Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire (SACQ)*

The 67 statements on this form describe college experiences. Read each one and decide how well it applies to you at the
present time (within the past few days). For each statement, select the asterisk at the point in the continuum that best
represents how closely the statement applies to you. Select only one asterisk for each statement.

1. I feel that I fit in well as part of the college environment.

2. I have been feeling tense or nervous lately.
3. I have been keeping up to date on my academic work.
4. I am meeting as many people, and making as many friends as I would like at college.
5. I know why I’m in college and what I want out of it.
6. I am finding academic work at college difficult.
7. Lately, I have been feeling blue and moody a lot.
8. I am very involved with social activities in college.
9. I am adjusting well to college.
10. I have not been functioning well during examinations.
11. I have felt tired much of the time lately.
12. Being on my own, taking responsibility for myself, has not been easy.
13. I am satisfied with the level at which I am performing academically.
14. I have had informal, personal contacts with college professors.
15. I am pleased now about my decision to go to college.
16. I am pleased now about my decision to attend this college in particular.
17. I’m not working as hard as I should at my course work.
18. I have several close social ties at college.
19. My academic goals and purposes are well defined.
20. I haven’t been able to control my emotions very well lately.
21. I’m not really smart enough for academic work I am expected to be doing now.
22. Lonesomeness for home is a source is of difficulty for me now.
23. Getting a college degree is very important for me.
24. My appetite has been good lately.
25. I haven’t been very efficient in the use of study time lately.
26. I enjoy living in a college dormitory. (Please omit if you do not live in a dormitory; any university housing should be
regarded as a dormitory.)
27. I enjoy writing papers for courses.
28. I have been having a lot of headaches lately.
29. I really haven’t had much motivation for studying lately.
30. I am satisfied with the extracurricular activities available at college.
31. I’ve given a lot of thought lately to whether I should ask for help form the
32. Lately, I have been having doubts regarding the value of a college education.
33. I am getting along very well with my roommates(s) at college. (Please omit if you do not have a roommate.)
34. I wish I were at another college or university.
35. I’ve put on (or lost) too much weight recently.
36. I am satisfied with the number and variety of courses available at college.
37. I feel that I have enough social skills to get along well in the college setting.
38. I have been getting angry too easily lately.
39. Recently I have had trouble concentrating when I try to study.
40. I haven’t been sleeping very well.
41. I’m not doing well enough academically for the amount of work I put in.
42. I am having difficulty feeling at ease with other people at college.
43. I am satisfied with the quality or the caliber of courses available at college.
44. I am attending classes regularly.
45. Sometimes my thinking gets muddled up too easily.
46. I am satisfied with the extent to which I am participating in social activities at college.
47. I expect to stay at this college for a bachelor’s degree.
48. I haven’t been mixing too well with the opposite sex lately.
49. I worry a lot about my college expenses.
50. I am enjoying my academic work at college.
51. I have been feeling lonely a lot at college lately.
52. I am having a lot trouble getting started on homework assignments.
53. I feel I have good control over my life situation at college.
54. I am satisfied with my program of courses for this semester/quarter.
55. I have been feeling in good health lately.
56. I feel I am very different from other students at college in ways that I don.t like.
57. On balance, I would rather be home than here.
58. Most of the things I am interested in are not related to any of my course work at college.
59. Lately I have been giving a lot of thought to transferring to another college.
60. Lately I have been giving a lot thought to dropping out of college altogether and for good.
61. I find myself giving considerable thought to taking time off from college and finishing later.
62. I am very satisfied with the professors I have now in my courses.
63. I have some good friends or acquaintances at college with whom I can talk about any problems I may have.
64. I am experiencing a lot of difficulty coping with the stresses imposed upon me in college.
65. I am quite satisfied with my social life at college.
66. I’m quite satisfied with my academic situation at college
67. I feel confident that I will be able to deal in a satisfactory manner with future challenges here at college.

Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ)

Participant’s adjustment to college will be measured by the SACQ. The original SACQ (Baker &
Siryk, 1984) was created over a three year period using successive academic freshman classes and included 52
items. The present SACQ is a two-page 67 item assessment composed of four sub-scales measuring academic
adjustment (24 items), social adjustment (20 items), personal-emotional adjustment (15 items), and goal
commitment-institutional attachment (15 items). It can be administered individually or in groups and takes
approximately 20 minutes to complete. Scores are rated on a 9-point Likert scale ranging from Doesn’t apply
to me at all. to Applies very closely to me. (Baker & Siryk, 1989; Dahmus & Bernardin, 1992).
The purpose in developing the SACQ was to create a way to assess needs for early counseling
interventions and to provide the research needed for institutional interventions (Baker & Siryk, 1984/1989).
Research, counseling and institutional interventions have been the most common uses of the SACQ (Dahmus
& Bernardin, 1992). The SACQ has been found to be a psychometrically sound instrument. For reliability the
alpha coefficients are .81 to .90 for academic adjustment, .83 to .91 for social adjustment, .77 to .86 for
personal-emotional adjustment, .85 to .91 for goal commitment-institutional attachment, and .92 to .95
for the full scale. Validity has been demonstrated by data indicating that the SACQ is significantly associated
with student academic performance and GPA (.17 to .53, p <.01), personal-emotional adjustment and contact
made with university counseling services (-.23 to .34, p < .01), and commitment institutional attachment and
attrition (-.27 to -.41, p < .01).
Comparisons with social adjustment have not been found statistically significant (Dahmus &
Bernardin, 1992). Compared with such measures as the Mental Health Inventory (Veit & Ware, 1983), State-
Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, 1983), Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (Fitts, 1965), and the
Psychological Distress Inventory (Lustman, et al., 1984) the SACQ revealed significant correlations (Dahmus
& Bernardin, 1992). As just discussed the SACQ is a valid and reliable questionnaire for the measurement of
an individual’s adjustment to college. In addition, a review of pertinent literature (see Chapter 2) shows that
the SACQ has been used in many studies to explore the relationship with parental attachment.
Products
Used at colleges throughout the country to increase student retention

Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ)

by Robert W. Baker, Ph.D. and Bohdan Siryk, M.A.

At a Glance
Purpose: Assesses overall adjustment
to college, detecting
problems, guiding
intervention, and promoting
retention
Ages / Grade: College students
Administration
15 to 20 minutes
Time
Format: Self-report inventory
Norms Standardized on more than
1,300 college freshmen and
stratified by semester of
attendance (first or second)

"...an efficient assessment tool for identifying students

having difficulty adjusting to college."
Kathleen Bieschke, Ph.D.
Test Critiques, Vol. X, 1994 Related Products

Geist Picture Interest Inventory

Self-Directed Search (SDS)

This quick, convenient instrument helps determine how well a student is handling the demands of
college. SACQ assesses overall adjustment to college, as well as adjustment in four specific areas:

 Academic Adjustment
 Personal-Emotional Adjustment
 Social Adjustment

 Attachment (to the institution)

Used by many universities for routine freshman screening, SACQ is a cost-effective way to detect
problems early in the student's college career. And because it indicates the nature of those problems,
SACQ provides clear guidelines for subsequent intervention. It is particularly useful in identifying
potential dropouts.
This 67-item, self-report questionnaire can be administered to individuals or groups in just 15 to 20
minutes. It can even be mailed to students, self-administered at home, and then returned for scoring. The
 convenient AutoScoreTM Test Form simplifies scoring and profiling results.
If you are testing large groups of students, you may prefer computer scoring and interpretation. You
can use WPS TEST REPORT prepaid Mail-In Answer Sheets to get detailed interpretive reports. Norms
are based on a sample of more than 1,300 male and female college freshmen and stratified by semester
of attendance (first and second semesters in college). The SACQ Manual includes an extensive list of
studies using the test.
The questionnaire helps overcome the reluctance of many students to seek help--90 percent of those
with low SACQ scores accept offers of a posttest interview. The questionnaire gives you reason for
follow-up, as well as specific topics for discussion and a clear path toward effective intervention.
By detecting adjustment problems early, SACQ can help colleges retain students who might otherwise
drop out.

Description Qty.
Item No. Price
W-228 $99.00 KIT: Includes 25 Hand-Scored Questionnaires; 1 Manual 1

QUESTIONNAIRE, Hand-Scored (Pkgs. of 25) Quantity price 1

W-228A $49.50
break available.
W-228B $60.00 MANUAL 1

WPS TEST REPORT Computerized Components

MAIL-IN ANSWER SHEET. This Answer Sheet includes all the 1
W-228C $14.50
items and is completed by the student.

Abstract
International students have realistic expectations about their adjustment to college, however, they seem to
experience a more difficult transition than U.S. students. Scores on the Student Adaptation to College
Questionnaire for international and U.S. students are compared. The results indicated that international
students scored significantly lower on the social and the institutional attachment and goal commitment
subscales. The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire may have applications in targeting international
student needs.

Fulltext Preview
A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Student Adaptation to College
Questionnaire
1. Melinda A. Taylor
1. James Madison University, mtaylor@dpi.state.nc.us
1. Dena A. Pastor
1. James Madison University

Abstract
The construct validity of scores on the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) was examined
using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The purpose of this study was to test the fit of the SACQ authors'
proposed four-factor model using a sample of university students. Results indicated that the hypothesized
model did not fit. Additional CFAs specifying one-factor models for each subscale were performed to
diagnose areas of misfit, and results also indicated lack of fit. Exploratory factor analyses were then
conducted and a four-factor model, different from the model proposed by the authors, was examined to
provide information for future instrument revisions. It was concluded that researchers need to return to the
first stage of instrument development, which would entail examining not only the theories behind adjustment
to college in greater detail, but also how the current conceptualization of the SACQ relates to such theories.

A preliminary assessment of the impact of counseling on student adjustment to college.

by Thomas J. DeStefano , Ramona N. Mellott , Jerry D. Petersen

This study compared adaptation to college for students receiving counseling at a university counseling center
with adaptation by control counterparts. Students receiving counseling initially reported lower adaptation
scores as measured by the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire. After counseling, scores no longer
differentiated between the 2 groups. Results suggest chat counseled students were affected positively by this
experience.
University counseling centers have historically provided personal and vocational counseling services to
college students (Pace, Stamler, Yarris, & June, 1996). However, in recent decades, counseling centers have
faced increased demands for services by students seeking individual counseling for more serious emotional
and mental health related difficulties (Gallagher, 1995; Stone & Archer, 1990). In a recent survey of
counseling center directors (Gallagher, Gill, & Goldstrohm, 1997), 82% of those responding indicated that
during the past 5 years, increased counselor time was devoted to students with "serious psychological
problems." This increased demand for mental health services was also found by Johnson, Ellison, and
Heikkinen (1989). Using adolescent norms on the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised, Johnson et al. showed that
30.3% of college men and 26.5% of college women had scores suggestive of psychiatric problems. These
results support the findings of Offer and Spire (1987), who reported that 20% of incoming freshmen are in
need of mental health care. Other serious problems that are now more frequently observed in counseling
centers are substance abuse (Rivinus, 1988), suicide (Silverman, 1993), and sexual abuse (Aizenman &
Kelley, 1988).
One consequence of increased demand for counseling services related to mental health is a decrease in many
centers' developmental services and prevention programs (Corazzini, 1997). These programs have been
traditionally valued as important services provided by counseling centers to the entire campus community. In
addition, many counseling centers are experiencing demands to justify their existence in the face of budget
cuts and administrative realignments (Bishop, 1990). Because of an increased focus on mental health issues
and more concerns regarding financial resources, many administrators are questioning the role and function of
counseling services to the larger mission of higher education. This trend has prompted an increased interest in
the assessment of campus-based counseling services and outcomes.
Early studies suggested differences in social and emotional adjustment to college between students seeking
counseling services and students not requesting counseling (Cooke & Kiesler, 1967; Rose & Elton, 1972).
Sharp and Bishop (1975) investigated adjustment levels between counseled and noncounseled college
students and found no significant differences in social or emotional adjustment between the two groups.
However, when counseled students who had sought counseling for personal concerns were separated from
students who were seeking vocational and educational counseling and then compared with the noncounseled
group, significant differences on emotional and social adjustment were found. More recently, research
conducted by Gerdes and Mallinckrodt (1994) suggested that social adjustment might be as important a factor
in predicting persistence in college as academic factors.
Counseling services have been found effective in assisting student adjustment to college (Bishop, 1990;
Schwitzer, Grogan, Kaddoura, & Ochoa, 1993); in improving student retention, academic grades, persistence
in college (Illovsky, 1997; Rickinson, 1998; Wilson, Mason, & Ewing, 1997); and in graduation rates as well
(Frank & Kirk, 1975). Wilson et al. (1997) found that students who received counseling services experienced
a 14% increase in retention as compared with their noncounseled counterparts. Schwitzer et al. (1993) found
that "at-risk" students participating in brief mandatory counseling showed significant positive changes in their
grade point average (GPA), and the students who chose to continue counseling after completion of mandatory
counseling experienced the greatest persistence toward graduation. Rickinson (1998) also found counseling
valuable for the retention of freshman students and persistence toward graduation for seniors.
Although there have been a number of studies suggesting that counseling has a positive impact on increasing
retention and on student adjustment to college, little controlled research concerning student adaptation to
college after completing counseling is currently available. The purpose of this study was (a) to compare
adaptation to college by students who had sought counseling services with a control group, made up of
students who were not receiving services, and (b) to assess the effect of counseling on students' perceptions of
their adjustment to college.
Method
Participants
Participants in this study were 173 university students (men, n = 39; women, n = 134) attending a large
southwestern university. In terms of academic classification, 33 (19%) were freshmen, ...
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