Posada Bernal, Rodrigo2011-05-202011-10-142011-05-202011-10-142011-05-20978-958-8406-12-1http://hdl.handle.net/10567/57Introduction: Individuality is regarded in all of the marketing strategies, in order to achieve the objectives. The perception of this individuality is a key factor to characterize the consumption attitudes people have. Classifying this perception allows marketing specialists to have judgment elements to implement, with some accuracy, marketing actions. Electing an undergraduate program, specifically in the agropecuary sector, implies, of course, a perception, and it is necessary to identify how it is structured in order to influence it. Objective: To identify the most important factors that influence the perceptions individuals have about the higher education options in the agropecuary sector. Material and method: The article was based on the use of a structured survey, aiming to identify the reasons why the perception can be modified or strengthened among students. This survey was useful to get information about the social and economic characteristics of the sample population, and also about their attitudes and motivations. The survey was applied in 2009 to high school students from the Abrurrá Valley’s Metropolitan Area, classified under social and economic levels and under influence zones terms. Results: Among the most meaningful results the following ones can be remarked: The trend to study Veterinary Medicine, among all students, with a 35% acceptance grade; The perception they have of the social acknowledgement provided by the fact of studying in a prestigious institution; From a total number of 588 students who chose agropecuary studies, 50% considers this issue as relevant; Also the economic safety given by the graduate programs chosen and the possibility to get a job with a relative ease, define among the target group an argument from which they can make their choice concerning education. The perception of the institution’s academic quality and its academic standards were considered as very valuable elements; 68.9% of the people surveyed said that they wanted to study in an institution with very demanding academic standards and 55.6% highly appreciate academic demand as an element to guarantee the quality of the programs offered; Finally, the personal skills to study the undergraduate program chosen, with a 90,6% of acceptance, and the participation of the whole family in the decision made, with a 9.3%, appeared as elements that are becoming more important in the perception process. Conclusion: The role played by perception among high school students when they choose their undergraduate programs can not be denied. Therefore, higher education institutions must identify in which of the stages of the perception process they have to intervene in order to create effective marketing strategies and obtain favorable changes in the decisions of their potential students, according to their internal policies.esEducación superiorCiencias agrarias como profesiónVocación profesionalOrientación profesionalCorporación Universitaria LasallistaBook chapter