Re-Examination of Traditional Admissions Criteria in Predicting Academic Success in a Counselor Education Program

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to re-evaluate the validity of traditional admissions criteria—UGPA and GRE scores—in predicting academic success for students admitted to a counselor education program in the United States. In contrast to prior research, we also included the newer GRE-Analytical Writing scores in our analyses. In general, we found that both UGPA and GRE scores were useful for predicting both graduate grade point averages (GGPAs) and students’ scores on the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE). We also found that a discriminant model that included all four admission variables was useful for predicting program completion outcomes: successfully graduated, dropped out, or dismissed from the program. Implications for the admissions and screening process are presented.