Freshman/Transfer Entrant Differences

Differences between the mean ratings of freshman and transfer entrants was tested for statistical significance using an independent t test. To compute the necessary statistics, values were associated with response positions as follows:

Strongly Agree	Agree	Neutral	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
5	4	3	2	1

For items 55 through 63, values were associated with response positions as follows:

Major	Some	Little	None
4	3	2	1

Items for which significant differences were found have been indicated by bold percentages in the 1996 University of Washington Senior Survey section of this report. The direction of these statistically significant differences is indicated in the table below. Items with an (*) asterisk indicate that the transfer entrants average ratings are higher. Items without an (*) asterisk indicate that the freshman entrant average rating is higher. Also listed are the means of each group or the percent of participation.

Items with Significant Differences

Item	Item Text	Freshman Mean	Transfer Mean
4	I have felt a part of a community within the university.	3.31	2.96
6	I would like to have had more involvement in research with professors.	3.70	3.53
7*	I believe I had ample opportunities to write in my classes.	3.94	4.16
9	While at UW have you participated in Volunteer Service in the Community?	53%	31%
13	Have you participated in Service Learning Courses, Internships, or Cooperative Education?	31%	22%
14	My participation contributed significantly to my overall educational experience.	4.55	4.26
15	My participation will help me make the transition from the U. to work.	4.55	4.23
16	My participation will help me more generally in my life after UW.	4.54	4.17
17	Have you participated in the research of a faculty member other than being a subject for the research?	26%	15%
18*	I was treated as a member of a research team.	3.84	4.22
22	While at UW did you become involved in a learning community with other students?	40%	23%
24*	My participation will help me make the transition from the university to work.	3.21	3.63
25*	My participation will help me more generally in my life after UW.	3.46	3.81
26*	received good advising about what courses to take.	2.94	3.22
27*	received good advising about career choices.	2.53	2.72
28	had a lot of fun.	3.92	3.32
29	had my education fully supported by my parents.	3.25	2.48
31*	gone into debt that will remain when I graduate.	2.91	3.74
32*	dropped out to work (other than summers).	1.73	2.18
33*	written a lot of papers.	3.68	3.91
35*	had to work hard in courses to succeed.	3.96	4.23
38	discovered my career interests.	3.90	3.64
40	increased my chances to be economically successful.	3.94	3.70
42	clarified my goals in life.	3.75	3.75
43	increased my appreciation of different cultures and people.	3.95	3.77
45	met many people and made new friends.	4.17	3.61
46	taken good advantage of campus and student activities.	3.31	2.84
47	encountered many professors who care more about doing research than teaching.	3.26	3.00
49*	had an easy time choosing a major.	3.20	3.44
51*	found most courses were really hard.	2.88	3.23
54*	Do you expect to take more than four years from the time you first enrolled in any college until you graduate?	44%	22%
55*	The need to work.	3.36	3.88
61*	Courses that didn't satisfy graduation requirements.	2.85	3.20
62*	Courses taken at another institution that didn't transfer.	2.17	3.28
63*	Bad advice.	2.66	2.92

Footnote 5 Percentages, where listed, represent the percent responding "yes."

Footnote 6 Items for which the average ratings of transfer entrants were higher have an (*) asterisk.

Accountability Report Appendices Appendix L