Sample Selection in Models of Academic Performance

Matthew J. Cushing and Mary G. McGarvey

Economic Inquiry, 2004, vol. 42, issue 2, 319-322

Abstract: This article shows how admission and enrollment processes affect the interpretation of simple validation studies of academic performance. In a competitive market for students, optimal behavior of admissions committees and applicants drives the simple correlation between test scores and performance toward zero, regardless of the relationship in the population of prospective students. Data from our university's MBA program support the prediction that applicants exhibit a higher correlation between test scores and undergraduate GPAs than do current students. This suggests that standard validation studies will understate the importance of GMAT scores in predicting performance of potential MBA students. (JEL C24, I121, C52) Copyright 2004, Oxford University Press.

JEL-codes: C24 C52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2004
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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