Recently, multiple studies have focused on the phenomenon of "undermatching"--when students attend a college for which they are overqualified, as measured by test scores and grades. The extant literature suggests that students who undermatch fail to maximize their potential. However, gaps remain in our knowledge about how student…

The purpose of this paper was to examine differences between undergraduate students who had multiple exposures to an assessment of moral reasoning development (DIT-2) and students of the same cohort who had fewer exposures to the same assessment. Controlling for a host of individual covariates, the analysis determined that students who took the…

Females are underrepresented in certain disciplines, which translates into their having less promising career outlooks and lower earnings. This study examines the effects of socio-economic status, academic performance, high school curriculum and involvement in extra-curricular activities, as well as self-efficacy for academic achievement on…

The purpose of this study was to illustrate the use of propensity scores for creating comparison groups, partially controlling for pretreatment course selection bias, and estimating the treatment effects of selected courses on the development of moral reasoning in undergraduate students. Specifically, we used a sample of convenience for comparing…

The American College Testing Program's College Outcome Measures Project Objective test (COMP-O) and College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ) scales for graduating college seniors were analyzed for joint factor structure at a large doctoral-granting institution. No common constructs were found in the two instruments. (Author/MSE)

An institution can test seniors with the ACT College Outcome Measures Project (COMP) exam, then subtract from the senior score an estimated freshman score. Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, indicate that this method is not reliable to make judgments about the quality of general education programs. (Author/MLW)

A study evaluated the feasibility of using students' self-reports of academic development and college experiences as substitutes for standardized test scores (proxies) or policy indicators. Results suggested self-reports should be used with care as proxies for a national test but may be used as policy indicators for improvement of undergraduate…

A study investigated variables affecting college-bound students' decisions to apply to a college after requesting that college entrance examination scores be sent to it. Results indicate that fit between the student's preferences and institutional characteristics had the most substantial impact, especially college location and test scores at or…

Regressing adjusted grade point averages (GPAs) on freshman Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores and high school GPAs increases the SAT's predictive validity. However, these adjusted SATs change only a small proportion of admissions decisions, do not increase freshman grades, but do change freshman class composition in some majors and limit…

A study investigated the effect of adding a writing measure to the Graduate Management Admission Test on the gender/ethnic composition of an admissions pool. Standardized differences from the white male reference group were computed for men and women in four ethnic/minority groups: Whites, Asian-Americans, African-Americans, and…