* Each benchmark is an index of responses to several NSSE questions. Because NSSE questions have different response
              sets, each question’s response set was rescaled from zero to 100, and students’ rescaled responses were then averaged.
              Thus a benchmark score of zero would mean that every student chose the lowest response option for every item, and 100
              would mean every student chose the highest response to every item. Although benchmarks are reported on a 0-100 scale,
              they are not percentages. u>The charts here and on the following pages present Wabash student responses as they compare to the
              national NSSE averages and to what would be considered "peer institutions" (or similar) from the Great Lakes College Association.

Challenging intellectual and creative work is critical to positive learning outcomes. Wabash College emphasizes the importance of academic effort and has high expectations for student performance. To find out how challenging any college's academic program is, consider asking the following questions. The red type shows how Wabash freshmen answered the NSSE survey.

 - To what degree is studying and spending time on academic
   work emphasized?
     * 91 percent of freshmen feel Wabash places substantial
       emphasis on academics.

- How much time do students spend on homework each week?
     * 61 percent of freshmen spend more than 15 hours per week
       preparing for class.

- What type of thinking do assignments require (analytical? critical?)
     * 92 percent: analyzing basic elements of an idea or theory.
     * 91 percent: synthesizing and organizing ideas.
     * 93 percent: making judgments about value of information.

- How much writing is expected?
     * 62 percent of students write more than four papers between
       5 and 19 pages and 21 percent write at least one paper
       of at least 20 pages.

- How much reading is expected during the school year?
     * 76 percent of students read more than 10 assigned books
       or packs of course readings.