Amsterdam University College · Basic admission standard: secondary school diploma equivalent to the Dutch VWO, e.g. International Baccalaureate AUC selects students on the basis

Selective admission in Dutch university education: emerging policy and practices Amsterdam University College Dr. Belinda Stratton, AUC Admissions Officer

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Goal of admissions

To admit excellent students who complete their AUC studies successfully, and through this to contribute to the mission of AUC The admissions process must be Fair Transparent Efficient Secure “Humane” (never forget you are dealing with human beings) Sustainable/structural

30 May 2012 Selective admission in Dutch university education

Selective admission in Dutch university education 3

Understanding admission at AUC

• Literature review

• External (peer) review of the procedure and its outcomes

• Institutional research

30 May 2012

Selective admission: lessons from the past All systems have their own history of selection, inclusion/

exclusion (gender, race, age, … ).

Challenge = balancing excellence and access – diversity

US experiences:

• Ivy League / the big three (Harvard, Yale, Princeton) and how to exclude “socially undesirable students”

• Criteria of academic performance vs subjective criteria such as “character”, “personality” and “leadership”

Selective admission in Dutch university education 4 30 May 2012

Selective admission in Dutch university education 5

Soft indicators, the role of cultural capital • Cultural capital consists of familiarity with the dominant culture in a

society. The possession of cultural capital varies with social class, yet the education system assumes the possession of cultural capital. The criteria of university gatekeepers/examiners reflect the values of the dominant classes. This makes it very difficult for lower class pupils to succeed in the education system.

• The more vague the demands of the gatekeepers/examiners are, the

more important the role of cultural knowledge in meeting them, the less chance students from the lower classes will have.

• The extent to which a candidate possesses cultural capital is particularly influential in selection systems that are based on or make use of “soft indicators”.

The Chosen: The Hidden History of Admission and Exclusion at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton

Jerome Karabel “shines a light on the ever-changing definition of “merit” in college admissions”

30 May 2012

Selection methods and the predictive value of criteria Selection is expected to contribute to excellence

Excellence = “Study success” in terms of:

• Study progress (credits earned) • Study performance (grades obtained) • Time to degree, completion/graduation rates

Dutch research literature:

• Selection of students enhances their motivation and commitment to study

• Selection of students leads to higher learning efficiency and lower drop out rates

• Selection leads to a higher quality of the teaching and learning process

International research literature: • Strong positive correlation (0.88) between selectivity and graduation

rates across a large range of public universities in the US.


Selection methods and the predictive value of criteria (cont.)

Type of criteria to be used Dutch research literature:

• criteria that can be affected by the candidate him/herself (the “merit

model”)

• i.e. selection on the basis of previous educational achievements measured in terms of a (final examination) grade point average (GPA) or a GPA for certain specific subjects.

• basically all means which may be considered an indication of a

relationship with future academic performance (the “efficiency model”)

• such as tests, personality data, estimates of motivation and

interest, etc.



Merit model preferred

• Because past performance is best predictor for comparable

performance later on • GPA is better predictor than standardised test scores • Generates commitment and stimulates motivation • Measuring motivation, attitude, commitment, perseverance on the

basis of essays, motivation letters or interviews: unreliable

International research literature: • Cumulative GPA better predictor than standardised test scores (e.g.

SAT, CLA) • And offer fewer disadvantages to candidates from minorities/more

likely to promote equity



Predictive value of GPA can be influenced by differences in

school level • UK & USA • Netherlands:

• increasing discrepancy between school-based exams and national written examinations (VWO)

• Negative effects of early streaming

Selection methods based on “motivation” • weak validity and reliability • influence of cultural capital


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AUC's admission policy AUC is a selective honours college

Basic admission standard: secondary school diploma

equivalent to the Dutch VWO, e.g. International Baccalaureate AUC selects students on the basis of:

• academic excellence (GPA on entry: average is 7.5+) • good proven level of proficiency in English and mathematics • motivation and ambition to study an intensive and broad programme • commitment to contribute to AUC's international student and campus

life as expressed in:

• a personal statement (letter of motivation) • letters of endorsement or recommendation

from (former) teachers and/or head of secondary school

• an application essay (optional)

Selective admission in Dutch university education 30 May 2012

AUC’s admissions process

1. Application (online)

2. Meet minimum requirements (Admissions Office) • VWO-equivalent diploma/education • English requirement • Maths requirement

3. Review (Admissions Office/Faculty)

• Selection for interview

4. Interview (Faculty) • Recommendation on offer of place

5. Admissions Committee

• Decision on offer of place • If accepted: enrolment

30 May 2012 Selective admission in Dutch university education 11

Review: selection for interview

• All admissible applicants are passed for review

• Past academic performance is assessed at review stage: Admissions Office

• Criteria for review by Admissions Office established by Admissions Committee

• Decision of Admissions Office: interview or consultation (identify underachievers)

• Consultation with faculty member: decision interview or no interview

• Appeal (second review)


Admissions interview

• Face-to-face or Skype, 20-25 minutes

• Admissions Team of interviewers (faculty members): trained

• Blocks of interviews on Wednesdays and Thursdays

• Single interviewer/two interviewers

• Interview assessment form

• Final recommendation

• Special flags

Interview is not about assessing academic performance. Important for defining choice of student and programme. “Handle with care”, subjective interpretation of soft criteria.


After interview

• Interviewer completes assessment form, including final recommendation (scale 1 to 5)

• Recommendation goes to Admissions Committee

• Admissions Committee decides on offers

• Review and interview: individual merit

• Admissions Committee: balance of cohort

Monitoring male/female (ideally 50:50), Dutch/international (ideally 50:50) and prospective majors (ideally 50% Science majors)

• Checks, feedback • No offer: appeal to Admissions Committee


Interview scores

Factor analysis of interview scores: Four factors cluster strongly related variables

Strongest: academic profile – likelihood to succeed/final advice

Correlations with study success Strongest: Academic Performance GPA .55 CP .38 Final advice GPA .33 CP .19 Compare with sec. school GPA (Dutch VWO): GPA .70 CP .47


Study success

GPA and Credit Points at AUC in relation to secondary school GPA

• Dutch VWO

GPA/AUC CP/AUC

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Correlations VWO IB Abitur SecSchGPA - AUC.GPA .70 .47 .58 SecSchGPA - AUC.CP .47 .22 .27

1,72,02,32,73,03,33,74,04,3

5 6 7 8 9 10

SS.GPA

GPA

.AU

C

42

48

54

60

66

5 6 7 8 9 10

SS.GPAC

P.A

UC


Comparing AUC to UvA/VU programmes: secondary school GPA


Comparing AUC to UvA/VU programmes: ECs


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Selective admission at AUC

• Secondary school GPA is best predictor of study success at AUC in terms of: • Study progress (credits earned) • Study performance (grades obtained)

• Correlations (for VWO for year 1) :

• Secondary school GPA – AUC GPA: .70 • Secondary school GPA – AUC CP: .47

• Interviews

• little predictive value for study success • pitfalls related to the role of cultural capital • useful for refining the student’s choice for the programme

• “Motivation”: operationalised in terms of (elements of) deliberate study choice

Selective admission in Dutch university education 30 May 2012

Excellence and Diversity in a Global City mission completed?

Facts:

• 50% international students /

15% non-western minority

• Selectivity rate: ca. 20%

• GPA: 80% honours (> 3.0)

• Retention: > 90% / full credit load earned

by 95%

• 65% faculty with international background

• 30% PhD from top-100 university

(Shanghai)

• Average teacher / course quality: 4.2 (/5)

• Study abroad: 30-35%

• Scholarship students: 10-15%

• 94% students find general climate at AUC

tolerant of diversity

• 85 - 90% of the students report positive

feeling of belonging

• 80% master between two to four languages

(62% at least two at the level to study;

34% three or more)

20 30 May 2012 20 Selective admission in Dutch university education

Conclusions • AUC: fostering excellence

• High study success • Low attrition

• Predicting excellence: • Strongest correlations between secondary school GPA and AUC GPA • Strong correlations between secondary school GPA and AUC CP

• Assess academic performance at review stage (secondary school GPA)

• Added value of interviews:

• Adds little to total degree of predictability of student success • But important for defining choice of student and programme • Beware subjective interpretation of soft criteria


www.auc.nl

Documents

Amsterdam University College · Basic admission standard: secondary school diploma equivalent to the Dutch VWO, e.g. International Baccalaureate AUC selects students on the basis