Post on 23-Dec-2015
Admission Decision Factors in an MBA Program: Beyond the QuantitativeEDWARD F. FRENCH, MBA, DA
INTERIM ASSOCIATE DEAN/COLLEGE OF GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
FRANKLIN PIERCE UNIVERSITY
Factors Used in Admissions Decisions?
What Factors are Important?
What is your objective in reviewing these factors?
How do you know when to make an exception?
Factors Influencing Favorable Admission Decisions
Quantitative
GMAT Scores
Undergraduate CGPA
UG Business major CGPA
What else?
Factors Influencing Favorable Admission Decisions
Qualitative
Admission essays/writing samples
Letters of Reference
Admission Interviews
What else?
NEASC and IACBE Guidance
“Students admitted to graduate degree programs are demonstrably qualified for advanced academic study” (NEASC, 2011, p.9).
Principle 7.2 of the IACBE Self-Study manual requires that the institution “should have standards in place that will help to ensure that [graduate] students have a reasonable chance to succeed in the program” (IACBE, 2011, p.74).
Research Question & Outcome Goal
Research Questions
How is the ability to succeed in a graduate program demonstrated?
Are there factors that are associated with success for students who were academically unsuccessful as undergraduate students?
Outcome Goal
An admissions model which improves the admissions process in ways that ensures applicants who meet the accreditors’ guidance are admitted notwithstanding a poor undergraduate performance.
Institution Profile
Small regional liberal arts university Traditional undergraduate college
Adult learner graduate and undergraduate college
Population Profile
All matriculated students for the academic years 2010-11 and 2011-12 with an undergraduate CGPA of less than 2.8.
30 of 157 students (19%) admitted met this criteria
Exception Student Profile
Mean Median Minimum Maximum
Standard Deviation
Undergraduate CGPA 2.49 2.51 2.08 2.79 .21
Age at Admission Decision 32.7 31.5 22 57 9.8
Years since UG Degree Conferral 9.1 7.5 0 27 8.8
Successful vs Unsuccessful Exception Students
Successful Exception Students
Completed at least 12 credits (4 courses)
Most recent CGPA is 3.0 or better
Descriptive Statistics – Exception Admitted Students
Undergraduate GPA Successful Unsuccessful
Mean 2.47 2.53
Median 2.50 2.55
Standard Deviation 0.23 0.16
Minimum 2.08 2.26
Maximum 2.79 2.75
Age at Admission Decision Successful Unsuccessful
Mean 34.3 28.2
Median 34 24
Standard Deviation 8.6 11.9
Minimum 22 22
Maximum 48 57
Descriptive Statistics – Exception Admitted Students
Years since UG Degree Conferral Successful Unsuccessful
Mean 10.9 4.1
Median 10 2
Standard Deviation 8.7 7.4
Minimum 0 0
Maximum 27 22
Descriptive Statistics – Successful Students By UG CGPA Quartile
Successful Age – Mean Age - Median
Years since UG degree conferral-
mean
Years since UG degree conferral-median
UG CGPA Mean
UG CGPA Median
Quartile 1 = UG CGPA < 2.2 39.8 41 17.0 18 2.13 2.13
Quartile 2 = UG CGPA 2.2 to 2.399 41.6 40 16.7 18 2.29 2.28
Quartile 3 = UG CGPA 2.4 to 2.599 33.5 33 8.7 9 2.48 2.50
Quartile 4 = UG CGPA 2.6 to 2.799 29.5 27 7.6 5 2.70 2.71
As age increases, undergrad CGPA decreases
Undergraduate Major For “Exception” Students
Undergraduate Major Successful Unsuccessful
# Business Degrees 7 5
# of non-business degrees 15 3
% Business Degrees 31.8% 62.5%
% of non-business degrees 68.2% 37.5%
Almost 70% of successful exception students did not have an undergraduate business degree
Reasons Used for Accepting Exception Students
Reasons For Exceptions
Professional Success Noted Length of time since UG degree conferral
Spoke to Applicant Other UG course work
Other Graduate course work Strong References
UG CGPA close to benchmark Maturity/Thoughtfulness
Well written essays
Findings
UG CGPA is similar for successful and unsuccessful exception students
Successful exception students are more likely to be:
Older (10 years based on median)
Further away from UG degree conferral (8 years based on median)
Findings
For successful exception students:
UG CGPA has less utility for older students further removed from UG degree conferral
A non-business major is more associated with success
Admission decisions for successful exception students had more support (at least 2 versus 1 reason supporting the exception).
Limitations
Subjectivity and reviewer bias
Other factors, not considered, may be important
Have the exception students completed the degree?
Conclusion/Next Steps
There are reasons beyond quantitative benchmarks to accept students who are not academically successful in their undergraduate studies into the MBA program.
Develop a formal model of admissions criteria, including both quantitative and qualitative measures. Include a feedback loop whereby the success of exception students is reviewed
periodically and if necessary, admission criteria are modified.
Develop formal definitions for exception reasons to ensure objectivity and reduce subjectivity between reviewers
Questions????