Factors Influencing The College Enrollment Choice Of First Year Students At A Masters Comprehensive College University I PDF Download

This report discusses enrollment planning by colleges and universities as it concerns the understanding of why students choose to attend one particular college over another. First, the past responses of colleges to enrollment-threatening changes are presented. Next, an explanation is given of why knowledge of student college choice behavior is important for enrollment planning, student marketing, and recruitment. Then, the conceptual foundations for the study of college choice behavior (psychology, sociology, economics) are discussed, followed by an explanation of why it is important to understand what determines enrollment fluctuations, such as an increasing job market or economic recession. Micro-level studies of college choice behavior, which are used to estimate the effects of institutional and student characteristics on the probability that a particular individual will choose a particular college, are examined. Finally, information related to the following questions is presented and discussed: (1) "what factors are important to students of nontraditional age in making college decisions?" (2) "what are the phases of the college choice process?" (3) "what factors are important in creating a desire to attend college?" (4) "why is the college search and application phase so important?" and (5) "how can an institution more effectively manage enrollment in the selection and attendance phase?" Contains an index and 227 references. (GLR).