Investigated are the multidimensional differences in freshman perceptions and experience of the academic and nonacademic aspects of college associated with varying amounts of informal contact with faculty. Discriminant analysis indicated that factor dimensions, termed Interest Value and Practical Appeal, best distinguished between groups of freshman categorized as high, moderate, and low interactors. High and moderate interactors were characterized by more positive ratings of their academic program on both dimensions and by more positive ratings of their nonacademic life on Interest Value than were low interactors. Academic achievement, as measured by cumulative freshman grade-point average, contributed little to discrimination among the three groups. Analysis of supplementary data also indicated that high interactors ranked faculty members significantly higher as a source of positive influence on both their intellectual and personal development than did low interactors. Moreover, in a follow-up analysis of the same subjects conducted during the subsequent academic year, amount of informal contact with faculty was found to be significantly associated with persistence at the institution. No statistically reliable differences were noted between high, moderate, and low interactors with respect to academic aptitude, personality, dimensions, or initial expectations of the college climate. (Author)