Comparison of Freshmen Perceived Needs Prior To and After Participation in an Orientation Program

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the perceived needs of incoming freshmen on a newly created instrument, The Freshman Survey. The instrument contains four scales with items related to personal/emotional, social, academic, and career needs. Freshmen indicated higher pre- and post-orientation needs on the academic and career scales. Females indicated higher pre-orientation needs than males on the personal/emotional, social, and career scales. Blacks/African Americans had higher pre-orientation social and academic needs than Asian/Pacific Islander students, which were also higher than White/Caucasian Students. Implications for uses of the instrument are also included.