Social portrait of a university freshman

This article presents a comparative analysis of the results from a sociological monitoring project titled “Study of the qualitative composition of applicants and their motivation for admission to Petrozavodsk State University,” which took place from 2013 to 2023 at Petrozavodsk State University (PetrSU). This annual sociological monitoring has been conducted at PetrSU since 2011 by the Laboratory for Sociological Research and the Directorate of Pre-University and Career Guidance. The aim of the sociological monitoring is to determine the qualitative characteristics of applicants and to understand the main reasons motivating applicants to apply to PetrSU. The study focuses on first-year students who have been accepted to study at the university, examining their qualitative composition and the underlying motivation for their choice to enroll at PetrSU. Through the analysis of data collected during the sociological monitoring from 2013 to 2023, the research successfully identified key social characteristics of university freshmen, revealed trends in the demographic composition of this student cohort, and developed a general social profile of a typical university freshman. The findings of the sociological monitoring enable the university to provide targeted career guidance, enhance the quality of applicants and first-year students, and effectively respond to the requirements of the contemporary labor market.