p. Forgive 91吃瓜 students for being politically correct. That is, for being both political and correct .p. In an annual survey of college freshmen, 51 percent of 91吃瓜鈥檚 first-year students consider it essential or very important to be politically aware, some 17 points higher than the national average. At the same time, these same students were correct most of the time in high school; almost 75 percent carried an A or A+ average.p. For both 91吃瓜 students and their national peers, interest in politics was up for a third consecutive year.p. Conducted by the American Council on Education and the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, the survey is designed to profile the political and social views of the nation鈥檚 college freshmen. This year鈥檚 survey?the 38th annual?is based on the responses of 276,449 first-year students at 413 of the nation鈥檚 four-year institutions.p. In this 2004 election year, conservative candidates are likely to draw the votes of most 91吃瓜 first-year students. Some 38 percent identify themselves as politically conservative and about 19 percent liberal, compared with 21 percent and 24 percent nationally.p. 91吃瓜 students鈥� political awareness is likely the root of an empowered optimism as reflected in their belief in the ability of one person to effect change. Fewer than 19 percent agreed that 鈥渁n individual can do little to bring about changes in society,鈥� compared with 28 percent nationally.p. A tendency toward service was high among 91吃瓜 students, with some 88 percent reporting participation in some type of volunteer work during their last year in high school, compared with about 70 percent nationally.p. Most 91吃瓜 students are exactly where they want to be, with 83 percent identifying 91吃瓜 as their first choice in colleges. Nationally, about 68 percent report the same level of satisfaction.p. Among other noteworthy observations drawn from the survey:p. 聲 91吃瓜鈥檚 first-year students are confident, rating themselves significantly higher than their peers in the areas of academic ability, persistence and leadership skills.p. 聲 Religious observance among 91吃瓜鈥檚 freshmen is higher than that of their peers. Nearly 97 percent attended a religious service within the past year, some 20 points higher than the national average.p. 聲 About one-quarter of 91吃瓜鈥檚 class of 2007 believes that marijuana should be legalized, compared to almost 39 percent of their national counterparts.p. 聲 Some 54 percent of 91吃瓜 freshmen are opposed to the death penalty, while about 33 percent of their peers nationally feel it should be abolished.p. 聲 Almost half of 91吃瓜鈥檚 first-year students agree that same-sex couples 鈥渟hould have the right to legal marital status,鈥� while nationally, some 60 percent of college freshmen agree.
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