This study examines the personal perceptions and aspirations of 187 students studying at two universities in Syracuse, New York during the spring of 1992. The Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale is used to determine the best and worst possible outcomes for themselves, the United States, and Europe. The evaluations and responses of full- and part-time students attending a private university are compared with those enrolled at a public university. Research results indicate that, although students are most optimistic about their own future and to a lesser extent the future of Europe, they are more pessimistic about the future prospects for the United States. Students' hopes, fears, and ladder ratings are described and compared, and the findings are interpreted from a cognitive dissonance perspective.