| The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing admitted students' decision to enroll or not enroll in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) at the University of Missouri. Specifically the study focused on the extent to which recruitment information sources, college and university characteristics, influential people, and demographic variables influenced a student's decision to enroll or not enroll. The accessible sample consisted of 257 students who matriculated into the CAFNR, and 78 students who were admitted to the CAFNR, but did not matriculate.;Students in the matriculant and non-matriculant groups were found to be very comparable in terms of their University admissions criteria, their financial need, and their state of primary residence.;Matriculants were found to utilize more personable sources of information related to their college choice process than did non-matriculants, and more matriculants participated in a visit to campus. Both student groups viewed the campus visit as the most useful source of information during the choice process. Non-matriculants found information on the Internet to be more useful than matriculants.;The academic reputation of the institution was the most influential institutional characteristic for both groups of students and prominence of university athletic teams was least influential for both groups. Non-matriculants were influenced more by “cost”, “scholarships awarded,” and “size of classes,” than were matriculants. Conversely, matriculants were relatively more influenced by “opportunities after graduation” from the institution and “prestige of the university.”;Both groups reported relatives who attended the college or university, graduates of the college or university, and parents or guardians to be among the most influential people in their college decision.;Matriculating students began and finalized their selection of a post-secondary educational institution earlier than did non-matriculants, however it was found that both groups finalized their choice of academic major at approximately the same time.;Using principal component analysis, four components were identified and were named: Institutional and degree program quality, Influential people, Personal considerations, and Sources of information. The four components were analyzed using discriminant function analysis with the intent of determining the best predictors of matriculation into the CAFNR. The discriminant function was accurate in predicting 70% of the cases. |
