionnaire (BFYSQ) to new main campus first year students. The BFYSQ is designed to collect enrollment management-related data, demographic data not otherwise collected as a result of BGSU's admission and registration processes, and data on students' values and expectations. Its use supports both assessment and enrollment management activities. Results are used in this report to provide a descriptive profile of the freshman class (serving as a companion report to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions' Freshman Class Profile). BFYSQ data are also maintained in databases within the Office of Institutional Research and are studied as predictors of outcomes such as retention, GPA's and graduation rates. This report continues a more than thirty year history of "freshman survey" results at BGSU. The literature on college student learning, development, and persistence clearly shows that students' pre-college characteristics, aspirations, expectations, and values play a crucial role in outcomes such as retention, grades, graduation, and educational and personal gains. Since no single commercially-available questionnaire would provide the data specifically needed by BGSU in a timely and cost effective manner, the BFYSQ was developed by the Office of Institutional Research in 1997. The results of the BFYSQ are comparable to those of the ACE/UCLA "Freshman Survey" administered at BGSU between 1973 and 1979 and between 1990 and 1995, and the "BGSU Freshman Survey" administered between 1980 and 1989. The Office of Institutional Research plans to administer the BFYSQ to new freshmen each year before they matriculate. The 2005 BFYSQ was distributed to all new first year students who registered for BGSU's Orientation and Registration Program during the months of June and July. A total of 2,368 questionnaires were returned, which represented 66% of the 2005 main campus new first year freshman class. This rate is higher than the response rate of 2004 (64%) and 2003 (33%, online survey). To examine how representative the survey respondents were of the entire first year first time freshman class, the demographic characteristics of the 1906 survey respondents who provided valid social security numbers were compared to all entering 2005 first year first time freshmen. There is a high degree of gender, race, college, and residential status similarity between the respondents and the population. BFYSQ results were analyzed by noting the percentages of participants who provided various responses to each questionnaire item. Percentages may not always sum to 100 due to rounding. Results were also compared with those of previous similar questionnaires. The following pages highlight these findings. ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT-RELATED INFORMATION How many other colleges besides BGSU did you apply to?
How many other colleges besides BGSU admitted you this year?
Among colleges to attend, was BGSU your . . .
How important were each of the following in your decision to attend college in general? (Percent "Very Important")
How important were each of the following in your decision to attend BGSU? (Percent "Very Important")
"BGSU graduates get good jobs", "my BGSU visit was pleasant and friendly", and "BGSU offers unique education programs" were more likely to be the important reasons for 2005 and 2004 freshmen to attend BGSU. Compared with the freshmen in 1995, 2005 freshmen were more likely to consider "BGSU graduates get good jobs" and "BGSU's graduates gain admission to top graduate/professional school " as the important factors for them to choose BGSU, but less likely to consider BGSU¡¯s academic reputation and the cost of tuition as the important reasons to attend this school. How many miles from BGSU is your permanent home?
What is your best estimate of your parents' income?
The percentage of students whose estimated parental income was $75,000 or more increased from 28% in 1995 to 47% in 2005. How much of your first year's educational expenses do you expect to cover from each of the sources listed below? (Percent $1,500 and Over)
Families were still the major source of finance for the majority of BGSU freshmen. Compared with the freshmen ten years ago, however, this year's freshmen were more likely to depend on multiple sources of support for their college education. How concerned are you about your ability to finance your college education?
How many hours per week during the school year do you plan to be employed?
For each of the following items, please indicate the number of years you participated while in 9th-12th grade (Percent "Two Years or More"):
For each of the following items, please indicate your level of involvement while in 9th-12th grade (Percent "Highly Involved"):
Fifty percent or more of the 2005 freshmen spent two or more years participating in most of the activities listed on the survey during their high school years, and they seemed more likely to be highly involved with athletics and part-time jobs than other activities listed on the survey. What is the highest level of formal education obtained by your parents?
Your Father's Occupation (top four):
Your Mother's Occupation (top four):
Your Probable Occupation (top four):
What is the highest degree you plan to obtain anywhere?
What is the highest degree you plan to obtain at BGSU?
The most frequent academic goals of entering freshmen are a Bachelor's degree at BGSU and a Master's anywhere. Do you feel that you will need any special tutoring or remedial work in any of the following subjects?
Mathematics remains the subject where a sizeable percentage of freshmen may need tutoring or remedial work. 2005 entering freshmen were also more concerned about their mathematics preparation than were the freshmen ten years ago. EXPECTATIONS AND VALUES INFORMATION What is your estimate of the chance that you will . . . (Percent "Very Good")
How important are each of the following to you? (Percent "Essential" or "Very Important")
Being very well off financially, raising a family, helping others who are in difficulty, becoming an authority in their fields, and obtaining recognition from their colleagues for their contributions continued to be the important life goals for most of BGSU freshmen. Responses to the 2005 BGSU First Year Student Questionnaire (BFYSQ) were generally similar to those of previous BFYSQs. 2005 Freshmen are mostly from in-state and from middle class families. Parents/relatives/friends were the greatest source of financial support for college. Compared with the freshmen ten years ago, a greater portion of 2005 freshmen expected to get support from loans, grants/scholarships, and savings. More than 70% of them have some concerns about their ability to finance their college education. Like the freshmen in previous years, 2005 freshmen apply and are admitted to few other institutions. BGSU is their overwhelming first choice. They are very pragmatic about their general reasons for going to college --- the most common reason cited was to prepare for a professional career, followed by to get a better job, to learn more about things that interest them, and to be able to make more money. The perceived career success of our graduates coupled with a pleasant campus visit are the principal reasons that incoming freshmen choose BGSU. Compared with the freshmen in 1995, however, 2005 entering freshmen were less likely to consider BGSU's academic reputation and cost of tuition as the important reasons to attend, but more likely to consider "BGSU graduates get good jobs" and "BGSU's graduates gain admission to top graduate/professional schools" as the important factors for them to choose BGSU. More than half of the 2005 entering freshman indicated that they were highly involved with athletics and part-time jobs during their high school years and the majority of them still wanted to be employed during their college years. Their most frequent academic goal at BGSU is a Bachelor's Degree in "undecided" or "business." Raising a family, being very well off financially, helping others who are in difficulty, and becoming an authority in their field of study are among their most important life goals. The 2005 freshman seemed to be very positive about their chances of making at least a "B" average for their courses, earning a Bachelor's Degree, finding a job in their field after graduation, get a job to help pay for their college expenses, and being satisfied with BGSU. The majority of them predict that chances are none or very little for them to fail one or more courses, take extra time to complete their degree, and drop out college temporarily or permanently. Mathematics, however, remains the area where a sizeable percentage of freshmen are concerned about their academic preparation for college work. The Office of Institutional Research welcomes feedback concerning this and other studies and how they can continue to be improved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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