A record number of students are planning to head to the polls for next week’s election.

The Harvard University Institute of Politics surveyed 1,202 college students nationwide — drawn from a national database of almost 5.1 million students — and found 72 percent said they were registered to vote and will “definitely” vote this November, according to an IOP release.

The Harvard poll also showed Sen. Kerry held a 13-point lead over President Bush among college students nationwide and a 17-point lead among likely voters in swing states.

The University of Wisconsin has been a hotbed of political activity in recent months.

Jessi Schober, chair of Students for Bush and co-chair of College Republicans, said while many view the UW campus as liberal, others caution the conservative presence cannot be ignored.

“I think the liberals try really hard to silence the conservatives on campus,” she said. “The only diversity they want is one to promote their liberal ideas. People forget diversity is more than race and economic status — it’s diversity of ideas.”

Schober added although she does not doubt Kerry has a lead among college students, many do not question the media and vote only based on a select few issues.

“For many college students, their priorities are not in whether they’re getting a fair and unbiased media,” she said.

While students favored Kerry overall 52-39 percent in the Harvard poll, a slight majority of students said Bush is a stronger leader and clearer about his plans. Forty-six percent of students also said Bush would make the country “safer and more secure,” compared to 42 percent of students who said Kerry would make the country safer.

UW senior Kari Thon, who helped register members of her sorority, said Bush seems stronger because he has had four years to clarify his agenda.

“Kerry doesn’t have the resources Bush has right now,” she said.

In the survey, Kerry won over students as a more qualified commander in chief and a candidate who “understands problems of people like them.” A majority of students also oppose the war in Iraq, and 45 percent said the country is headed “in the wrong direction.”

Thon, a former Republican, said studying abroad in Spain altered her political outlook.

“One of the reasons I’m so for Kerry is … I saw how people thought Bush represented our whole country,” she said. “I think people are realizing maybe going against the U.N. was not a good idea. [I realized] how much the international community looks to the U.S. — we sent a message we don’t care, we’re a hegemony and we can do what we want.”

Students attending school in the 14 battleground states constitute nearly one-third of college students nationwide. The Harvard poll showed female college students favored Kerry 58 to 34 percent. Male college students were far more divided, with a split 47 percent in favor of Kerry and 46 percent in favor of Bush.

Thon said she thinks more women plan to vote for Democrats because the party “puts more emphasis on women’s rights.”

Schober criticized publications such as Cosmopolitan magazine for advancing a blatantly liberal agenda.

“I think it’s very important for women to understand the issues before they vote,” she said. “It upsets me.”

The Harvard survey found in the past year, students have been more willing to label themselves as Republican or Democrat. The number of Independent students has dropped from 41 percent to 33 percent, with many undecided voters breaking toward Kerry.

“People are very passionate about one side or the other,” Thon said, adding the last four years have been controversial. “The Iraq war has been a huge factor.”

Schober said many students no longer view Republican and Democrat as dirty words.

“In this election, it’s much more polarized,” she said. “This election is so much more focused on who’s going to win.”