Staying Close To Home

American Demographics, Feb 1, 2002

As high school seniors get busy with college applications this spring, it appears that the events of Sept. 11 have had little effect on their decisions about which college they would like to attend. This according to a telephone survey of 506 college-bound high school students, conducted the week of Nov. 11, 2001, by Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based market research firm Stamats Communications. The tragedy has, however, made students more sensitive to issues related to campus safety, study abroad and the distance they are willing to travel to attend school. For example, since Sept. 11, fully one-quarter of college-bound students are less likely to consider attending a college or university that requires a plane trip. In fact, 6 percent of those surveyed admitted that they had originally planned to attend a school farther away than the one they are currently considering. Only 9 percent of students today say they plan on attending a school more than 500 miles from home - which would definitely be out of the range of mom's washing machine.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Although students are equally divided on whether or not they would like to study abroad in the wake of the terrorist attacks, there are parts of the globe from which many would prefer to steer clear.

Source: Stamats Communications