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More than 1,100 Emory first-time freshman responded last fall to the
national UCLA Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) survey
of freshman. Based on responses to the survey, the table
below compares Emory freshman to those at similar Private Universities.
There is also a comparison to responses from Emory freshman from ten
years prior. The areas of comparison we chose to highlight are student
background characteristics, college choice, college plans, career plans
and Political Views. We also compared the activities noted in the past
year between female and male freshmen. The highly selective university
group included Columbia, Duke, Georgetown, Stanford, Vanderbilt and
Washington.
Some of the more interesting
comparisons reveal:
- Sixty Seven percent of Emory freshman traveled more than 500 miles
to attend this university. This number is significantly higher than
that of other private highly selective universities (45 percent).
- Interesting findings came up when looking at how Emory freshmen
spent their time during their senior year of high school. Seventy
seven percent of Emory freshmen said they frequently socialized with
different ethnic groups during their senior year, which is higher
than Wake Forest (72%) and Vanderbilt (71%). Emory students were less
likely than others to frequently attend religious services during
their senior year (Emory 31%, Dartmouth 35%, Vanderbilt 53%, Wake
Forest 60%). Freshmen at Emory were more likely than others to frequently
use the Internet for Research/Homework during their senior year (Emory
70%, Dartmouth 65%, Wake Forest 64%, Vanderbilt 60%).
- The percentage of Emory freshmen that have no concern about paying
for their education has increased (from 44% in 1989 to 50% in 1999).
- Significant differences exist when considering parental income and
parent's education. Compared to 20 percent of freshman at other highly
selective universities, 28 percent of Emory freshman report their
estimated parental income to be more than $200,000. It was also reported
that both mothers and fathers of Emory freshman are more likely to
have graduate degrees than the parents of counterparts at peer institutions,
fathers 59% vs. 53%, mothers 37% vs. 34%.
- When we examine responses over the last ten years, the first trend
to notice is a growing stress among incoming college students. In
1999, 31 percent of the incoming freshmen reported feeling frequently
'overwhelmed by all I have to do' during their last year of highschool.
Ten years ago, the corresponding proportion was only 21 percent. This
trend is also reflected in the nationwide population of incoming students.
- It is interesting to note that among freshman, women are two times
more likely to be stressed than men are. At Emory 41 percent of women
compared to 19 percent of men reported a sense of being 'frequently'
overwhelmed. Linda Sax, the director of the UCLA study, suggested
that one possible explanation for the gender difference in stress
have to do with how men and women spend their time. Indeed, Emory's
data does show that women spend time on goal oriented and potentially
stress-producing activities (studying, performing volunteer work,
participating in student clubs, and working for pay), whereas men
tend to participate more often in recreational activities (exercising
or playing sports, watching television, partying, and playing video
games).
- One should also note that despite national concerns about students
disengagement, Emory freshmen are more likely than students at other
selective private universities to keep up to date with political affairs.
We see that more students at Emory espouse the long-term goal of 'influencing
the political structure' (25 percent at Emory compared to 21 percent
at other selective private institutions). In terms of political views
shared, over the last decade we have witnessed a relatively steady
increase in liberalism. The proportion of incoming freshmen characterizing
their political views as 'liberal' raised from 33 percent in 1989
to 44 percent in 1999. Having a liberal perspective is evident in
the following two areas. Forty five percent of Emory freshmen believe
that 'marijuana should be legalized' which is higher than Dartmouth
(39%), Vanderbilt (33%) and Wake Forest (32%). The other response
that represents Emory's freshmen as 'liberal' is that 50% of Emory's
freshmen strongly believe that abortion should be legal as opposed
to Dartmouth at 45%, Vanderbilt at 32% and Wake Forest at 30%.
- Another finding worth mentioning is that Emory tends to have more
'status strivers' among its freshmen than other peer institutions.
Compared to the group of respondents at other highly selective private
universities, at Emory, higher proportions of students desire to 'become
successful in a business of their own' (40 percent compared to 34
percent), 'obtain recognition from colleagues for contributions in
the field' (59 percent compared to 54 percent), 'be very well financially'
(74 percent compared to 65 percent), or 'become an authority in own
field' (71 percent compared to 66 percent). There are more freshmen
at Emory that would like to become a physician (23%) than at Wake
Forest (20%), Vanderbilt (20%) and Dartmouth (17%).
- Several 'reasons noted as very important in selecting this university'
have increased over the past ten years. This years freshmen chose
Emory because of its 'good academic reputation' (86 percent compared
to 79 percent ten years ago). Another factor that swayed freshmen
to attend Emory is that 'graduates get good job' (70 percent compared
to 51 percent ten years ago). One other comparison in this area is
that today's freshmen choose Emory because it's 'graduates go to top
grad schools' (64 percent compared to 50 percent ten years ago).
- When looking at plans for their college years, Emory students are
more likely than their peers at highly selective private universities
to join a sorority/fraternity (26 percent compared to 20 percent).
More Emory students foresee themselves 'making at least a "B" average'
(67 percent compared to 63 percent). They are also less likely to
get a job to help pay for college expenses than students at other
highly selective private universities (28 percent compared to 36 percent).
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Emory
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Highly Selective
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Emory
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~
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1999 Responses
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1999 Private Universities
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1989 Responses
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~
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(% freshmen)
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(% freshmen)
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(% freshmen)
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Student
Background
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~
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~
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~
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Lives more than 500 miles from Emory
|
67
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50
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61
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Parental income over $200,000
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28
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20
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Wasn't asked
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No concern about financing education
|
50
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42
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44
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Father has graduate degree
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59
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53
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58
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Mother has graduate degree
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37
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34
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29
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Mother is homemaker
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16
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16
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17
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~
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~
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~
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~
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College
Choice
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~
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~
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~
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This school was student's first choice
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61
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68
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57
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Applied only to this institution
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15
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13
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9
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Applied to six or more schools
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24
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24
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34
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~
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~
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~
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~
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Reasons noted as
very important in selecting this
university
|
~
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~
|
~
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Good academic reputation
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86
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87
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79
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Graduates get good jobs
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70
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71
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51
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Graduates go to top grad schools
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64
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61
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50
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Size of the college
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50
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36
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Wasn't asked
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Rankings in national magazines
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34
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30
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Wasn't asked
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Good social reputation
|
31
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27
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21
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~
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~
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~
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~
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College
Plans
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~
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~
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~
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Join a sorority or fraternity
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26
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20
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37
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Making at least a B average
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67
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63
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54
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Get a job to help pay for expenses
|
28
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36
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29
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Will be satisfied with their college
|
59
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67
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62
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|
~
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~
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~
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~
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Career
Plans
|
~
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~
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~
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Intends to become a physician
|
23
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16
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23
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Intends to become a business executive
|
16
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10
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16
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Intends to become a lawyer
|
10
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7
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17
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Intends to become a scientific researcher
|
4
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5
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2
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~
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~
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~
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~
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Political
Views
|
~
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~
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~
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Has liberal views
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44
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36
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33
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Students Agree that Capital punishment should be
abolished
|
32
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37
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28
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Abortion should be legal
|
76
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68
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81
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Marijuana should be legalized
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45
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38
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25
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~
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~
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~
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~
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~
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Emory 1999
|
Emory 1999
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~
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|
~
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Male Freshmen
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Female Freshmen
|
~
|
|
~
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(% freshmen)
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(% freshmen)
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~
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Activities Noted in
the past year
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~
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~
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~
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(Spent 6 or more hours
per week)
|
~
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~
|
~
|
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Felt overwhelmed by all I had to do
|
19
|
41
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~
|
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Exercised or played sports
|
63
|
49
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~
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Watching TV
|
35
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22
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~
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Partying
|
36
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28
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~
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Playing Video Games
|
9
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0.5
|
~
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Studying
|
55
|
71
|
~
|
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Volunteering
|
10
|
12
|
~
|
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Working for pay
|
31
|
34
|
~
|
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Student (clubs / groups)
|
19
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21
|
~
|
|
|
|
|
~
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Total First-Time
Freshmen Enrolled = 1201
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~
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~
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~
|
|
~
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~
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~
|
~
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Total Respondents =
1,118
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~
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~
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~
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