THE USE OF AMERICAN COLLEGE TEST (ACT) SCORES AS A CRITERION FOR ADMISSION TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING PROVIDED PREDICTIVE INFORMATION, BUT ALSO HAD LIMITATIONS. BEGINNING IN 1961 THIS STUDY FOLLOWED 1,062 FRESHMEN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI THROUGH THEIR 4 YEARS OF COLLEGE. THE ACT WAS GIVEN TO ALL INCOMING FRESHMEN SEPARATED INTO…

The present study examined and evaluated the application of linear policy-capturing models to the real-world decision task of graduate admissions. Utility of the policy-capturing models was great enough to be of practical significance, and least-squares weights showed no predictive advantage over equal weights. (Author/CTM)

A study at one university found that traditional admission criteria for a graduate microbiology program, undergraduate grade point average, and Graduate Record Examination scores, were not good predictors of student potential as a researcher, as measured by faculty ratings. (MSE)

Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of high school students to calculate the actual improvement in freshman grade point average, college completion, and total years of schooling from colleges' use of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), Crouse compares predictions based on high school rank to argue that the SAT's costs do not justify…

Data from a 1975 survey using a large sample were analyzed to study the interactions among sex, race, social class, undergraduate grade point average, and the rank of the graduate or professional school attended. Results indicated strong associations between students' academic merit and attendance at prestigious colleges. (GDC)

The contemporary problem of culture-fair selection exists largely because currently used predictors provide only weak prediction of college success. The Scholastic Aptitude Test may add little to the validity of High School Grade Point Average as a predictor of Grade Point Average. When this occurs for ethnic minorities who score low on the SAT,…

Article discusses recent study by the Academic Long Range Planning Committee of the College of St. Catherine, in which questionnaires were sent to admissions offices of 143 graduate schools in the U.S. in an attempt to measure their attitudes towards nongraded transcripts. Reaction was generally unfavorable. (JB)

A statistical model is presented for processing quantitative admission data that weights equally two or more quantitative elements to ensure that the N most consistently high scorers qualify for the N available positions. The quantitative elements considered are overall grade point average (GPA), GPA in selected courses, and standardized test…

The question examined is whether a more useful index could be constructed for law school admissions from a formula that reflects variations among undergraduate institutions--variations in the quality of the student body, the excellence of the education, or the prevalence of high grades for average work. (MLW)

Studies the effectiveness of the Miller Analogies Test and undergraduate grade point average in predicting success of military graduate students in on-base programs. Though neither seemed to be valid predictors, they should not be discarded without further study. (JAC)

University of Georgia pharmacy students were studied to determine whether (1) SAT factor scores related to a measure of pharmacy student performance as well as PCAT factor scores, and (2) a combination of PCAT factors, SAT factors, and other available applicant information improved the validity of the singular use of SAT or PCAT. (LBH)

Performance of senior medical students on an objectively scored examination of clinical competence based on standardized-patient cases was used to assess the predictive validity of the two most commonly used admission measures. The measures were found useful for selecting students successful in both clinical and basic science settings. (Author/MSE)

Many Canadian universities have sought to promote access and equity through programs allowing nonmatriculated admissions (NMAs), frequently older students with academic deficiencies. Examination of University of Alberta academic records found that grade point averages were significantly lower for NMAs than for regular admissions, and were related…

A study of over 8,000 admissions of Cornell University (New York) graduates to 19 highly selective medical schools, 1982-89, found that grade point average (GPA) was extremely influential especially at 9 schools. It was concluded that applicants often receive encouragement to continue the application process despite little chance of acceptance.…

A survey of occupational therapy, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, and health-information education programs revealed the most important admission criteria were overall grade point average and GPA in foundation courses. Low priority was given to the need for student diversity or students' interest in working in underserved areas. (SK)