Why Students Choose ISU (and Don’t)

Prospective students become aware of and choose to attend ISU for a variety of reasons. Results from a survey administered to ISU graduate students found that 50 percent used the internet as their first source of information. Thirty two percent cited the faculty at their previous institution, 30 percent cited ISU faculty, and 29 percent relied on their friends to learn about ISU.

Once admitted, students rated the following factors as Somewhat Important or Very Important for selecting ISU for their graduate studies

All Students STEM Students
Assistantship 80% 91%
Program offerings/reputation 94% 94%
Faculty reputation 94% 95%
Faculty research interests 84% 94%
Fellowships and scholarships 76% 89%

Another survey was administered to students who applied, were admitted, but ultimately did not choose attend ISU. The most cited factors in selecting a university to pursue graduate studies included:

The least cited factors included:

Students were asked why they felt ISU was at a disadvantage when they made their graduate school decision. The most cited reasons were

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