This work computes the response of clamped slabs when subjected to spatially sinusoidal harmonic line loads via the Boundary Element Method (BEM). The formulation uses 2.5D Green's functions for the steady state response of a homogeneous three-dimensional free solid layer formation of infinite extent, proposed earlier by the authors. The inclusion of these Green's functions in the BEM formulation avoids the discretization of free horizontal surfaces, which contributes to the efficiency of the BEM model. Frequency and time responses have been computed for slabs with and without lateral confinements, for different thickness and varying spatially sinusoidal harmonic line loads.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V2Y-478B3WC-2/1/858485466df347cb0aab610316d65e7

António, J.

Tadeu, A.

Simões, N.

Estudo Geral

Response of clamped structural slabs subjected to a dynamic point load via BEM

College choice is a critical decision facing many high school students. Although some research has examined where students go for help in making college choices, few studies have examined how race or gender differences of the students or differences in their standardized test scores affect their information sources. Entering college freshmen (N=3,708) indicated which ~f nine information sources (college students, friends, high school counselor, college publication, family, alumni, high school teacher, newspaper, tel~vision) they used in selecting a college.   Responses were analyzed separately for females and males, blacks and whites, in each of four American College Testing (ACT) score categories. The results indicated that, for both sexes, the most frequently identified resources were college students, friends, and high school counselors. The counselor was identified as a resource more often than were parents or high school teachers. Blacks were more likely than whites to use counselors and less likely to use their family for college information. Students with lower ACT scores were more likely to use counselors as information sources than were students with higher scores. Friends were also a more frequent information source for low ability tested students. These findings identify the high school counselor as a critical resource in the college selection process for minority and low ability tested students

Eberly, Charles

Eastern Illinois University

Information Sources Used by High School Seniors

College choice is a critical decision facing many high school students. Although some research has examined where students go for help in making college choices, few studies have examined how race or gender differences of the students or differences in their standardized test scores affect their information sources. Entering college freshmen (N=3,708) indicated which ~f nine information sources (college students, friends, high school counselor, college publication, family, alumni, high school teacher, newspaper, tel~vision) they used in selecting a college.
Responses were analyzed separately for females and males, blacks and whites, in each of four American College Testing (ACT) score categories. The results indicated that, for both sexes, the most frequently identified resources were college students, friends, and high school counselors. The counselor was identified as a resource more often than were parents or high school teachers. Blacks were more likely than whites to use counselors and less likely to use their family for college information. Students with lower ACT scores were more likely to use counselors as information sources than were students with higher scores. Friends were also a more frequent information source for low ability tested students. These findings identify the high school counselor as a critical resource in the college selection process for minority and low ability tested students

Eberly, Charles G

The Keep

Eastern Illinois University
The Keep
Faculty Research & Creative Activity Counseling & Student Development
April 1987
Information Sources Used by High School Seniors
Charles G. Eberly
Eastern Illinois University, cgeberly@eiu.edu
Follow this and additional works at: http://thekeep.eiu.edu/csd_fac
Part of the Community College Education Administration Commons, Educational Assessment,
Evaluation, and Research Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, Higher
Education and Teaching Commons, and the Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Counseling & Student Development at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in
Faculty Research & Creative Activity by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact tabruns@eiu.edu.
Recommended Citation
Eberly, Charles G., "Information Sources Used by High School Seniors" (1987). Faculty Research & Creative Activity. 18.
http://thekeep.eiu.edu/csd_fac/18
<-, > ~ rv U1 
,,4f n. ~a ''<t,:jf/~ ~ ~.q ~ >\lh ~ lti,l' 
.{/ 
~ i ~1 
.;~_, '.-
~" .., 
0,.~ ~ ~J\ ~ 1.0 mm 
"'~~ ~ .0~0~ ,> <P~~~\. ~- ., }·>;> 1.5 mm c"~ v. ,~·)} 
v. 0~') J\~~, 2.0 mm 
IIIII~ 
11111~ 
----
----
. 
-
-• 0 
rrrrr:~E~~~ r 
rr !Ea.~ = 
m:; i~~ IIIII~ IIIII~ 
IIIII "' IIIII oo ~ IIIII~ 
Allt'[)! Hillll~.l l,'rHW011'.1lJ•, .". ~ 1/ 
tl~ oh•l~·t"l~ IIlli" >j>\JI'lll,.\ o j,'\ ;• ; l' ,I /". tfl 
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzl234567890 
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 
1234567890 
.f,('o~" ~~y ~ (~{~~ '~ ~" '(<9 
<' ~o~<T ~ ~ ~t~~~ (o 
~/'" 
,.,. r.l'!-
~ ... ~ .,_,, .. 
4?.~ ~ -·,_ .... 1:.~ ··~..-... ~ ~(~:)<.~ 
q; 
ED 283 087 
AUTHOR 
TITLE 
PUB DATE 
NOTE 
PUB TYPE 
EDRS PRICE 
DESCRIPTORS 
ABSTRACT 
DOCUMENT RESUME 
CG 019 976 
Eberly, Charles G.; And Others 
Information Sources Used by High School Seniors. 
Apr 87 
lOp.; Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the 
American Association for Counseling and Development 
(New Orleans, LA, April 21-25, 1987). 
Rep~rts - Research/Technical (143) 
Speeches/Conference Papers (150) 
MFOl/PCOl Plus Postage. 
*Academic Ability; Black Students; College Bound 
Students; *College Choice; College Fre~hmen; 
Counselor Role; Decision Making; Higher Education; 
High Schools; *Information Sources; Peer Influence~ 
*Racial Differences; *School Counselors; *Sex 
Differences; White Students 
College choice is a critical decision facing many 
high school students. Although some research has examined where 
students go for help in making college choices, few studies have 
examined how race or gender differences of the students or 
differences in their standardized test scores affect their 
information sources. Entering college freshmen (N=3,708) indicated 
which ~f nine information sources (college students, friends, high 
school counselor, college publication, family, alumni, high school 
teacher, newspaper, tel~vision) they used in selecting a college. 
Responses were analyzed separately for females and males, blacks and 
whites, in each of four American College Testing (ACT) score 
categories. The results indicated that, for both sexes, the most 
frequently identified resources were college students, friends, and 
high school counselors. The counselor was identified as a resource 
more often than were parents or high school teachers. Blacks were 
more likely than whites to use counselors and less likely to use 
their family for college information. Students with lower ACT scores 
were more likely to use counselors as information sources than were 
students with higher scores. Friends were also a more frequent 
information source for low ability tested students. These findings 
identify the high school counselor as a critical resource in the 
college selection process for minority and low ability tested 
students. (Author/NB) 
************~**************************~******************************* 
* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * 
* from the original document. * 
*********************************************************************** 
INFORMATION SOURCES USED BY HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS 
Charles G. Eberly, Richard G. Johnson, and Norman R. Stewart 
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 
OHtee of Educational Research and Improvement 
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION 
CENTER (ERIC) 
D Thes document has been reproduced as 
eved from the. person or organezaleon 
natmg 1L 
or chanoes have been made to emprove 
reproducleon quality. 
• Poents of veew or ope mons slated m lhesdocu-
menl do not necessarely represent off1C1al 
OEAI posrhon or pohcy 
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS 
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY 
a,~#.s G. E.tof!?r~ 
::>-
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES 
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." 
Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the American Association for 
Counsel;ing and Development, tlew Orleans, LA, April2l-25, 1987. 
2 
A survey of 3,708 entering freshmen asking them which of nine sources of information 
they used in selecting a college were analyzed separately for females and males, 
blacks and whites, in each of four ACT score categories. For both males and females, 
the most frequently identified resources were college students, friends, and high 
school counselors. The counselor was identified as a resource more often than 
parents or high school teachers. With regard to race, blacks were more apt than 
whites to use the high school counselor and less likely to use their family for 
college information. Grouped by ability level, students with lower ACT scores 
were more likely to use counselors than students with higher 'ACT scores as a 
source of college information. Friends were also a more frequent source of 
information for low ability tested students. In summary, these data point to the 
high school counselor as a critical point in the college awareness information 
selection choice process for minority as well as low tested ability students. 
3 
INFORMATION SOURCES USED BY HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS 
IN CHOOSING A COLLEGE 
Charles G. Eberly, Richard G. Johnson, and Norman R. Stewart 
Michigan State University 
College choice, now as in years past, is a critical decision 
facing many high school students. As ~hey face this decision, what 
information sources do they most frequer~.tly use? 
From mass media reports we might well conclude that high school 
seniors would rely primarily upon friends and peers, rather than 
parents, counselors, and teachers when considering such a decision. 
Past studies have seldom found that identify friends, peers, or fellow 
students were a primary source of help or information. 
To whom, then, do high sch~ol students turn when seeking 
information concerning college? 
approximately three-fourths 
Two recent studies reported that 
of the students used their high 
school counselor as a source of information (Change, 1986; Hutchinson 
& Bottorff, 1986). However, the latter study found that only 59 per 
cent 
the 
received the information they sought. 
college admissionJ officers believe 
More than 80 per cent of 
that counselors are 
influential in helping a studeT'.t choose a college (Dominick, et al. , 
1980). 
And how does this influence compare with that of parents? 
Results, as reported in previous studies, vary. A recent study found 
that the influence of counselors upon college choice remained somewhat 
cons~ant across the four years of high school and exceeded that of any 
other source. Parents, although ranked second during all four years, 
were of decreasing influence each year, while relatives/friends were 
Page 1 COLLEGE CHOICE INFORMATION SOURCES 
4 
of increasing influence. Among seniors, counselors were ranked as the 
primary influence by 58 per cent of the students, relatives/peers by 
12 per cent, and parents by 23 per cent (Yells & Ritter, 1979). An 
earlier study reported that parents were the most important influence, 
counselors second, and fellow students third (Tillery, 1973). 
Few previous studies have examined differences between males and 
females as to those in their environment that they found helpful, 
although one reported that among 29,000 students surveyed counselors 
.:!.nd mothers were most helpful to females, counselors and fathers 
were most helpful to males, uith teachers and pe .. ~rs reported to be 
considerably less helpful (Tillery & Kildegaard, 1973). Likewise, few 
studies have focused upon the differences in information sources used 
by Blacks and Whites, or among high and low scorers on a standardized 
examination such as the ACT. The study reported here examines each of 
these contrasts. 
METHOD 
A questionnaire was used to survey 3708 entering freshmen (2081 
females and 1627 males) who respunded to a request to fill out a 
questionnaire during freshman orientation in the summer of 1985 
concerning their college choice decision-making process. This 
response represented 55 per cent of the freshman class. A comparison 
of the sample and the population data fo4 this class from university 
records revealed no significant differences between the sample and the 
population of entering freshmen at this institution on sex, race, or 
academic major. 
Students were asked to print their names and student numbers on 
the questionnaire so that responses could be compared across several 
variables on the three pages of the questionnaire. Only summary data 
Page 2 COLLEGE CHOICE :::~~FORMATION SOURCES 
5 
were made available for analysis. 
held confidential. 
Individual student information was 
The questionnaire asked for five kinds of information as part of 
a larger research project. This study drew upon the section of the 
instrument listing a series of college information sources (e. g., 
family, ·.counselor, friends) and asking students to indicate which of 
these they used in considering a college. 
The summary data for this research report came from both these 
data and student records maintained by the university admissions 
office, enabling the data to be analyzed separately for females and 
males, for Blacks and Whites, and each of four ACT score categories. 
RESULTS 
What resources do students use when exploring college choices? 
Students in this study were asked to indicate which of nine sources of 
information they used in selecting a college. The per cent of the 
sample reporting use of each of the sources is shown for males and 
females in TABLE I. For both males and females the mo$t frequently 
identified resources were college students, friends, and high school 
counselors. 
that they 
identified 
teachers. 
Nearly seventy per cent of the students surveyed said 
used these people as resources. The counselor was 
as a resource more often than parents or high school 
Mass media provided information to less than one in five of 
these students. 
These same data were analyzed by race, as shown in TABLE II. 
Blacks were more apt than Whites to use the high school counselor and 
less likely to use their family for college information. For Blacks, 
the counselor was the most frequent source of information, while 
whites relied most heavily upon college students. 
Page 3 COLLEGE CHOICE INFORMATION SOURCES 
6 
The use of various college information s~urces by students in 
various ACT score ranges is sho~7~ in TABLE I!I. The rankings of thb 
various information sources by use was approximately the same 
regardless of ACT score. These data indicate greater use of 
counselors by students with lower ACT scores and less by students with 
high scores. Seventy-sL~ per cent of the students with ACT scores 
between 0 and 15 used a high school counselor for college information, 
compared with 68 per cent of the students with scores between 26 and 
36. Friends also were a more frequent information source for those 
with low scores. High ACT score students were slightly more apt to 
use college publications and alumni as information sources. 
DISCUSSION 
Results of this study confirm the trend of previous studies in 
reporting that approximately 75 per cent of the respondents reported 
the counselor was a primary source of help. This study extends 
previous findings to include fairly similar results for females and 
males, Blacks and Whites, and those in four ACT score ranges. 
Of the nine leading information sources used by students, 
information gained from college students, friends, and the high school 
counselor were the three sources most frequently reported by all sub-
groups studied -- females and males, Blacks and Whites, and students 
in each of the four ACT score categories. School counselors were the 
information source most frequently used by Blacks, while college 
students were the most frequently reported source by males, females, 
Whites, and the four ACT score categories. 
Most previous studies were conducted with high school students 
as participants. The present study contains data of entering freshmen 
7 
Page 4 COLLEGE CHOICE INFORMATION SOURCES 
who were on campus and enrolled prior to participation. 'Whether or 
not this had an effect upon response is problematic, but differences 
are noted that might result from their ~tatus as college students. 
For example, participants in this study reported that their friends 
were more frequently used as inf.~,t~~:...~ion ~:ources than had been 
reported previously. Parents were lc..-;1 frequently cited. Previous 
studies had included friend/peer as a source of information, but not 
college student. The high frequency of report for college student as 
an informational source suggests that "col1ege student" should be 
included in future studies of college choice information sources. 
IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL COUNSELORS 
Several important implications for school counselors can be 
noted from the study results. First, much has been written concerning 
the development of the adolescent peer culture. Previous studies have 
found that parents are much more frequently used as information 
sources than are friends/peers. This study suggests that peers are 
'much more frequented used than parents. If so, counselors may want to 
consider the use of group counseling activities to enhance this source 
and let several students gain and discuss information simultaneously. 
Second, the frequent use of college students as an information source 
suggests that counselors might facilitate information flow by inviting 
college students to meet with individuals and small groups to discuss 
the college choice process. Finally, results of this study indicate 
that counselors may well be a more important information source for 
Black than White students, and low-SAT scorers as opposed to high-
scorers. Special ways of extending service to these sub-groups may 
be needed during this crucial period of decision-making. 
Results of this study suggest that more similarities than 
Page 5 COLLEGE CHOICE INFORMATION SOURCES 
8 
differences exist among the various sub-groups studied. Counselors, 
by being aware of the differences be·tween groups and between this and 
previous studies, can provide more focused service to students in 
their information-seeking activity prior to selecting a college to 
attend. 
REFERENCES 
"How do students choose a college?" Change, January/February 1986, 
29-32. 
Dominick, C. A., et 
years: Survey of 
counselors. Journal 
Counselors, 24, No. 2, 
al. · (1980). College recruiting in the next ten 
college admissions and h~gh school guidance 
of National Association of polle~ Admissions 
2-7. 
Hutchinson, R. L. 
counseling services: 
354. 
& Bottorff, R. T. (1986). Selected high school 
Student assessment. School Counselor. 33, 350-
Tillery, D. (1973). 
study of transition 
Ballinger. 
Distribution and differentiation of youth: ~ 
from school to college. Cambridge, MA: 
Tillery, D. & Kildegaard, T. (1973). 
and behaviors: ~ comparative ~tudy 
Cambridge, MA: Ballinger. 
Educational goals, attitudes 
of high school seniors. 
Wells, C. E. & Ritter, K. Y. (1979). Paperword, pressure and 
discouragement: Student attitudes toward guidance service and 
implications for the profession. Personnel and Guidance Journal, 58, 
170-175. 
9 
Page 6 COLLEGE CHOICE INFORMATION SOURCES 
TABLE I 
PER CENT USING EACH COLLEGE INFORMATION SOURCE 
FEMALE MALE 
INFORMATION SOURCE (N=2081) (N=l627) 
College Students 80% 72% 
Friends 73 69 
HS Counselor 73 67 
College Publication 64 58 
Family 62 59 
Alumni 56 51 
HS Teacher 54 50 
Newspaper 21 17 
TV 11 12 
TABLE II 
PER CENT USING EACH COLLEGE INFORMATION SOURCE 
BY RACE OR ETHNIC ORIGIN 
INFORMATION SOURCE 
College Students 
Friends 
HS Counselor 
College Publication 
Family 
Alumni 
HS Teacher 
Newspaper 
TV 
WHITE 
(N=3324) 
78% 
72 
70 
61 
62 
55 
52 
19 
11 
TABLE III 
BLACK 
(N=245) 
68% 
70 
78 
67 
47 
46 
59 
28 
17 
PER CENT USING EACH COLLEGE INFORMATION SOURCE 
BY ACT SCORES 
INFORMATION SOURCE 
College Students 
Friends 
HS Counselor 
College,Publication 
Family 
Alumni 
HS Teacher 
Newspaper 
TV 
0-15 
(N=171) 
75% 
78 
76 
56 
60 
46 
515 
29 
18 
ACT SCORES 
16-20 21-25 
(N=821) (N=l593) 
84% 
74 
72 
55 
62 
54 
53 
19 
13 
78% 
75 
72 
61 
60 
53 
53 
20 
12 
TOTAL 
(N=3708) 
77% 
72 
70 
61 
61 
54 
52 
19 
11 
26-36 
(N=919) 
74% 
68 
68 
67 
62 
59 
52 
17 
8 
Page 7 IQ COLLEGE CHOICE INFORMATION SOURCES 



English

Eastern Illinois UniversityThe KeepFaculty Research & Creative Activity Counseling & Student DevelopmentApril 1987Information Sources Used by High School SeniorsCharles G. EberlyEastern Illinois University, cgeberly@eiu.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://thekeep.eiu.edu/csd_facPart of the Community College Education Administration Commons, Educational Assessment,Evaluation, and Research Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, HigherEducation and Teaching Commons, and the Student Counseling and Personnel Services CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Counseling & Student Development at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion inFaculty Research & Creative Activity by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact tabruns@eiu.edu.Recommended CitationEberly, Charles G., "Information Sources Used by High School Seniors" (1987). Faculty Research & Creative Activity. 18.http://thekeep.eiu.edu/csd_fac/18<-, > ~ rv U1 ,,4f n. ~a ''<t,:jf/~ ~ ~.q ~ >\lh ~ lti,l' .{/ ~ i ~1 .;~_, '.-~" .., 0,.~ ~ ~J\ ~ 1.0 mm "'~~ ~ .0~0~ ,> <P~~~\. ~- ., }·>;> 1.5 mm c"~ v. ,~·)} v. 0~') J\~~, 2.0 mm IIIII~ 11111~ --------. --• 0 rrrrr:~E~~~ r rr !Ea.~ = m:; i~~ IIIII~ IIIII~ IIIII "' IIIII oo ~ IIIII~ Allt'[)! Hillll~.l l,'rHW011'.1lJ•, .". ~ 1/ tl~ oh•l~·t"l~ IIlli" >j>\JI'lll,.\ o j,'\ ;• ; l' ,I /". tfl ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzl234567890 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 .f,('o~" ~~y ~ (~{~~ '~ ~" '(<9 <' ~o~<T ~ ~ ~t~~~ (o ~/'" ,.,. r.l'!-~ ... ~ .,_,, .. 4?.~ ~ -·,_ .... 1:.~ ··~..-... ~ ~(~:)<.~ q; ED 283 087 AUTHOR TITLE PUB DATE NOTE PUB TYPE EDRS PRICE DESCRIPTORS ABSTRACT DOCUMENT RESUME CG 019 976 Eberly, Charles G.; And Others Information Sources Used by High School Seniors. Apr 87 lOp.; Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the American Association for Counseling and Development (New Orleans, LA, April 21-25, 1987). Rep~rts - Research/Technical (143) Speeches/Conference Papers (150) MFOl/PCOl Plus Postage. *Academic Ability; Black Students; College Bound Students; *College Choice; College Fre~hmen; Counselor Role; Decision Making; Higher Education; High Schools; *Information Sources; Peer Influence~ *Racial Differences; *School Counselors; *Sex Differences; White Students College choice is a critical decision facing many high school students. Although some research has examined where students go for help in making college choices, few studies have examined how race or gender differences of the students or differences in their standardized test scores affect their information sources. Entering college freshmen (N=3,708) indicated which ~f nine information sources (college students, friends, high school counselor, college publication, family, alumni, high school teacher, newspaper, tel~vision) they used in selecting a college. Responses were analyzed separately for females and males, blacks and whites, in each of four American College Testing (ACT) score categories. The results indicated that, for both sexes, the most frequently identified resources were college students, friends, and high school counselors. The counselor was identified as a resource more often than were parents or high school teachers. Blacks were more likely than whites to use counselors and less likely to use their family for college information. Students with lower ACT scores were more likely to use counselors as information sources than were students with higher scores. Friends were also a more frequent information source for low ability tested students. These findings identify the high school counselor as a critical resource in the college selection process for minority and low ability tested students. (Author/NB) ************~**************************~******************************* * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** INFORMATION SOURCES USED BY HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS Charles G. Eberly, Richard G. Johnson, and Norman R. Stewart U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OHtee of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) D Thes document has been reproduced as eved from the. person or organezaleon natmg 1L or chanoes have been made to emprove reproducleon quality. • Poents of veew or ope mons slated m lhesdocu-menl do not necessarely represent off1C1al OEAI posrhon or pohcy "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY a,~#.s G. E.tof!?r~ ::>-TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the American Association for Counsel;ing and Development, tlew Orleans, LA, April2l-25, 1987. 2 A survey of 3,708 entering freshmen asking them which of nine sources of information they used in selecting a college were analyzed separately for females and males, blacks and whites, in each of four ACT score categories. For both males and females, the most frequently identified resources were college students, friends, and high school counselors. The counselor was identified as a resource more often than parents or high school teachers. With regard to race, blacks were more apt than whites to use the high school counselor and less likely to use their family for college information. Grouped by ability level, students with lower ACT scores were more likely to use counselors than students with higher 'ACT scores as a source of college information. Friends were also a more frequent source of information for low ability tested students. In summary, these data point to the high school counselor as a critical point in the college awareness information selection choice process for minority as well as low tested ability students. 3 INFORMATION SOURCES USED BY HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS IN CHOOSING A COLLEGE Charles G. Eberly, Richard G. Johnson, and Norman R. Stewart Michigan State University College choice, now as in years past, is a critical decision facing many high school students. As ~hey face this decision, what information sources do they most frequer~.tly use? From mass media reports we might well conclude that high school seniors would rely primarily upon friends and peers, rather than parents, counselors, and teachers when considering such a decision. Past studies have seldom found that identify friends, peers, or fellow students were a primary source of help or information. To whom, then, do high sch~ol students turn when seeking information concerning college? approximately three-fourths Two recent studies reported that of the students used their high school counselor as a source of information (Change, 1986; Hutchinson & Bottorff, 1986). However, the latter study found that only 59 per cent the received the information they sought. college admissionJ officers believe More than 80 per cent of that counselors are influential in helping a studeT'.t choose a college (Dominick, et al. , 1980). And how does this influence compare with that of parents? Results, as reported in previous studies, vary. A recent study found that the influence of counselors upon college choice remained somewhat cons~ant across the four years of high school and exceeded that of any other source. Parents, although ranked second during all four years, were of decreasing influence each year, while relatives/friends were Page 1 COLLEGE CHOICE INFORMATION SOURCES 4 of increasing influence. Among seniors, counselors were ranked as the primary influence by 58 per cent of the students, relatives/peers by 12 per cent, and parents by 23 per cent (Yells & Ritter, 1979). An earlier study reported that parents were the most important influence, counselors second, and fellow students third (Tillery, 1973). Few previous studies have examined differences between males and females as to those in their environment that they found helpful, although one reported that among 29,000 students surveyed counselors .:!.nd mothers were most helpful to females, counselors and fathers were most helpful to males, uith teachers and pe .. ~rs reported to be considerably less helpful (Tillery & Kildegaard, 1973). Likewise, few studies have focused upon the differences in information sources used by Blacks and Whites, or among high and low scorers on a standardized examination such as the ACT. The study reported here examines each of these contrasts. METHOD A questionnaire was used to survey 3708 entering freshmen (2081 females and 1627 males) who respunded to a request to fill out a questionnaire during freshman orientation in the summer of 1985 concerning their college choice decision-making process. This response represented 55 per cent of the freshman class. A comparison of the sample and the population data fo4 this class from university records revealed no significant differences between the sample and the population of entering freshmen at this institution on sex, race, or academic major. Students were asked to print their names and student numbers on the questionnaire so that responses could be compared across several variables on the three pages of the questionnaire. Only summary data Page 2 COLLEGE CHOICE :::~~FORMATION SOURCES 5 were made available for analysis. held confidential. Individual student information was The questionnaire asked for five kinds of information as part of a larger research project. This study drew upon the section of the instrument listing a series of college information sources (e. g., family, ·.counselor, friends) and asking students to indicate which of these they used in considering a college. The summary data for this research report came from both these data and student records maintained by the university admissions office, enabling the data to be analyzed separately for females and males, for Blacks and Whites, and each of four ACT score categories. RESULTS What resources do students use when exploring college choices? Students in this study were asked to indicate which of nine sources of information they used in selecting a college. The per cent of the sample reporting use of each of the sources is shown for males and females in TABLE I. For both males and females the mo$t frequently identified resources were college students, friends, and high school counselors. that they identified teachers. Nearly seventy per cent of the students surveyed said used these people as resources. The counselor was as a resource more often than parents or high school Mass media provided information to less than one in five of these students. These same data were analyzed by race, as shown in TABLE II. Blacks were more apt than Whites to use the high school counselor and less likely to use their family for college information. For Blacks, the counselor was the most frequent source of information, while whites relied most heavily upon college students. Page 3 COLLEGE CHOICE INFORMATION SOURCES 6 The use of various college information s~urces by students in various ACT score ranges is sho~7~ in TABLE I!I. The rankings of thb various information sources by use was approximately the same regardless of ACT score. These data indicate greater use of counselors by students with lower ACT scores and less by students with high scores. Seventy-sL~ per cent of the students with ACT scores between 0 and 15 used a high school counselor for college information, compared with 68 per cent of the students with scores between 26 and 36. Friends also were a more frequent information source for those with low scores. High ACT score students were slightly more apt to use college publications and alumni as information sources. DISCUSSION Results of this study confirm the trend of previous studies in reporting that approximately 75 per cent of the respondents reported the counselor was a primary source of help. This study extends previous findings to include fairly similar results for females and males, Blacks and Whites, and those in four ACT score ranges. Of the nine leading information sources used by students, information gained from college students, friends, and the high school counselor were the three sources most frequently reported by all sub-groups studied -- females and males, Blacks and Whites, and students in each of the four ACT score categories. School counselors were the information source most frequently used by Blacks, while college students were the most frequently reported source by males, females, Whites, and the four ACT score categories. Most previous studies were conducted with high school students as participants. The present study contains data of entering freshmen 7 Page 4 COLLEGE CHOICE INFORMATION SOURCES who were on campus and enrolled prior to participation. 'Whether or not this had an effect upon response is problematic, but differences are noted that might result from their ~tatus as college students. For example, participants in this study reported that their friends were more frequently used as inf.~,t~~:...~ion ~:ources than had been reported previously. Parents were lc..-;1 frequently cited. Previous studies had included friend/peer as a source of information, but not college student. The high frequency of report for college student as an informational source suggests that "col1ege student" should be included in future studies of college choice information sources. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL COUNSELORS Several important implications for school counselors can be noted from the study results. First, much has been written concerning the development of the adolescent peer culture. Previous studies have found that parents are much more frequently used as information sources than are friends/peers. This study suggests that peers are 'much more frequented used than parents. If so, counselors may want to consider the use of group counseling activities to enhance this source and let several students gain and discuss information simultaneously. Second, the frequent use of college students as an information source suggests that counselors might facilitate information flow by inviting college students to meet with individuals and small groups to discuss the college choice process. Finally, results of this study indicate that counselors may well be a more important information source for Black than White students, and low-SAT scorers as opposed to high-scorers. Special ways of extending service to these sub-groups may be needed during this crucial period of decision-making. Results of this study suggest that more similarities than Page 5 COLLEGE CHOICE INFORMATION SOURCES 8 differences exist among the various sub-groups studied. Counselors, by being aware of the differences be·tween groups and between this and previous studies, can provide more focused service to students in their information-seeking activity prior to selecting a college to attend. REFERENCES "How do students choose a college?" Change, January/February 1986, 29-32. Dominick, C. A., et years: Survey of counselors. Journal Counselors, 24, No. 2, al. · (1980). College recruiting in the next ten college admissions and h~gh school guidance of National Association of polle~ Admissions 2-7. Hutchinson, R. L. counseling services: 354. & Bottorff, R. T. (1986). Selected high school Student assessment. School Counselor. 33, 350-Tillery, D. (1973). study of transition Ballinger. Distribution and differentiation of youth: ~ from school to college. Cambridge, MA: Tillery, D. & Kildegaard, T. (1973). and behaviors: ~ comparative ~tudy Cambridge, MA: Ballinger. Educational goals, attitudes of high school seniors. Wells, C. E. & Ritter, K. Y. (1979). Paperword, pressure and discouragement: Student attitudes toward guidance service and implications for the profession. Personnel and Guidance Journal, 58, 170-175. 9 Page 6 COLLEGE CHOICE INFORMATION SOURCES TABLE I PER CENT USING EACH COLLEGE INFORMATION SOURCE FEMALE MALE INFORMATION SOURCE (N=2081) (N=l627) College Students 80% 72% Friends 73 69 HS Counselor 73 67 College Publication 64 58 Family 62 59 Alumni 56 51 HS Teacher 54 50 Newspaper 21 17 TV 11 12 TABLE II PER CENT USING EACH COLLEGE INFORMATION SOURCE BY RACE OR ETHNIC ORIGIN INFORMATION SOURCE College Students Friends HS Counselor College Publication Family Alumni HS Teacher Newspaper TV WHITE (N=3324) 78% 72 70 61 62 55 52 19 11 TABLE III BLACK (N=245) 68% 70 78 67 47 46 59 28 17 PER CENT USING EACH COLLEGE INFORMATION SOURCE BY ACT SCORES INFORMATION SOURCE College Students Friends HS Counselor College,Publication Family Alumni HS Teacher Newspaper TV 0-15 (N=171) 75% 78 76 56 60 46 515 29 18 ACT SCORES 16-20 21-25 (N=821) (N=l593) 84% 74 72 55 62 54 53 19 13 78% 75 72 61 60 53 53 20 12 TOTAL (N=3708) 77% 72 70 61 61 54 52 19 11 26-36 (N=919) 74% 68 68 67 62 59 52 17 8 Page 7 IQ COLLEGE CHOICE INFORMATION SOURCES 

https://thekeep.eiu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1017&amp;context=csd_fac

Response of clamped structural slabs subjected to a dynamic point load via BEM

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Estudo Geral

Eastern Illinois University

The Keep

Eastern Illinois University