National Collegiate Honors Council
Date of this Version
Spring 2017
Citation
Published in Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council, Spring/Summer 2017, Volume 18. Number 1.
Abstract
Many honors programs make admissions decisions based on student high school GPA and a standardized test score. However, McKay argued that standardized test scores can be a barrier to honors program participation, particularly for minority students. Minority students, particularly Hispanic and African American students, are apt to have lower standardized test scores than other ethnic groups according to the 2013 national ACT Profile Reports on “Black/African American Students” and “Hispanic/Latino Students.” Thus, honors programs that serve high-minority populations need to find new honors program solutions that will help their university community as well as encourage a high standard of academic excellence.
While past research has questioned the usefulness of the standardized test in honors program admissions (Green & Kimbrough; Khé), less attention has been given to honors program admissions standards that work to predict success in honors programs for underserved populations. The purpose of my study is to explore this topic further. My study uses stepwise regression analyses to find high school student and institution variables that predict college-level success in honors program admissions. This study adds to past research on admission standards, arguing for more quantifiable and holistic approaches to honors program admissions that reveal a likelihood of success in honors programs and college GPA. The results of this study introduce new variables worthy of future study on the topic of honors program admissions.
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Comments
Copyright 2017 by the National Collegiate Honors Council.