Primary Source Sets

The Reed College Office of Admissions undertook a study of the 1956 freshman class. The study asked a range of questions, but the above data displays "the percent of worriers checking each item." Students selected worries from a list of potential misfortunes, including flunking out of college, losing your girl or boyfriend, World War III, and an economic depression. Forty-seven percent of students reported worrying about flunking out of college, while only four percent of students worried about not doing good enough work to be chosen Phi Beta Kappa and only six percent of students worried about not finding someone to marry.