The overall similarity of our students to students represented by the norm group is very high. ETSU students' responses were consistently within five percentage points of the normative data. We were first made aware of this likeness in 1988, after the administration of The Entering Student Survey . American students and fewer drinkers than peer institutions. Our students report belonging to the Baptist faith at a higher rate than do students at peer institutions.
Catholics are underrepresented.
Our students also apply to fewer schools. Fewer of our students indicate applying to four or more schools than the national norm. It is important to note that our students are attending ETSU because they choose to attend ETSU, not because they are having difficulty being accepted elsewhere. Academic Disengagement National normative data report this year's college freshmen exhibiting higher levels of disengagement, both academically and politically, than any previous entering class of students. ETSU's 1997 data is consistently lower than the national norm.