1. Prospective Undergraduate Student Mindsets and STEM Education

2. Requires first understanding the market
Its desires, motivations, perceptions, and competitive landscape
To do that, MR

3. Eduventures Prospective Student Survey
Begun in 2007
Longitudinal data evolving to address new challenges
2017 Survey
Drawn from NRCCUA’s national college-bound database
Nearly 60,000 respondents nationally
Overcomes inquiry list survey bias
Validates and deepens prospective student mindsets
Unbiased brand awareness and perceptions

4. Prospective Undergraduate Student Mindsets
We want to understand what traditional undergraduates are imagining for their future
Market mindsets

5. A Developmental Arc Stewardship of Emergent expectations
Each individual begins with a set of emerging expectations in college search
And a set of concerns about fit and price
An arc of change during their college search
Excitement and anticipation for the future
To recruit successfully and develop a high impact student experience you have to know the hopes and dreams of your prospective students

6. Great institutions serve diverse populations
Antithetical to what brand experts who sell single products might say
Does a university sell a single product? Not really?
So who’s out there?

7. How student mindsets were developed
Criteria
Outcomes
Experiences
Mindsets

8. Rehash these
Differ in what they want out of their college experience
Also differ in personality characteristics

9. Mindsets correlate with enduring personality traits
Experiential Interests
Social
Focus
Career Pragmatist
Exploration and Meaning
Career through Academics
Grad School Bound
Extraverted
Agreeable
Emotionally Stable
Conscientious
Open
Big Five personality characteristics
Personality traits also factor into the way students will make decisions and in the way they might want to be supported while in school

10. Demography is not destiny

11. Mindsets and Academic Interests
We want to understand what traditional undergraduates are imagining for their future
Market mindsets

12. Academic Area of Interest by Student Mindsets

13. Mindsets in STEM Neighborhoods

14. High School Experiences by Mindset (STEM)
Exploration and Meaning
Social Focus
Grad School Bound
Career through Academics
Experiential Interests
Career Pragmatists
AP/IB courses
80%
87%
79%
77%
60%
Used free online tutoring or test prep
72%
76%
66%
70%
58%
Held a job
44%
49%
48%
40%
College course for credit
46%
42%
Traveled internationally
45%
32%
31%
25%
HS course completely/partially online
30%
36%
27%
Summer academic program or camp
34%
37%
24%
26%
21%
Used a tutor
23%
19%
17%
Paid test-prep program
18%
20%
15%
14%
11%
Had an internship
16%
10%
13%
MOOC or code camp 9%
12% 7% 8%

15. Professions of Interest by Mindsets (STEM)
Exploration and Meaning
Social Focus
Grad School Bound
Career through Academics
Experiential Interests
Career Pragmatists
Engineer
47%
41%
46%
54%
44%
Medical/dental professional
33%
34%
35%
24%
25%
Technology/computer scientist
20%
19%
21%
Natural or life scientist
17%
27%
10%
13%
11%
Nursing or health care
18%
12%
Entrepreneur 9%
Management/business 8%
College professor 7% 6% 4%
Psychology/psychiatry/counseling
Government 5%
School teacher
Writer/journalist
Number of Professions of Interest
2.9
2.7
2.6
2.4

16. How to Work with Mindsets
We want to understand what traditional undergraduates are imagining for their future
Market mindsets

17. Meeting Student Expectations
The opening conversation
Blind spots
Opportunities for support

18. Experiential Interests
Priorities
Differences
Expected Outcomes
Get a good job after graduation
Get a solid foundation for an entire career
Gain practical career skills
Learning Experiences
Internships
Work study employment
Academic coursework
Application Drivers
Affordability
Career preparation
Core academic experiences
The opening conversation
Experiential learning opportunities
Career-focused outcomes
Appreciate clearly laid out programs and degree plans
Sensitive to affordability
Potential blind spots
Academic coursework secondary
Not much attention to the social aspects of college
Heighten understanding of how important academic choices and social experiences are to success in college
Opportunities for support
May run into trouble if they find themselves off their intended program path.
Be prepared to help these conscientious students negotiate to another path if this arises

19. Social Focus Priorities Differences Expected Outcomes
Gain lasting friendships
Get a good job after graduation
Learning Experiences
Study abroad
Interactions with other students
Internships
Participation in student clubs or activities
Application Drivers
Social environment
The opening conversation
Showcase the defining aspects of your social environment
How they create lasting friendships
Support the connections and social facility that will make students successful in the workplace
Potential blind spots
Good job after graduation almost by osmosis
Not very concerned about academics and career preparation
Instill an understanding of the importance of these key factors in success
Opportunities for support
Recognize in themselves a lesser degree of emotional stability and conscientiousness
May need more help getting on track with an academic and career plan
If their social transition goes south they are at high risk

20. Exploration and Meaning
Priorities
Differences
Expected Outcomes
Learn to make decisions and solve problems in the real world
Learn to use my talents to benefit society
Learning Experiences
Study abroad
Internships
Participation in student clubs or activities
Application Drivers
Diversity of academic opportunities
Core academic experiences
Academic environment
The opening conversation
Opportunities designed to help students make a personal impact on the world
Study abroad and global
Traditional liberal arts outcomes
Potential blind spots
Unrealistic attention to career outcomes.
Affordability not top of mind
At risk of making an impassioned choice without considering ROI
Opportunities for support
Coach them to direct attention to making an impact on themselves.
Career advising that balances reality with exploration and opportunity
Advising that takes into account their open, searching personality

21. Career Pragmatists Priorities Differences Expected Outcomes
Get a good job after graduation
Learning Experiences
Interactions with other students
Participation in student clubs or activities
Internships
Work study employment
Application Drivers
Affordability
Career preparation
Flexibility of delivery
The opening conversation
Immediate return on investment
Affordable education in a supportive community setting leading to an immediate job
Flexibility of program to accommodate a need to work
Potential blind spots
Overlook the importance of academics
Don’t need to hear about rigor and prestige
Educate them on the contribution of academic experiences to their career
Opportunities for support
Work and affordability issues could sidetrack
Introduce long-term benefits to career beyond the all-important first job.
Strong academic advising
Career advising that helps them get the most out of work study and internship experiences

22. Career through Academics
Priorities
Differences
Expected Outcomes
Get a good job after graduation
Get a solid foundation for an entire career
Gain practical career skills
Learning Experiences
Interactions with other students
Academic coursework
Participation in student clubs or activities
Internships
Application Drivers
Core academic experiences
Affordability
Career preparation
Academic environment
The opening conversation
Want all the major experiences of a college education to bear on their eventual outcome
Direct connection of major to career
Integrated experience of academics, career preparation, and social interaction is important
The “every student”?
Potential blind spots
Focused on their ultimate goal that; miss out on the serendipitous learning
These experiences are not necessarily distractions, but can enrich, and enhance
Opportunities for support
Advising helps them connect their academic program strongly to their career goals
If original plans for major and career aren’t working out, they’ll need help finding a new focus

23. Grad School Bound Priorities Differences Expected Outcomes
Gain scientific, mathematical, or technical skills
Learn how to conduct research
Get a solid foundation for graduate or professional school
Learning Experiences
Research opportunities with faculty
Academic coursework
Internships
Study abroad
Application Drivers
Core academic experiences
Academic environment
The opening conversation
All about the academic rigor that will land them in graduate school of their choice
Evidence of successful graduate school placements
Evidence of to build research skills under the guidance of faculty
Potential blind spot
Don’t factor affordability into the equation early on
Potential impact of student loans on their future plans for graduate school
Less engagement with the wider opportunities of their undergraduate education
Opportunities for support
Map out the academic coursework, research and internship experiences needed to pursue graduate opportunities
May eschew other important experiences/risk isolation or burnout
Help find an appropriate amount of enriching experience into their overall experience

24. 8 steps to enliven recruiting and the student experience
Prioritize the six student mindsets within the context of your institution
Develop your narrative for each relevant mindset
Qualify students into a mindset
Train recruiters on engagement strategies for each mindset
Create coherent balanced messaging
Conduct personalized recruiting
Build out relevant student pathways
Guide students based on their expectations

25. Prospective Undergraduate Student Mindsets and STEM Education
THANK YOU
Prospective Undergraduate Student Mindsets and STEM Education
KIM REID PRINCIPAL ANALYST
EDUVENTURES for Higher Education Leaders provides proprietary research, analysis, and advising services to support decision-making throughout the student lifecycle. Higher education leaders engage with Eduventures to make informed decisions on setting strategy, ensuring the financial sustainability of their institution, boosting student success, and selecting and implementing technology solutions. Our analysis, recommendations, and personalized support enable clients to understand the top traits of leaders in critical disciplines and to evaluate new technology advancements.