University Selection Research Articles

Weighing the difference: the validity of multiplicative and subtractive approaches to item weights in an instrument assessing college choice decisions

The Admitted Student Questionnaire Plus (ASQ+) is a standardised measure that provides an analysis of the student's college selection process. Among other things, the instrument inquires about the importance of 16 college characteristics, followed by quality ratings of specific colleges that the student considered on these same characteristics. This study investigated the utility of importance weights in the assessment of college choice, examining how much the importance rating would improve one's ability to predict the student's actual college choice over and above what is possible with just the quality ratings. Another purpose of the study was to determine if importance ratings and quality ratings were independent of each other or associated in some way. Two types of weights were studied: (1) standardised weights created by averaging the importance ratings of the entire sample; and (2) subjective weights unique to each respondent. The weights were combined with quality ratings by either: (1) multiplying the quality rating by the importance rating; or by (2) subtracting the quality rating from the importance rating (gap score). Standardised weights did not improve prediction at all, and subjective weights only improved the predictability of college choice by a very miniscule amount (about 1%). Importance and quality ratings were found to be associated, especially in the ratings of the college that the student decided to attend. Some correlations were linear in nature, but many were non-linear, such that characteristics rated high or low were perceived as more important than characteristics assigned mid-range quality ratings. It was concluded that importance weights do not enhance prediction of college choice, but they may be useful for administrators in prioritising interventions.

A comparison of the college selection process for international and domestic student-athletes at NCAA Division I universities

The purpose of this study was to uncover the most important factors in the college selection process for international student-athletes attending NCAA Division I universities in the United States and to compare those factors with ones indicated by domestic student-athletes. A sample of 355 student-athletes, including 192 internationals, from 15 NCAA Division I schools were surveyed using a 39-item questionnaire. Among individual scale items, international student-athletes rated amount of athletic scholarship and personality of the head coach as the two most important items, while domestic student-athletes rated a degree from the school leading to a good job and the overall reputation of the school as the two top items. A factor analysis was utilized to reduce the 39 items to five factors, which explained nearly 50% of the variance in the college selection process. International student-athletes rated school attributes significantly lower than domestic student-athletes. Also, female student-athletes, regardless of residency status, rated academic factors significantly higher than males. Meanwhile, males rated athletics experience factors significantly higher than females.

The Common Place of Law in the Uncommon World of Vietnamese Immigrants: The Vietnam War Refought in Massachusetts

The Dispute. In the academic year 2000-2001, a legal dispute arose in the heart of Boston, (the Massachusetts Dispute). A group of Vietnamese Americans filed a lawsuit against the William Joiner Center (WJC) for the Study of War and Social Consequences, an academic branch of the University of Massachusetts-Boston (the University), alleging violations of Massachusetts' anti-discrimination law. The Plaintiffs challenged the University's selection of scholars for a Rockefeller Foundation-funded fellowship for the 2000-01 school year, contending that the University had excluded qualified first-generation Vietnamese Americans from participation in a research project called Re-Constructing Identity and Place in the Vietnamese Diaspora (The WJC Project). The Plaintiffs, all in retirement age, were political refugees or immigrants who escaped communist Vietnam during the 70s, 80s, and early 90s. Among the Plaintiffs were (i) the former South Vietnamese ambassador to United States, (ii) the Chancellor of a Buddhist University in South Vietnam, (iii) a former South Vietnamese lawyer, and (iii) several South Vietnamese military personnel who were jailed by the North Vietnamese at the time South Vietnam fell in 1975, marking the end of the Vietnam War. These Plaintiffs also sought to become class representatives for all Vietnamese Americans similarly situated, but the trial court denied their motion for class certification. One year after the war ended, in 1976, the Vietnamese communist party reunited the two Vietnam's into what is known today as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam). The new government's policy was to imprison South Vietnamese military personnel and political dissidents in without a trial. It is common knowledge among the Vietnamese American community that were a euphemism for the Vietnamese equivalent of the Soviet Union’s archipelago – forced labor camps set up for the imprisonment of political dissidents. In Vietnam, the gulag was used for collaborators and local employees of the United States and the defunct South Vietnamese regime after the fall of Saigon in 1975. Vietnam's reeducation policy was implemented in 1975 and continued until the early 1990s, when the Reagan Administration initiated immigration programs to bring South Vietnamese political prisoners to America. (There are not sufficient official data available to the West to ascertain whether those or remnants of them, still exist today.) All throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s, many Vietnamese chose to escape the new regime, including fleeing at sea, or immigrated to America as former political prisoners under humanitarian and immigration programs sponsored by the United States. Most notably tragic was the exodus of boat from Vietnam – they either lost their lives at sea or crowded Southeast Asian refugee camps, posing an issue of conscience for the entire world. The flow of refugees dwindled down beginning in 1985, when Vietnam opened herself to the West under a renovation policy, combining a free market economy with a single-party Marxist political system. Personal freedom for the Vietnamese people also improved as a result of free market. In 1996, diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the U.S. were normalized and the first U.S. ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was appointed. The Plaintiffs were among those refugees and political immigrants. Having settled in America, they become part of the Vietnamese American community here. Needless to say, each Plaintiff has his own story to tell. These tales went back to the time of th Vietnam War, as well as what happened behind the new Vietnam’s iron curtain after the war ended. In the Superior Court of in Suffolk County, these Plaintiffs claimed that the University discriminated against them because they were anti-communist first-generation Vietnamese Americans over 40 years of age. The Plaintiffs’ supporters told their community that by selecting scholars from North Vietnam to study the Vietnamese diaspora, the University had opened old wounds that never healed, thereby revitalizing a two-decade war that had haunted the conscience of America. On August 27, 2004, the year prior to the 30th anniversary of Vietnamese resettlement in America and three years [CHECK] after the complaint was filed, the presiding judge dismissed the Plaintiffs' case. The Plaintiffs have since appealed the dismissal order. Despite its notoriety within the Vietnamese American community, the lawsuit remains obscurely miniscule in the public domain, and hardly catches the attention of mainstream legal scholars or sociologists.

The influence of organizational image on college selection: what students seek in institutions of higher education

Colleges and universities rely on their image to attract new members. This study focuses on the decision-making process of students preparing to apply to college. High school students were surveyed at college open houses to identify the factors most influential to their college application decision-making. A multi-methods analysis found that institutional characteristics were more influential than interpersonal or informational resources used by students. More specific results revealed that size, housing, and knowing someone who attended a school predicted students' views of the school's atmosphere. Key findings are discussed and recommendations offered to address issues related to organizational image.

Differences In Selection Criteria Among Traditional Students, Adult Continuing Education Students And Graduate Students

This paper examines college selection cues and criteria differences among three important segments of students. These segments were traditional undergraduate students, adult continuing education students and graduate students. There were significant differences among the a-priori defined segments.

Factors Influencing College Selection by NCAA Division I, II, and III Softball Student-Athletes

The purpose of this investigation was to examine factors influencing college selection by NCAA Division I, II and III softball players. The Influential Factors Survey for Student-Athletes was used to collect data from 21 teams representing 323 female collegiate softball student-athletes. Descriptive statistics showed the most influential factors were: university offers specific major of interest, academic reputation of university, coach's personality/style, academic facilities, opportunity to play early in career, and graduation rate of athletes. Descriptive analysis further revealed the academics category to have the greatest overall influence in the college selection process. A MANOVA revealed significant differences in the college selection process by softball student-athletes at NCAA Division I, II, and III institutions (<i>p</i> < .05). Recommendations for collegiate softball coaches and athletic department personnel as well as for future research are discussed.

Gender Differences in the College and Career Aspirations of High School Valedictorians

Valedictorian profiles published in a regional newspaper for the 2003, 2004, and 2005 graduating classes in the Research Triangle area of central North Carolina revealed graduates' aspirations, in terms of intended college major, the selectivity of chosen college, and future labor market earnings in intended careers. Based on 92 profiles, female valedictorians were equally likely to intend to major in a field in the sciences but were more likely to intend to major in fields in the humanities and social sciences; were less likely to intend to major in mathematics, computer science, or engineering; and were planning careers in lower paying occupations. The female valedictorians were also, on average, planning to attend less selective colleges. In examining the future career aspirations of the male and female students, female valedictorians chose, on average, lower paying careers. This difference mimics the current gender gap in pay equity. Although there have been many studies that examined the career intentions of high-achieving students, the college selection process merits more attention. In addition, counselors should not only encourage females to pursue interests in mathematics and sciences, but also encourage male students to pursue interests in the humanities.

College Selection Can Be a Dizzying Experience

On a typically busy day at the office you are paged by one of the telephone triage nurses. She tells you there is an upset mother on the phone who wants to talk with you about her daughter, who may have had a seizure.

Quality, tuition, and applications to in-state public colleges

This paper investigates the main determinants of applying to in-state public colleges and universities. I use data from over 500,000 SAT and ACT test takers to examine the roles of college quality and tuition in the college selection decision. I take advantage of the interstate variation in quality and tuition at the public flagship universities in each state to examine these influences empirically. The main finding is that student willingness to pay for quality is quite large. a one standard deviation increase across states in college quality at the flagship school is estimated to have an equal but opposite effect on student applications as a 70–80% increase in in-state tuition.

Gender Differences in Students' and Parents' Evaluative Criteria When Selecting a College

ABSTRACT Evaluation of gender differences between students and between parents based on the perceived financial, social, psychological, physical, and functional risks associated with college selection. Nineteen criteria associated with these risks were evaluated for significant gender differences as well as for their level of importance by gender in the selection process. Student gender differences were financial aid, security, academics, friendly atmosphere and religious atmosphere. Parent gender differences were financial aid and degrees offered. Within both groups, females possessed a higher mean. The most important criterion for female students and parents was academics; for male students it was tuition.

Perceived Risk in College Selection: Differences in Evaluative Criteria Used by Students and Parents

ABSTRACT Students and parents base college selection on how well the college will overcome the perceived financial, social, psychological, physical, and functional risks associated with the college experience. Nineteen criteria associated with these risks were evaluated for significant differences between students and parents as well as for their level of importance in the selection process. Significant differences were found with regards to financial aid, security/safety, weather, professors, marriage prospects, athletics, and reputation of the school. The most important criterion for both students and parents was the academics of the institution. Only seven of the top ten criteria were the same.

An Exploratory Study of Factors Influencing the College Choice Decision of Undergraduate Students in Malaysia

The higher education services industry in Malaysia has been given a boost in the 1990s by the Government's policy liberalization and quite ironically, the Asian financial crisis. More students are now opting to study locally instead of going abroad. However, with the myriad of institutions and courses around, it is very difficult to understand how students select colleges of their choice. This study seeks to explore the criteria with which students select their tertiary institutions. In essence, we would try to establish the ranking of variables thought to be important for college selection. Also, the degree of influence by external sources on students' decisions would also be gauged. A total of 210 respondents from the Klang Valley were surveyed in this study. They comprised first-year undergraduate students from four public universities and four private establishments. The data collected from the survey was analyzed using the SPSS programme. A series of analyses, including descriptive and factor analysis were conducted on the data. The results validated three of the four hypotheses of the research. It confirms that student selection of colleges actually depends on several criteria, including academic quality, facilities, campus surroundings, and personal characteristics. It also validates the contention that income affects the choice of students along the public-private education divide.

A visualization model based on adjacency data

In this paper, we describe a model whose focus is on data visualization. We assume the data are provided in adjacency format, as is frequently the case in practice. As an example, individuals who buy item a are likely to buy or consider buying items b, c, and d, also. We present a simple technique for obtaining distance measures between data points. Armed with the resulting distance matrix, we show how Sammon maps can be used to visualize the data points. An application to the college selection process is discussed in detail.

An Investigation of the Pre-Eminent Assumptions of Selectors Underlying the Admission of Candidates to the MA (Clin. Psych.) Programme at the University of the Witwatersrand

This pilot study identified categories of variables that determine the suitability or unsuitability of applicants to the University of the Witwatersrand's clinical training programme. The variables were identified by members of the University's Selection Committee from archival protocols of past applicants. The categories were grouped into four core categories: ‘secure sense of self’ ‘capacity for libidinal investment in others’, ‘flexibility’ and ‘academic ability’. The criteria recognized as being important for selection suggest that candidates are sought who display, or have the potential to develop, the dynamic capacities required to deliver investigative psychoanalytic/psychodynamic psycho-therapy.

Comparison of SPRT and Sequential Bayes Procedures for Classifying Examinees Into Two Categories Using a Computerized Test

Many testing applications focus on classifying examinees into one of two categories (e.g., pass/fail) rather than on obtaining an accurate estimate of level of ability. Examples of such applications include licensure and certification, college selection, and placement into entry-level or developmental college courses. With the increased availability of computers for the administration and scoring of tests, computerized testing procedures have been developed for efficiently making these classification decisions. The purpose of the research reported in this article was to compare two such procedures, one based on the sequential probability ratio test and the other on sequential Bayes methodology, to determine which required fewer items for classification when the procedures were matched on classification error rates. The results showed that under the conditions studied, the SPRT procedure required fewer test items than the sequential Bayes procedure to achieve the same level of classification accuracy.

The College Selection Process: You Can Take Charge!

The College Selection Process: You Can Take Charge!

The effects of selection for lean growth in Suffolk sires on the saleable meat yield of their crossbred progeny

AbstractThis experiment involved a commercial evaluation of carcasses of extensively reared crossbred lambs. These were sired by Suffolk rams from either a selection line or a control line of a Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) selection experiment, in which selection wasfor lean growth, or by Suffolk ‘reference sires’ from an industry co-operative breeding scheme (SSRS). The lambs were slaughtered at a target live weight of 42 kg between June and October 1992. In total, 421 lamb carcasses were included in the evaluation, 173 from six selection-line rams, 193 from six control-line rams and 55from three SSRS rams. Each of the carcasses was visually appraised for estimated subcutaneous fat proportion and for conformation of the shoulder, loin and leg, as well as being classified using conventional Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) scales for fat and conformation. Animals were slaughtered at an average age of 139·5 (s.d. 25·6) days and achieved an average cold carcass weight of 20·04 (s.d. 0·96) kg. Carcasses had an average estimated subcutaneous fat proportion of 122·3 (s.d. 22·4) g/kg — equivalent to MLC fat class 3L to 3H. Overall conformation scores, on a 15-point scale, averaged 8·63 (s.d. 1·80) points. Carcasses were cut into joints according to a leading supermarket specification. The weights of pairs of shoulder, flank, loin and leg joints were obtained for each carcass, as well as weights of bone and fat removed during jointing. Saleable meat weights and proportions averaged 15·31 (s.d. 0·76) kg and 765·9 (s.d. 10·0) g/kg respectively. At a constant carcass weight, the SAC selection-line progeny were significantly younger (-11 days), had a significantly higher carcass value (+£1·50), a significantly lower estimated subcutaneous fat proportion (-13 g/kg), and a significantly higher weight of saleable meat (+0·1 kg) and higher proportion ofsaleable meat (+4 glkg) than control-line progeny, but had lower conformation scores. SSRS progeny had similar growth and fatness to selection-line lambs, but had poorer conformation, and significantly more bone in the carcass than either of the SAC lines. When comparisons were made at a constant estimated subcutaneous fat proportion, all differences in conformation between SAC lines disappeared. However, SSRS progeny remained poorer in conformation. The SSRS rams werefrom afoundation generation of the scheme, and were not expected to be markedly superior for carcass characteristics. Carcass weight was byfar the most important predictor of weight of saleable meat, or leg and loin joint weights. Conformation and estimated fat proportion made only marginal improvements, if any, to the precision of prediction, with fat proportion being the more important of the two predictors.

Moving to the next generation: Aston University's selection and implementation of Galaxy 2000

In the summer of 1993, Aston University Library &amp; Information Services decided to replace its library housekeeping system, Geac 9000. Most of the detailed evaluation of potential systems was carried out between May 1994 and March 1995. In April 1995 Aston chose Galaxy 2000 from DS Ltd. Installation of the new system was carried out during the summer vacation and completed just in time for the start of the new academic year. By the end of 1995, the rich functionality Aston enjoyed on its old system was virtually all available on the new one, and additional features, such as self‐issue, inter‐library loans and a Web catalogue interface, were under development.

Logit estimation of a gravity model of the college enrollment decision

A set of students who had been accepted at a particular university was examined to determine the factors influencing a student's decision to enroll at that school. A gravity model predicted that distance is an important determinant of the enrollment decision. The student's ability level, by influencing the student's other options, also was expected to have an impact on the decision. Logit analysis confirmed these predictions. While other variables, such as family income and program of study, may have an impact on earlier stages of the college selection decision, those variables do not influence the final stage of that decision.

A decision support system for college selection

In this changing society the importance of higher education is increasing more than ever before. The selection of an appropriate university or college is of vital importance to the student for acquisition of proper educational experience. There are thousands of universities and colleges in the United States and Canada. The information available to students about each college is plentiful but is rather tedious to be obtained. The decision process of college selection is further complicated by many factors such as tuition, location, rank, size of the universities, and so forth. These factors play an important role in the final selection of a college. Therefore, a computer-based decision support system is developed in this paper to help users make better decisions in the selection of a college. This college selection decision support system is designed to be menu-driven and highly user-friendly with a “Help” utility. Many “what-if” scenarios are also available in this system. It can be run on any IBM XT/AT or compatible machines with a DOS environment. It will allow users to make better decisions in their college selection process.