A statistical model for investigating predictive validity at highly selective institutions is described. When the selection ratio is small, one must typically deal with a data set containing relatively large amounts of missing data on both criterion and predictor variables. Standard statistical approaches are based on the strong assumption that…

Summarizes the results of a number of Queensland studies of selection of students for admission to tertiary institutions. The value of each approach for students and tertiary institutions is considered and appropriate selection indices are described. Evidence of the validity of the scholastic aptitude measure for the rescaling task and of the…

Two research studies reported in the three publications discussed in this article had their origins in discussions of the Robbins Committee prior to 1963. Two of the Committee's recommendations related to possible changes in the selection of students for higher education. (Author/RK)

The predictive and incremental validity of the New Medical College Admission Test (New MCAT) Science Problems Subtest was examined with a sample of over 165 medical students. Criterion measures were National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Part I (basic science) and Part II (clinical science) performance. The Science Problems subscore is derived…

Included are three studies, each dealing with an aspect of comparative validity of the American College Test (ACT) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) at selective colleges. The first study considered the predictive efficiency of the ACT test scores and ACT test scores plus high school grades at 120 colleges, separated into three groups…

Bowdoin College has allowed applicants to submit or withhold SAT scores since 1970. Admissions operations under this policy are reviewed. The validity of the SAT is evaluated, and the academic records of matriculated submitters are compared with the withholders. (Author/MLW)

Correlations between popular admissions indicies, including Dental Admission Test scores and pre-dental grade point average, and numerous measures of student success, such as National Board scores and grades, were compared for recently-graduated students from two dental schools with substantially different selection ratios. While the differences…

Institutional averages of entering freshman scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT) were combined and edited to produce a single institutional measure of selectivity for 2,601 institutions. Correlations were made between scores and 19 institutional attributes. (Editor/LBH)

Studies were conducted to determine whether measures of intellectual merit that are used as criteria for admission to the University of Karachi in Pakistan have predictive validity. The predictive validity of the intermediate examination score was studied with recent graduates of the pharmacy, medicine, and engineering schools. Additional studies…

Evaluates the effectiveness of five admission models in predicting student performance in a Masters of Business Administration program. Found the regression model predicts graduate success better than the other models, but none of the models improved upon the admission officer's judgment. (Author/JAC)

Research was conducted to improve applicant selection procedures in the Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AFROTC) scholarship program. The objectives were to document predictive relationships, if any, between student aptitude measures, academic major, institutional selectivity, and eventual completion of the scholarship program. The…

Some of the controversial issues involved in the use of objective tests by institutions of higher education, as this use affects the selection and attendance by members of minority groups, are reviewed. Admissions committees now rely on the ability of a test to predict students' performance at their institution to guide their selection. However,…

Equations for the prediction of college grades from test scores and high school grades were compared for Mexican-Americans and other students at three universities of the California State University and Colleges system. With rare exceptions, regression equations for the prediction of grades for Mexican-Americans did not differ from those for other…

There are both strengths and weaknesses of using standardized test scores as a criterion for admission to institutions of higher education. The relative importance of scores is dependent on the institution's degree of selectivity. In general, decision processes and admissions criteria are not well defined. Advantages of test scores include: use of…