School Admissions Research Articles

Is Affirmative Action Justified in School Admission Processes?

From 1961 onwards, affirmative action has been a critical part of American legislation to combat societal discrimination and inequality. The recent Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard case has brought the discussion of the justification of affirmative action back to the public eye. Giving college admission chances to students with lower academic achievement across the board only because of the social identification they behold should not be considered just. This article argues against the common ideas withheld by supporters of affirmative action. The old ideas of repayment for past evil deeds could not stand as a fair argument, and the long-term social benefit of affirmative action signifies it could not stand from a practical standpoint. Most importantly, the strengthening awareness of social identities would lead to more profound discrimination and a chaotic society.

Designing a Situational Judgment Test for Use in Medical School Admissions.

It has long been acknowledged that professional competencies are required for success in medical school, residency training, and medical practice. Over the last decade, medical schools have begun to introduce standardized assessments of professional competencies, but many still rely on interviews to assess these competencies, which occur after about half of the applicant pool has already been screened out. In this article, the authors discuss the development, evaluation, and launch of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) situational judgment test (SJT) for use in medical school admissions. The AAMC SJT is designed to assess an examinee's understanding of effective and ineffective behaviors related to the core competencies for entering medical students, including service orientation, social skills, cultural competence, teamwork, ethical responsibility to self and others, reliability and dependability, resilience and adaptability, and capacity for improvement. The authors evaluate the evidence for the need for SJTs in medical school admissions by exploring common derailers in medical school, gaps in the admissions process regarding information about professional competencies, and the challenge of conducting holistic review in a high-volume context. They summarize existing research from the employment, international medical education, and residency selection contexts suggesting that SJT scores are positively associated with subsequent performance and may add value to the admissions process. The authors discuss 5 goals that were the foundation for developing the AAMC SJT: (1) assess the professional competencies needed for success in medical school using a proven method, (2) enable holistic review in a high-volume admissions context, (3) create and share a program of research to support the appropriate use of SJT scores, (4) signal the need for preparation in professionalism to learners, and (5) balance the need for a new assessment with minimizing the burden and risk for applicants.

A geographic-location-based medical school admissions process does not influence pre-clerkship and licensing examination academic performance.

Students are selected for admission to the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University (NOSM U) MD degree program using criteria aiming to maximize access of persons thought most likely to practice in the region, including use of a geographic context score (GCS) which ranks those with lived experience in northern Ontario and/or rurality most highly. This study investigates the effect of this admissions process upon medical school academic performance. We used a retrospective cohort design combined with multiple linear regression analysis to investigate the relationship between admission scores and performance on pre-clerkship courses, and the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam Part 1 (MCCQE1).The GCS did not significantly explain performance variance on any pre-clerkship course, nor on the MCCQE1, while the undergraduate Grade Point Average correlated with most assessment scores. The number of prior undergraduate biomedical courses predicted science and clinical skills performance, particularly in Year 1, but not with MCCQE1 scores. Performance on Year 2 courses, particularly foundational sciences and clinical skills, significantly predicted MCCQE1 scores. Our data suggest that admission geographic context scoring is unrelated to future academic performance. Further, students with fewer prior undergraduate biomedical courses may benefit from increased support and/or a modified program during the early years.

Differences in support within the social science graduate admissions pipeline

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand demographic group (race, first-generation college graduate, gender, age) differences among perceived family and faculty social and family financial support within the US graduate school admissions pipeline in the social sciences.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from a cross-sectional convenience sample survey (N = 99), this paper looks at ordinal social support variables (faculty member support, family social support and family financial support) by demographic groups. This paper uses a Mann–Whitney U test to compare first-generation status, race and gender and a Kruskal–Wallis H test to compare age groups.FindingsThis paper finds that applicants over 27 years old had significantly less faculty support in the graduate admissions pipeline compared to other age groups; differences in faculty support across race were marginally significant (p = 0.057). Regarding family social support, this paper finds first-generation applicants, male applicants and applicants over 27 years old report lower levels of support. Finally, this paper finds first-generation applicants and applicants over 27 years old report lower levels of familial financial support.Originality/valuePrevious literature on graduate admissions – published in this journal (Pieper and Krsmanovic, 2022) and others – does not consider experiences up to and before applicants hit the “submit” button on graduate applicants, which the authors term the graduate admissions pipeline. Instead, most previous literatures focus on faculty committees and validity of required application materials. Thus, this study begins to answer Posselt and Grodsky’s (2017) call to develop an understanding of applicant experiences and support within the graduate admissions pipeline.

Awareness and uptake of pre-conceptional genotype screening among pregnant women in South-South Nigeria

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is an inheritable genetic disease occurring worldwide. Nigeria is regarded as the epicenter of the disease, with a high number of SCD babies born annually. The risk of having an SCD baby remains high once there is a union between two heterozygous couple; therefore, it is imperative for intending couples to know their genotypes before marriage and conception. Currently, it is only the churches that insist on genotype before marriage. The result subsequently is a marriage between a heterozygous couple with a high possibility of the birth of an SCD baby. This cross-sectional study surveyed 430 consecutive consenting antenatal clinic clients presenting for booking in Central Hospital, Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria. The women completed a questionnaire with sections on sociodemographic attributes, awareness of their SCD and their genotype, awareness of their partner’s genotype, source of information, and ways to improve uptake of preconception genotype screening. The age range 25-34 years constituted 68.1% of the study population, with the majority of them (95.1%) of the Christian faith. Married women form 90.1% of the participants. Only 55.1% of the participants were aware of their genotype before conception. Higher education, being a Christian, marital status, and the type of marriage significantly affected patients’ awareness of their genotype. The majority of them heard about genotype screening from a health professional (30.5%), while the commonest reasons why many of them did genotype screening were for school admission 13.3%, for knowledge’s sake (12.1%) and as a requirement for marriage (24.7%). Some of the ways suggested to help increase the uptake of genotype screening include community meetings, text and WhatsApp messages, television and radio messages. Despite the fact that Nigeria remains the epicenter of SCD in the world, the uptake of preconception genotype screening is still low. The government, health workers, churches and marriage counselors, and the community have a major role to play in increasing the awareness and uptake of preconception genotype screening.

Impact of medical students’ socioeconomic backgrounds on medical school application, admission and migration in Japan: a web-based survey

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to clarify and compare the socioeconomic backgrounds of medical students with those of other health professions and non-health faculty students in an era of...

630 Diversifying a Surgical Workforce Starts from Creation of an Inclusive Medical School Application Process

Abstract Aim The Royal College of Surgeons from England identified 20% of their surgical leadership were from BAME communities. This underrepresentation precedes core surgical training, stemming from unique barriers to medical school admissions encountered by students from widening participation (WP) backgrounds. Recent application data states only 12% of total medical applicants identified as BAME. St George’s Medical Education Society aims to equalise the platform by supporting aspiring widening participation medics via the formal establishment of our ‘WP Zone’ in 2021. Method Over two years, we have taught these students over different elements of the medicine application through outlets such as social media, interview preparation webinars and an in-person mock multiple mini-interview (MMI). Feedback forms using 5-Point Likert Scales measured changes in student confidence before and after sessions. Results Combined engagement on social media rose by 40% upon introduction of WP posts. There was an increase of 53% observed in the subsequent month during inauguration of interview webinars and the mock MMI. The MMI webinar (n = 169) demonstrated a 20% mean increase in understanding. Furthermore, 57% of students found the support by our WP zone more helpful than individual school resources. The in-person mock MMI session (n = 68) displayed a 50% increase in students feeling more prepared for MMI interviews. Conclusions The above results demonstrate the WP zone making positive strides in creating an inclusive medicine application process. This has implications not only for increasing representation in surgery but strives to tackle structural injustices that prevent administration of optimal health care in minorities.

Re‐examining the functioning of educational markets: Does the private‐subsidised sector contribute to school diversification?

AbstractThis article offers new empirical evidence regarding the limits of the premises of educational privatisation policies. Educational markets rely on the assumption that private participation has the potential to boost school diversification and open new educational opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Using a fresh empirical approach, we draw on the Chilean case to investigate this rationale, which remains a controversial issue in the global educational discussion regarding privatisation. We examine the assumption of diversification by analysing three aspects: the attributes used by private subsidised schools to position themselves in the educational market (‘Value Proposition’), the extent to which they embody these stated attributes and the alignment between them and parental preferences. Based on surveys and administrative records, our findings suggest that although schools display clear identities to position themselves in the educational market, there is also a mismatch between what some types of schools offer and what families receive. Our data also reveal a high level of social stratification between school types which cannot only be explained based on parental preferences or school admissions. We interpret the unfulfilled promise of diversification as a failure in the privatisation process. Based on these findings, we discuss the policy‐related factors of incoherent and unequal diversification in the Chilean educational system.

Affirmative Action Ruled Unconstitutional

This Viewpoint reviews how the recent US Supreme Court decision regarding affirmative action affects extant medical school admission policies seeking to enhance diversity of the national medical student body and its derivative national health care workforce.

School admissions and educational justice: Parents' moral dilemmas facing the new Chilean school admission system

In the context of the increased interest in social justice within education policy debates, this article addresses the new justice-oriented school admission system implemented in Chile. Considering the critical role of parents in education policy, we explore families’ negotiations about the new school admission system, focusing on the moral dilemmas they experience when confronted with changes in the rules that organize the distribution of school seats and the notions of educational justice they adhere to. We draw on interviews with 80 families from different social classes and belonging to five regions of Chile who were choosing a school under the new school admission system. Our findings underline that—while families tend to agree with the principle of equal formal opportunities in the school admission field—the reform brings in a set of moral dilemmas and competing notions of justice that encompass its different components. Based on these findings, we shed light on the distance between policy intention and interpretation, and between abstract conceptualizations of justice in educational policies and what counts as just policies in families’ views. In addition, we outline a set of implications for justice-oriented reforms worldwide.

A qualitative study of LGBTQIA+ genetic counselors' experiences while applying to graduate school.

Research has shown that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQIA+) healthcare students experience discrimination during admissions and training. While several studies have examined the experiences of racial and ethnic minorities within the genetic counseling field, the admissions experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals have not been explored. Through semi-structured interviews, this qualitative study investigated the experiences of ten LGBTQIA+ genetic counselors and genetic counseling students during graduate school admissions. Interview questions focused on participants' perceptions of the genetic counseling field prior to applying, important factors in choosing and ranking programs, decisions surrounding disclosure of LGBTQIA+ identities, interview experiences related to their identities, and the impacts, if any, of their identities on their overall admissions journey. Transcripts were coded and analyzed utilizing a constructivist grounded theory approach, resulting in the emergence of themes regarding factors that influenced participants' decisions to disclose their identity and how their LGBTQIA+ identity factored into their selection of a training program. This study adds new perspectives to the conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion within the genetic counseling field. Further, it provides genetic counselors and genetic counseling programs insight into inclusive admissions processes and suggests ways to improve inclusivity in graduate admissions.

Full-time schools and educational trajectories: Evidence from high-stakes exams

This paper estimates the effects of extending the school day during elementary school on students’ educational outcomes later in life. The analysis takes place in the context of a large-scale program introduced in 2007 that extended the school day from 4.5 to 8 h in Mexico City’s metropolitan area. The identification strategy leverages cohort-by-cohort variation in full-time enrollment in elementary schools. The results indicate that full-time elementary schools have positive and long-lasting effects on students’ performance, increasing high-stakes high school admission test scores by 4.8 percent of a standard deviation. The effects are larger for females than for males. The difference in the effects between males and females of 2.1 percent of a standard deviation represents 16% of the gender gap in the high school admission exam. Moreover, full-time schooling decreases the probability of delays in schooling completion.

A brief report of aspiring medical student perceptions and behaviours concerning research experiences for selection into Canadian medical schools.

Aspiring medical students behave based on their perception of what is valued in the selection process. While research experience is not explicitly considered in most Canadian admissions policies, it is commonly held as valuable within aspiring medical student communities. The purpose of this study is to describe the perceptions and behaviours of aspiring medical students with respect to gaining research experience in support of their medical school applications. We surveyed prospective applicants of Canadian medical schools between August 2021 and November 2021, then compiled descriptive statistics pertaining to their perceptions and behaviours. Respondents affirmed the belief that research experience is valued in medical school admissions processes. They reported spending approximately 13 hours per week engaged in research, which usually did not yield publication or presentation recognition. Aspiring medical students invest substantial time and energy in research experiences to benefit their applications. There is room for medical schools to be more transparent about the value of research experience in their admissions processes.

Challenges Faced by High School Students in Thailand When Preparing for Medical School Admissions: A Comparative Study of Regular Thai Programmes and International Schools

This research examines varying levels of educational, motivational, social, and financial challenges perceived by Thai high school students when preparing for medical school admission. Based on a quantitative survey of 100 students attending either a regular Thai school programme or an international school programme, we present their perceived levels of stress, the comparison of the stress levels between students from the two school systems, and the comparison of the stress levels between different grade levels. The paired t-test revealed that the greatest challenge faced by the student participants was related to the educational aspects, followed by motivational, social, and financial aspects. In addition, the independent t-test revealed that Year 12 students exhibited the highest level of perceived stress compared to their high school peers (Year 11 and Year 13). In addition, students enrolled in regular Thai programmes reported a higher level of overall perceived stress than those enrolled in international programmes. The findings suggest that policies and programmes designed to address the educational, motivational, social, and financial challenges of high school students in Thailand to ensure that all students have the opportunity to pursue their academic and professional objectives in the field of medicine.

The cost of strategy-proofness in school choice

We compare the outcomes of the most prominent strategy-proof and stable algorithm (Deferred Acceptance, DA) and the most prominent strategy-proof and Pareto optimal algorithm (Top Trading Cycles, TTC) to the allocation generated by the rank-minimizing mechanism (RM). While one would expect that RM improves upon both DA and TTC in terms of rank efficiency, the size of the improvement is nonetheless surprising. Moreover, while it is not explicitly designed to do so, RM also significantly improves the placement of the worst-off student. Furthermore, RM generates less justified envy than TTC. We corroborate our findings using data on school admissions in Budapest.

Medical students' perception of their 'distance travelled' in medical school applications.

Within medical school's holistic review of applicants includes a review of their distance travelled to get to this point in their education. The AAMC defines distance travelled (DT) as, 'any obstacles or hardships you've overcome to get to this point in your education or any life challenges you've faced and conquered'. What medical students consider as their distance travelled has not been explored. The authors sought to identify the factors medical students perceive are important for medical school admissions to consider when assessing someone's 'distance travelled' by asking current medical students to share their DT experiences along with the barriers and facilitators they encountered on their medical school journey. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with US medical students through purposeful sampling methods. The social-ecological model framework was used to develop questions to elicit participants' experiences that contributed to their distance travelled. Interviews were conducted in 2021 and ranged from 60-75 minutes. Transcribed interviews were qualitatively analysed using interpretive description. A total of 31 medical students from seven medical schools were included in the study. Overall, participants defined distance travelled as an applicant's hardships (e.g. being the primary caregiver for a family member) and privileges (e.g. having physician parents) they experienced. Three major themes were identified: (1) individual-level characteristics and factors, (2) interpersonal relationships and (3) aspects of the participants' community and society. Our findings show that medical school applicants considered DT to be a valuable component of a holistic medical school admission process. Participants' experiences of DT were varied and complex. Our research suggests that admissions teams for medical schools should incorporate more comprehensive recruitment practices and inclusive methodological frameworks to accurately capture the diversity of identities and experiences of medical school applicants and to consider the factors that shape their journey to medical schools.

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Medical School Admissions in Canada

Medical schools promote admission pathways as well as diversity and inclusivity to prospective students who are underrepresented in medicine (UIM) primarily via their websites. Research from organizational structures supports the use of instrumental values (which focus on behavior and core beliefs), rather than terminal values (which focus on the end goal), to promote diversity. To characterize the use of instrumental and terminal values to promote institutional diversity and inclusivity on Canadian medical school websites. This qualitative study analyzed the contents and themes of Canadian medical school websites based on a theoretical value framework and an organizational diversity management framework. A literature review was conducted to explore the use of instrumental and terminal values in promoting diversity and inclusivity, and a codebook was created that outlined the characteristics of these values. The content of all application pathway websites for UIM applicants to all Canadian medical schools was coded between July and August 2022. Use of terminal vs instrumental values across the UIM-targeted admission websites of medical schools. Twenty-two websites for 17 Canadian medical schools were included. Content on most of these websites promoted diversity in response to government policies or public accountability and often supported a dominant culture while treating diversity as an exception. The use of terminal rather than instrumental values was also more prominent on websites that targeted Indigenous prospective students compared with Black prospective students and applicants with lower socioeconomic status (11 [50%] websites vs 5 [23%] and 4 [18%] websites). Instrumental values, although seldom used, promoted diversity as a means to improve health care and training for all students in a program. Results of this qualitative study suggested that medical schools in Canada promoted diversity and inclusivity to prospective students primarily as an end goal rather than as a core value. Medical schools should highlight the benefits of diverse lived experiences and reinforce their commitment to diversity and inclusion by aligning their website content with their ongoing work in this area.

Rebuilding a Reproductive Future Informed by Disability and Reproductive Justice.

Rebuilding a Reproductive Future Informed by Disability and Reproductive Justice.

Determinants of First College Major Choice among Yarmouk University Students and Estimating their Scaling Values Using Three Scaling Methods

The study aimed at determining the determinants of first college major choice for Yarmouk University students, and estimating their scaling values using three different scaling methods, and determining the extent of agreement among these methods. To achieve the purpose of the study, (165) male and female students from the university colleges volunteered to determine the determinants primarily, and two equivalent samples with regard to gender and college type were used to collect the scaling data. The first consisted of (120) male and female students studying a major which is their first choice, the second consisted of (120) male and female students studying a major differs from their first choice. The scaling values on importance scale were estimated using the Law of Comparative Judgments, Direct Estimation and the Law of Catogerical Judgments. The results showed that the most important major choice determinants are: opportunities to obtain work, secondary school exam scores mean, personal desire, and admission opportunities. Also, it was found that there was a consistency among scaling methods in ranking the determinants on the importance scale.

Choice and consequence: Assessing mismatch at Chicago exam schools

The educational mismatch hypothesis asserts that students are hurt by affirmative action policies placing them in selective schools for which they wouldn’t otherwise qualify. We evaluate mismatch in Chicago’s selective public exam schools, which admit students using neighborhood-based diversity criteria as well as test scores. Regression discontinuity estimates for applicants favored by affirmative action indeed show no gains in reading and negative effects of exam school attendance on math scores and four-year college enrollment. But these results are similar for more- and less-selective schools and for applicants more and less likely to benefit from affirmative action, a pattern inconsistent with mismatch. We show that Chicago exam school effects are determined largely by the schools attended when not offered an exam school seat. In particular, apparent mismatch is explained by the fact that exam school admission diverts many applicants from high-performing Noble Network charter schools, where they would have done well. Consistent with these findings, exam schools reduce math scores for applicants applying from high-quality charter schools in another large urban district. Exam school applicants’ previous achievement, race, and other demographic characteristics that are sometimes said to mediate student-school matching play no role in this story.