Admissions Committee Charge: Make evidence-based recommendations to Congress regarding policies that...
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Transcript of Admissions Committee Charge: Make evidence-based recommendations to Congress regarding policies that...
Admissions Committee
Charge: Make evidence-based recommendations to Congress regarding policies that will maximize student success
Method: analyzed sources including• UCLA HERI study based on CIRP data that
included 56,818 students in 262 universities• IRO documents (UHH and other institutions)• Detailed outcomes for our incoming 2003 first-
time freshmen• Peer-reviewed, published research
Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) study on Cooperative Institutional Research
Program (CIRP) data• ~ 700 two-year colleges, four-year colleges and
universities administer the Freshman Survey to over 400,000 entering students during orientation/registration.
• Survey covers a characteristics including: parental income and education, ethnicity, financial aid, HS achievement / activities; educational and career plans, and values, attitudes, beliefs, and self-concept.
• “How good is your retention rate?” 2/3 of retention and graduation rate explained by student, not institutional characteristics.
• “the best way to evaluate any institution’s actual degree completion rate is to compute an “expected” degree completion rate based on the characteristics of the students when they first enroll.” (http://www.heri.ucla.edu/PDFs/DARCU_RB.PDF)
How good is our retention rate? Worst among best-prepared students
• Students with 3.3 GPA / 900 SAT or above lag the expected rate by thirty percentage points.
<800,<2.7 700-799, 2.7-3.0 800-899, 3.0-3.3 900-999, 3.3-3.7 1000+, 3.7+ 0.00%
10.00%
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30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
ExpectedActual
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What if students had graduated @ expected rates?
6 yr grad rate would be 50 %, not 30-33%.
2003 freshmen would have earned 32 more UHH degrees
<800,<2.7 700-799, 2.7-3.0 800-899, 3.0-3.3 900-999, 3.3-3.7 1000+, 3.7+ 0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
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50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
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ExpectedActual
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What predicts retention? 1/3 of variance in retention rate predicted by institutional factors
Student characteristics explain 2/3 of variance in Student characteristics explain 2/3 of variance in graduation rates; eightfold difference between graduation rates; eightfold difference between highest and lowest grouphighest and lowest group
A given student more likely to graduate from:A given student more likely to graduate from:A private institutionA private institutionA selective institution A selective institution An institution with required freshman An institution with required freshman
residency residency
A given student is less likely to graduate: A given student is less likely to graduate: If s/he majors in engineering If s/he majors in engineering From a larger institutionFrom a larger institution
Source:Astin & Oseguera, 2005. Degree Attainment at American Colleges and UniversitiesHigher Education Research Institute, Graduate School of Education, UCLA
Which factors predicting retention are under our control?
Higher selectivity Higher selectivity
Required freshman Required freshman residencyresidency
Source:Astin & Oseguera, 2005. Degree Attainment at American Colleges and UniversitiesHigher Education Research Institute, Graduate School of Education, UCLA
HSGPA / SAT still predicts grad rate at UHH even with underperformance
among top students• Our data suggest a cutoff at 3.3 HSGPA and 900 SAT
SAT < 900 OR GPA < 3.3 SAT > 900 AND GPA > 3.340% graduated within 6 years
SAT < 900 OR GPA < 3.329% graduated within 6 years
40%29%
Recommendations
• Student/ dorm ratio sufficient for a true residential campus and first year residential program
• Applicants with 3.3 HSGPA and 900 SAT or equivalent are admitted automatically.
• Applicants not meeting this guideline would submit a 1-2 paragraph essay with application
• Investigate reviving honors program• 43% of our 2009 incoming freshmen meet 3.3 and 900
New process, if publicized widely, will attract more and higher-achieving students, and will increase retention of current students (Belanger,C.,Mount,J.,&Wilson,M.2002. Institutional Image and Retention.Tertiary Education and Management,8:217-230)
Admissions at HI schools• BYUH: “Academic and personal factors are used to evaluate each applicant
for the purpose of finding the right student fit for our university. To be competitive for admissions, we encourage applicants to possess the following: ACT/ SAT of 25/1130 or higher and a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher.” http://admissions.byuh.edu/usfreshmen
• Chaminade: “GPA 2.5, SAT 900 (critical reading and math) or ACT 19” http://www.chaminade.edu/ug/apply-high_school.php
• UHM: 510 on each section of SAT or 22 ACT, 2.8 GPA, top 40% HS Rank http://www.uhm.hawaii.edu/admissions/undergrad/apply/freshman.html
• HPU: “We do not use a formula of your GPA, class rank and SAT I /ACT score to make an admission decision. We take a more holistic approach. When reviewing your transcripts we consider not just your GPA but also the strength of your class schedule, SAT I and or ACT results, extracurricular activities, the personal statement you provide and your academic area of interest. An admission decision is made based on all of these factors.”
• UHH: 3.0 GPA, no SAT requirement. If GPA is below 3.0, SAT can be used for admission on a sliding scale basis e.g. 2.6 GPA and 820 SAT
• PROPOSED UHH: 3.3 GPA, 900 SAT. If either is below, application will include an essay to be evaluated by the Admissions Committee
Proposed essay requirement• Only applicants with GPA under 3.3 or SAT under 900 will be
required to submit an essay
– more information on applicants including level of engagement in HS, which predicts NSSE scores (UGA Institutional Research Office
http://www.uga.edu/oir/reports/2008/AIR2008%20Paper%20FINAL.pdf).
– may increase commitment to UHH (Aronson E. & Mills,J. The effect of severity of
initiation on liking for a group, Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 59 (1959), pp. 177–181.)
– May raise the perceived value of admission: communicates “selectivity.”
– Research will expose applicant to positive info about UH Hilo.
– Applicants who turn in no essay or a plagiarized essay are likely to be a poor fit at UH Hilo
– Compensating committee members: way to make up cancelled course?
• Those not admitted to UHH will be welcomed to 2+2 program starting at HCC
Implementation Only institution in the system with an essay option for
those who don’t meet automatic requirements; both good (distinctive, personal) and bad (implementation hassle)
The essay will be evaluated based on a rubric. Identifying information will be redacted where possible.
Yearly training/norming sessions Release, or option for faculty with a cancelled course? The Admissions Committee will return the results to the
Admissions Office possibility for flexibility managing freshman enrollment
numbers, but “admitting one percentage point more of those who apply for undergraduate admission results,on average, in a decline of .295 percentage point in graduation rates” (Hamrick,F.A.,Schuh,J.H.,&Shelley,M.C. 2004. Predicting higher education graduation rates from institutional characteristics and resource allocation. Education Policy Analysis Archives,12(19)
Recommendations: MATH• WI program and new GE address writing; math skills
must be addressed as well• Recommend discrete math modules during the weeks
before the start of the semester, as well as throughout the year.
• Refresher, not remediation • Implementation: Content from math department, delivery
in Kilohana, administration…? – 1. Should the modules be optional, or mandatory? If they are
mandatory, what is the enforcement mechanism?– 2. Should the math placement test be mandatory, and should the
results be used to refer students to modules?– 3. Who signs off on successful completion of a module, and how
is this completion entered into the student's record?
Recommendations: Information• We don't know what happens to students who leave UH
system
– Institute systematic alumni tracking
– Annual spring semester surveys to capture intention to leave
• Admissions Committee needs regular access to data
SummaryRecommendations and to-do list: 1. Emphasis on highest “tier” has potential for highest gains in
retention2. Automatic admission to applicants with 3.3 HSGPA and 900 SAT or
equivalent; committee evaluates essays and applications for the rest. a) Form next year’s Admissions Committeeb) Integrate process with Registrar and Admissions Committeec) Design and norm rubric for evaluating student essaysd) Publicize new admissions guidelines together with new GE
3. Math refresher modules. Expected outcome: improved performance and retention in math prerequisites that are required for many STEM majors
a) Math department designs modulesb) Discuss delivery and implementation with Kilohana, Registrar
4. Next year’s Admissions Committee focus:a) Committee needs access to data beyond what is publicly available b) Bringing graduation rates of the top half of freshmen up to expected ratesc) Attracting and retaining high achieving students
Extra Info
Admissions requirements at UHH were relaxed about 10 years ago
SAT ACT 4.0+ 3.9 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.0 510-550 11
560-610 12
620-660 13
670-710 14
720-760 15
770-810 16
820-850 17
860-890 18
900-930 19
940-970 20
980-1010 21
1020-1040 22
1050-1080 23
1090-1120 24
1130-1160 25
1170-1200 26
1210-1240 27
1250-1280 28
1290-1320 29
1330-1350 30
1360-1390 31
1400-1430 32
1440-1480 33
1490-1530 34
1540-1600 35
Pre-2000 Pre-2000 requirement 2.5 requirement 2.5 GPA, 900 SATGPA, 900 SAT
Post-2000 guidelines added
Post-2000 guidelines added
HSGPA
Sat <800 800-899 900-999 1000-1099
1100-1199
1200-1299
1300+ Expected Actual % of 2003 incoming freshmen
A, A+ 4 51.2 65.2 70.4 75.7 78.9 80.4 82.6 76.80% 45.70% 11.70%
A- 3.7 53.2 52 64.7 69.9 71.7 76.8 75.3
63.00% 37.20% 26.00%
B+ 3.3 47.3 54 55.9 64.2 63.6 65.6 67.3
50.50% 30.60% 24.00%
B 3 44.5 43.1 47.3 54.1 55.4 51.9 51.3
35.00% 26.90% 26.00%
B- 2.7 35.2 41.1 37.4 49.8 44.5 43.2 26.7
29.00% 32.40% 12.30%
C+ 2.3 29.3 34.5 32.5 33.8 37.14 22.4
C 2 20.4 22 16.9 23.2 25
Graduation rate by HSGPA and SAT: National average and UHH
Attrition from STEM majors (not including Ag and Nursing)
Attrition from STEM among men and women is similar.