Validity of a new evaluative scale to aid admissions decisions

Abstract

This study purported to validate a rating scale constructed to measure the effectiveness of non-traditional variables for predicting academic success in colleges. Nontraditional predictor variables included in the rating scale were: academic accomplishments other than high school GPA or rank, leadership qualities in high school, athletic success, persistence characteristics in pursuing extracurricular activities, high school honors, qualities of written personal statements in admissions application forms and the strength of references. Rating scale scores were added to the traditional High School Rank (HSR) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores in multiple regression and discriminant analyses in order to examine their effectiveness in increasing predictive accuracy and in classifying successful and unsuccessful students. Predicted criteria variables for academic success used in this study were exploratory nontraditional variables such as Perceived Success and demonstrated Leadership Abilities in college in addition to traditional College GPA. The results suggested that rating scores raised predictive effectiveness significantly over and above the predictivity achieved by the use of combined SA T and HSR alone. Perceived Success and college Leadership measure, however, were ineffective as predicted discriminant criteria in this study.