Institutional Research and Planning Room 306 1871 Old Main Drive Shippensburg, PA 17257 Phone: (717)-477-1154 Fax: (717)-477-4077 irp@ship.edu

CIRP Survey of 1998 Freshmen Freshmen students of the Fall 1998 class were surveyed as part of the student assessment effort by the Office of Institutional Research and Planning at Shippensburg University. The goal of this freshmen survey is to produce recurring data on the high school experiences, goals, attitudes, and decision-making processes of incoming freshmen. This data is then analyzed and the resulting report contributes to planning and evaluation processes on campus. In some ways Shippensburg freshmen are typical of freshmen at other 4-year colleges. A majority of the freshmen enroll in college straight out of high school and come from public high schools. In other ways they are not typical. They are more likely to be of white racial background. Their parents are not as likely as parents of other freshmen to have obtained more than a high school diploma. Shippensburg freshmen arrive on campus with some strengths and weaknesses. They are more likely to come well prepared in terms of coursework and grade point average during high school and this is reflected in their relatively higher self-rating of academic abilities. They are also more likely to target the bachelor’s degree as their highest educational goal. Despite having strengths in these areas, Shippensburg freshmen do not have as much confidence in themselves as other college freshmen. Shippensburg University’s academic reputation is very appealing to many new freshmen. There are other, equally important reasons students choose Shippensburg. They include low tuition, job placement rate, and small size. Shippensburg students are not as interested in obtaining a general education as they are in getting a better job and making more money.