The Long-Term Impact of Admission Policies: A Comparative Study of Two Emergent Research Institutions in Texas

Abstract

The present study explored the long-term impact of admission policies at two aspiring research institutions in Texas. Six years of longitudinal institutional data were analyzed for all full-time first time in college undergraduate students at both universities. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to identify relationships and differences between risk factors and percent plan eligibility. Cox regression was employed to examine the number of semesters that elapsed before students dropped out and to identify risk factors that contributed to student withdrawal. Moreover, competing risk models were used to test the robustness of the single-outcome models. Findings highlight the importance of leveraging the percent plan at both institutions.