NSSE: National Survey of Student Engagement

Students/Parents/Counselors

Thank you for your interest in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE, pronounced "nessie"). Our agreements with schools that participate in NSSE prevents us from reporting the results for individual colleges and universities but we hope that broader NSSE findings can help you consider what research shows about the characteristics of a quality undergraduate education. However, individual schools may provide their NSSE results if asked. In fact, many institutions have posted key findings from their students' responses to the survey on their institutional Web sites. To learn more about a specific institution's NSSE results, we encourage you to visit their Web site or to contact the admissions office of the school directly. In the meantime, please explore our site more closely for valuable information on the college student experience.

We offer the following information to:

Students currently enrolled at colleges and universities who have been invited to complete the survey
Parents, students, high school counselors, and college admissions staff involved in the college search and decision-making process
Professional education and career counselors

Quick Facts about NSSE
Origins of NSSE
View a 3-4 minute informational video on NSSE
Read through the NSSE 2007 Annual Report: Experiences That Matter: Enhancing Student Learning and Success
FAQ's for Students Invited to Participate in NSSE
FAQ's for Parents and Students Exploring Colleges
- More detailed information in question and answer format targeted to parents and students on how NSSE survey results can be used in the college search process
For Parents and Students Making College Decisions: "A Pocket Guide to Choosing a College: Are You Asking the Right Questions?"
- Our newly revised pocket guide for parents and students is provided through school counselors, college admissions offices, educational organizations, and is also available for download on the NSSE Web site. The guide suggests questions that students and parents might ask on a campus visit or when exploring colleges on the Web to help make the difficult choice as to what institution best fits the student.

Comments

What Educators are Saying about the NSSE Pocket Guide:

"I plan to give a copy to each junior and senior. We will discuss the survey, the colleges who have participated, and how to use the questions in the booklet. I teach a class called 'Senior Seminar,' which spends significant time on college research and application strategies. I also meet with juniors and their parents in the spring to officially open the college search process."
– Director of College Counseling, private school, Snyder, NY

"I will distribute them to the entire junior class when I make presentations to them in the spring. I would also like a few to have available for parents who drop in to my office and for younger students. I also intend to put the link to your website in my Junior/Senior Planning Handbook so that families can become familiar with NSSE."
– College and Career Advisor, high school, Pleasant Hill, CA

"I am very excited about getting these guides. They will be so helpful for our juniors and seniors who are beginning the college application process. Thanks!"
– High School and College Program Coordinator, youth program, Chicago, IL

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