NSRCG Survey Mailing Materials

Advance Mailing Letter
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
4201 WILSON BOULEVARD
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230

Dear :
We will be contacting you in fall 2008 to take part in the 2008 National Survey of Recent
College Graduates (NSRCG), sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This survey
focuses on recent graduates with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in natural and social sciences,
engineering, and health.
You are one of a small group of graduates from your college or university chosen to
participate in this important national study, which has been conducted since 1974. As such, we
cannot substitute another person for you. Results from previous study are available on the NSF’s
Web site at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/recentgrads.
The purpose of the study is to collect data on the education and employment experiences of
recent bachelor’s and master’s graduates in the United States. The study provides important
information to academia, business, government, parents, and students. It also provides
information on issues, such as how many graduates find jobs in their field of major; whether
graduates obtain "career-path" jobs; and how many graduates are pursuing an advanced degree.
The NSRCG is the only source of national data on this important population.
To help us contact you, please complete the enclosed Telephone and Address Verification
Form and return it within the next two weeks using the postage-paid envelope. You may receive
this form at more than one address. This information will be kept strictly confidential and will be
used only to contact you for the survey. This study is conducted by Mathematica Policy Research,
a nationally recognized survey research firm, under contract to the NSF.
If you have any questions about the survey, please call the NSRCG help desk at 1-866-5049640 between the hours of 9 A.M. and 9 P.M. (EST) any day of the week, or send an e-mail
message to [email protected].
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,

Lynda Carlson
Director
Division of Science Resources Statistics
National Science Foundation
Enclosures

Draft 2008 NSRCG OMB Statements

Page 2

TELEPHONE AND ADDRESS VERIFICATION FORM
2008 National Survey of Recent College Graduates
INSTRUCTIONS: Please complete and return this form within two weeks so we will know how to
contact you. All information you provide will be kept strictly confidential and will be
used only to contact you for the survey. When the form is complete, please return
it using the enclosed business-reply envelope.

STEP 1

Is the name and address provided above current?
your current information below.

Yes ( )

No ( ) If No, please print

Name

Street Address
City

State/Province

STEP 2

Zip/Postal Code

Country

Interviews can be also completed by Internet or telephone. Please provide your current
telephone number(s) and email below. Please print.

Evening Telephone Number

Daytime Telephone Number

Cell Telephone Number

(

(

(

)

)

)

Email Address

STEP 3

In case we are unable to reach you at the above address, please provide the contact
information of another person who does not live with you but will know how to reach you.
This person will be contacted only if we cannot reach you. Please print.

Name

Street Address
City

State/Province

Zip/Postal Code

Country

Telephone Number

Daytime Telephone Number

Cell Telephone Number

(

(

(

)

Draft 2008 NSRCG OMB Statements

)

)
Page 3

First Questionnaire Mailing Cover Letter
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
4201 WILSON BOULEVARD
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230

Dear :
I am requesting your participation in the 2008 National Survey of Recent College Graduates
(NSRCG), sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), an agency of the Federal government
mandated by Congress to collect information about the college educated workforce. Your employment
and educational experiences are of interest to government, colleges, businesses, government agencies,
parents, and students. These groups often seek information on such issues as how many graduates find
jobs in their field of study and how many are pursuing advanced degrees.
The survey focuses on recent graduates with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the natural
sciences, the social sciences, engineering and health sciences. You are one of a small group of
graduates from your college or university selected to participate in this national study. It is only
through the cooperation of each selected graduate that we can represent the diversity of experiences of
all college graduates. You can respond:
• By Web. To complete the questionnarie online,log onto the Web site,
http://www.mprdc.com/nsrcg and enter your User ID and Password as provided on the enclosed
instruction sheet. .
• By mail. If you would prefer to respond by mail, please complete the enclosed
questionnaire and return it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope.
Please be assured that all information you provide will be held as strictly confidential and only be
used for research or statistical purposes. Additional information about the survey is provided on the
enclosed question and answer sheet. Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. is conducting the 2008
NSRCG for the NSF. If you have any questions about the survey, please call the NSRCG help desk at
1-866-504-9640 between the hours of 9 A.M. and 9 P.M. (EST) any day of the week, or send an e-mail
message to [email protected]. Information on the results of previous surveys is available on
the National Science Foundation’s Web site: http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/nsrcg.
We appreciate your assistance.
Sincerely,

David Lightfoot
Assistant Director
National Science Foundation
Enclosures
Draft 2008 NSRCG OMB Statements

Page 4

Thank-You/Reminder Postcard

Last week we sent you a questionnaire for an important national study.
If you have already returned the completed questionnaire, we thank you
very much for your assistance.
If you have not yet had time to complete the questionnaire, please do so
as soon as possible. Your participation is important for the success of
this study.
If you need another copy of the questionnaire or need assistance, please
call the toll-free number 1-866-504-9640 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
EST or send an email message to [email protected].
Thank you for your participation.
Sincerely,

Lynda Carlson
Director
Division of Science Resources Statistics
National Science Foundation

Draft 2008 NSRCG OMB Supporting Statement

Page 5

Second Questionnaire Mailing Cover Letter
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
4201 WILSON BOULEVARD
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230

Dear :
About six weeks ago, we asked for your help completing the 2008 National Survey of Recent
College Graduates, sponsored by the National Science Foundation. I understand your busy schedule,
but hope you will find time to participate. This is your opportunity to voice whether your college
degree made a difference.
You were chosen for this study as part of a scientifically selected sample of people who have
earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a U.S. academic institution. Because you were specifically
selected, we cannot substitute another college graduate for you, so the success of the survey rests upon
your participation.
This survey is the most important national source of information on college-educated people
like you. It collects information from college graduates in many disciplines and in every stage of life.
Academic and government policy researchers use these data to study the relationship between
education and career opportunities. Students making decisions about their own education and career
choices find this information valuable as do individuals thinking about changing careers.
If you have completed the survey by the time this letter reaches you, we thank you very much.
If not, please take the time to fill out the enclosed questionnaire and return it in the postage-paid
envelope as soon as possible. If you have any questions about the survey, please call the toll-free
number 1-866-504-9640, or send an e-mail message to [email protected].
We thank you for your help and look forward to your participation.
Sincerely,

David Lightfoot
Assistant Director
National Science Foundation

Enclosure

Draft 2008 NSRCG OMB Supporting Statement

Page 6