Describes the use of the MMPI-168, an efficient abbreviated administration of the standard Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) especially recommended for screening purposes. Presents percentile norms for MMPI-168 clinical scales based on a sample of 731 medical school applicants. Suggests considering social, cultural, and…

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)

Despite the acceptance of the concept of undergraduate and graduate medical education as a continuum, many students find the transition between the undergraduate and graduate phases difficult. Inadequate information about graduate programs and a limitation in the resources available to teaching hospitals have compounded the problem. (MLW)

Describes the use of scattergrams which aid counselors in identifying consistent patterns in the admissions process and provide students and parents with "visual" advice in choosing a college. (Author)

Problems in the validity and usefulness of the Law School Admission Test in selecting appropriate candidates for law school admission are detailed. The history of the test's development and controversy over its use are discussed. Available from Law Student Division, American Bar Association, 1155 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637; $1.00. (MSE)

Student admission criteria and a college's advising and recruitment efforts are viewed from the perspective of a growing higher education establishment trying to attract students. A student selection model is proposed, derived from an "innovation-decision process" (Rogers and Shoemaker), which focuses on applicant behavior and decision-making…

Possible bias in admissions decisions on the basis of sex is analyzed. The methods of testing for bias and the results thereof for graduate academic programs at the University of California, Davis, are reported. Differences in the quality distribution, based on grade point average, between male and female applicants are incorporated. (MLW)

Many colleges and universities that guarantee financial aid to all Americans, regardless of need, admit they do not do so for applicants from abroad. Policy variations confuse many foreign applicants and frustrate some educators. Some institutions try to direct available aid to foreign students from less-developed countries. Harvard University…

McMaster University's experiment with alumni involvement in student recruitment consisted of matching an alumnus with an accepted applicant to make a personal contact to encourage enrollment and answer questions when possible. The experiment correlated with a decrease, not increase, in the capture rate in the area it covered. (MSE)

Patterns in men's and women's enrollment in all levels of higher education and in discipline areas resulting from the Vietnam War are seen as explaining changes in medical school enrollment rates. It is suggested that men have avoided the main academic disciplines leading to the health professions. (MSE)

A study investigated the use of a clinical competency test for foreign medical graduates applying for medical residency. The test, developed by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) consists of integrated clinical encounters with 10 standardized patients, 60 laserdisc pictorials, and analysis of previously completed…

This article proposes that providing an 800-number for prospective students who want additional information may be a cost-effective means for colleges and universities to enhance student recruitment efforts. The use of service bureaus that provide this service is discussed, and administrative considerations are explored. (MSE)

A study found that interviewers of medical school applicants (n=471) were influenced in their ratings of applicants' noncognitive attributes by grade point average and Medical College Admission Test scores, when available, and by gender and race in accordance with affirmative action goals. Only moderate reliability across interviewers was found.…

Admissions offices of colleges trying to increase undergraduate student diversity are being criticized for failing to explain their affirmative action policies to prospective students and their parents, resulting in a backlash against affirmative action as white students fear reverse discrimination. (DB)

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.…