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Bread
and butter issues affect the decisions people make to a far
greater extent than tumultuous events with a more oblique
personal impact. This was evident in the findings of our national
survey which examined both the impact of 9-11 and the weak
economy on the college choices of first-year students who
entered four-year institutions this fall. Not suprisingly,
the economy is having a significant effect on college decisions.
The survey results reveal
a behavior pattern demonstrated in countless other public
opinion studies: As tragic and emotionally wrenching as 9-11
was for our nation's youth, the distress wrought on their
families by several years of economic stagnation and its effects
on employment, income, savings, and investments appears to
have been felt far more personally and directly in their college
decisions than the effects of 9-11.
Two recent stories in the
New York Times confirm these findings. One reported
that applications to public universities have risen dramatically,
driven by mounting price sensitivities resulting from economic
stagnation. The second confirmed that interest in study abroad
has continued unabated in the aftermath of 9-11. It's always
heartening to see the patterns reported in our research reflected
in actual behavior.
Richard A. Hesel
Publisher, StudentPoll
Principal, Art & Science Group, LLC
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