The factors that students use when selecting which University to attend - Assignment Example

? Factors that are Important When Considering the Choice of Which to Attend and number: submitted: University selection is one of the key choices in young adult students. Although most young adult students take university expenditures, parental wishes, and peer location into contemplation, there are also other significant factors that might not be ignored in the university choosing process. This research is objected to investigate and establish factors that influence most university students in selecting a university of their choice. When it comes to university choosing process, it advisable for students to be conscious about mediocre of the university, the university achievements on the field they want to pursue, social acti9vities involved with the university etc. as discussed in the following paragraphs. Literature Review For researchers to reach an understanding of university choosing process, it was vital to investigate the stages that university applicants go through when choosing universities. Researchers established various models of the university selection process. The three foremost stages of the models are predisposition, search and choice. Predisposition is the first stage of university choosing process. Predisposition is the college desire formation stage. This period is regarded as young adult students decisive to attend university (Perera, Kusumawati, and Yanamandram, 2010). At this stage, certain contextual features impact students. Some of the impacts include socioeconomic status, talent accomplishment, sex, approaches, race, and educational history of the parents and peers around them. Research shows students with high socioeconomic standing are more anticipated to attend university than students with less socioeconomic standing. Student’s talent and accomplishment have also been acknowledged as compact evidence of university attendance (Vickers, and Bekhradnia, 2007). As a young adult student’s talent and accomplishment upsurge when in high school years, they are more likely to chase higher education. Researchers have also recognized that parental inspiration to attend university has a direct effect on university attendance (Donald, 2006). Student’s peer groups with interest in attending university are more likely to chase an undergraduate degree than those without interest. (Vickers, and Bekhradnia, 2007). Researchers have branded the second stage of university choosing process to be research stage. Once the students have made up their mind that they are going for higher education, they always hunt for information about universities of their interest. Students make a list of universities, which scholars have denoted to as choice set. Students use this choice set to obtain ideas that will aid them in decision making to apply to universities (Donald, 2006). The final stage of university choosing process has been recognized to be choice stage. At this stage students remind themselves the acceptance to attend universities of their choice. Students decide to attend one of the universities based on the university’s characteristics that they are favourable to their needs. Hence, students will have a variety of approaches in making their ultimate decision (Vickers, and Bekhradnia, 2007). Social issues University is a place for individual growth and socialization and not just a place for academic progress. Students prefer universities containing students with different background. For instance, students who are planning to be a journalist in the future, they will prefer universities that have different students around the globe as it will help them in developing their career of journalism. On the other hand, some young adult students prefer universities with most students from the same contextual as their own (Yu, 2011). For example, students from Chinese black community are most likely to choose universities with most students from Chinese backgrounds. Student’s level of participation is an essential part of their life experience, so they prudently consider the social part of any university they are bearing in mind. In addition, for most students university is a time of the survey. Conversely, for some students, 'Home' is where they feel right, and their family situated (Yu, 2011). This has prejudiced some students to consider home-based universities than exterior universities. Students always choose whether they will be advantaged from a fresh atmosphere, or if they will more likely to thrive well in a sheltered and acquainted setting (Deborah, 2012). Academic Students do not just choose university based on its repute for precise programs unless they strongly pledged to one major. Students prefer universities where they can explore all their education opportunities (Aberta, 1989). In addition, some young adult students perform well and study more in universities that have the core prospectus while others fancy exploring new fields personally (Aberta, 1989). The questions they ask themselves are “will we benefit from the structured curriculum, or will we consider developing new interests on our own? Personal issues Personal issues consist of encouragement and advice from family members, friends and self-assessments that students carry out before attending university. Those students with accomplished family members most often find themselves attending a certain university because of the family guidance (Deborah, 2012) Financial issues Some students have financial problems when fixing to attend university. Students from reach families often attend universities that are highly accredited. Conversely, to those students from poor families, who will prefer attending college or cheap universities. (Perera, Kusumawati, and Yanamandram, 2010). Also, most students from middle class families are most likely to attend universities that offer financial aid based on the need. For instance, students prefer public/state universities more than private universities. This simply because, most state/public universities, offer financial aid without loans while few of private university does not offer financial aid without loans. Scholarship is another issue that impact students in selecting universities based on their financial status (Perera, Kusumawati, and Yanamandram, 2010). For instance, research shows that most university students will prefer universities that offer scholarships opportunities in diverse fields and departments. In addition, these as been well been elaborated by most students trying to score high in their SAT in order to secure academic merit scholarship. Methodology The study was mainly purposed to discover essential factors that influence university students when considering University of their interest. The factors were categorized into financial, academic, personal, and social issues. The key instrument was to measure the degree to which these factors impact the university selection decisions of the young adult students. This research involved a sample of 50 university students, 25 males and 25 females. The sample was randomly designated without consideration of student’s financial status, academic capabilities, and social backgrounds. A questionnaire of twenty items was postulated for the purpose of this research. The researcher investigated the existing literature on the university selection process to establish the questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted 20 quizzes that were randomly asked over the four factors (academic, social, personal, and financial). The participants were given an option of yes or no on the postulated questionnaire. The instructions requested the participants to classify the degree to which a factor impacted their decision to attend a university using a Likert-type scale. The scores to the scale were 4 = extremely optimistic impact, 3 = somewhat optimistic impact, 2 = somewhat detrimental impact, 1 = extremely detrimental impact, (Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill, 2009). Data analysis From the 50 questionnaire that randomly administered to 50 university students, the participants full participated and all fifty of the response was obtained. There were 25 returned filled up questionnaires from females and 25 from male students. The collected data was then analysed based on the Likert scale and computed in tables as per scores of each gender differently. Then the scores were calculated in percentages based on the most score (4= extremely optimistic impact) to in order to find out the factor that most influenced students in university choosing processes. It should be noted that the percentage of each gender differently was computed and then the total percentage of both genders was calculated in order to obtain accurate results. The table below summarizes the outcome of this research. After the study and clarification of the data, it was found out that most students are influenced by financial issues in the processes of selecting universities of their choices. 78% of the total participants of 50 university students stated that were extremely optimistic that they were influenced by financial issues when choosing their university of their choices. Table 1 Analysis of the data as obtained from the sample of 50 participants Factor extremely detrimental impact somewhat detrimental impact somewhat optimistic impact extremely optimistic impact Academic Male Female 3 5 4 5 8 7 10 8 Financial Male Female 1 0 1 2 3 4 20 19 Social Male Female 6 4 2 3 4 6 15 12 Personal Male Female 6 6 6 5 4 8 9 6 . Table 2 Analysis of the data as obtained from the sample of 50 participants in % Factor Extremely optimistic impact per Gender in % Male and female Total % Academic Male Female 40% 32% 36% Financial Male Female 80% 76% 78% Social Male Female 60% 48% 54% Personal Male Female 36% 24% 30% Conclusion The outcomes of this research are extremely stimulating for a range of reasons. First, the results propose that financial and social features play nearly equivalent role when students choose where to attend university. The conventional wisdom that the academic standing of the university to attend is the most fundamental aspects in the university selecting process is not supported by these discoveries. Comparatively, more reasonable academic concerns, such as the outstanding accessibility and counselling services accessibility were more substantial to the students than either financial concerns or academic repute (Wade, and John, 2010). Second, these discoveries reveal that Personal aspects are not as prominent in determining where to attend university for students. The only personal aspect ranked in the top 10 factors among students was guardians and parent’s advice. This recommends that students value the advice of their parents in a key life decision making like choosing a university (Wade, and John, 2010). Finally, with the intensifying costs of a university education, it is appealing that the discoveries of this research do not support the fact that financial concerns are a foremost anxiety of the participants. References Aberta L. (1989). A Study of Factors Associated with Student Choice in the University Selection Process. B.Ed., University of Lethbridge. Deborah A. (2012). Perceptions of college students on social factors that influence student enrolment. Academic journal article. College student journal,46(3), 240-90. Dennis S., and Douglas D. (1974)."Entrepreneurial Activity as a Function of Achievement Motivation and Reinforcement Control," Journal of Psychology. The DreamCatchers Group, LLC, 88: 57-63. Donald H. B. (2006). Factors that influence university student interest in the appraisal Profession. Journal of science and research. Appraisal Journal Publisher, 74(2). Michael C., and Drewes, T. (2006). How Do Students Choose a University? : An analysis of applications to universities in Ontario, Canada. Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. Perera N., Kusumawati A., and Yanamandram K. V. (2010). Exploring Student Choice Criteria for Selecting an Indonesian Public University: Saunders, M. Lewis, P and Thornhill, A. (2009). Research Methods for Business Students. (The 5th edn). Pearson Education Limited. Vickers, P. and Bekhradnia, B. (2007). The Economic Costs and Benefits of International Students. Oxford Higher Education Policy Institute. Wade W., and John M. D. (2010). "Decision Making as a Function of Locus of Control and Cognitive Dissonance," Psychological Reports. National Communication Association, 44(1979): 499-502. Yu T. (2011). Factors that influence high school graduates to choose a university. Retrieved from: http://udini.proquest.com. Web 28 Feb. 13. Read More