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This report is an amplification of previous investigations at Hofstra that attempted to identify useful predictors of success in the MBA program with particular emphasis on the Admission Test for Graduate Study in Business (ATGSB). A group of 26 MBA students who graduated in June 1970 and February 1971 were compared with a group of 17 students who had withdrawn from the program at earlier points. Five predictor variables were established: undergraduate GPA; undergraduate business concentration GPA; total, quantitative, and qualitative scores on the ATGSB; graduation versus withdrawal; and overall graduate GPA. The results of the study show that undergraduate GPA and undergraduate business concentration GPA are the most effective success predictors. The ATGSB, however, proved to be the least effective predictor, and little support can be given to the continued use of this test as one of the admission criteria. (Author/HS)

In this essay on higher education for the disadvantaged, the author discusses the definition of "disadvantaged," assessment procedures of disadvantaged students, and the predictive value of aptitude tests. The author concludes that more and better controlled studies are needed, preferably longitudinal, and offering clear information on the extent of remediation employed and the nature of actual curriculum standards. Without much detail, it appears that the disadvantaged are doing, on the average, C or C- work. (Author/JW)

This report abstracts 13 studies directly or indirectly concerned with the counseling of graduate students. They identify some of the problems graduate students face and suggest changes that could be made in graduate programs to alleviate student dissatisfaction. The studies deal with: the need for counseling, the stifling of creativity, foreign language requirements, faculty-student contacts, predictions of postgraduate success, time taken to complete the PhD, and dropouts. (JS)

This paper reviews research on the success of Upward Bound students and the performance of disadvantaged students in college. An examination of more than 20 Upward Bound studies tends to show that slight gains in motivational readiness for college were registered. Upward Bound students appear to enter college at a higher rate (80%) than the national average (65%) and are only slightly behind in the number still enrolled among non-program counterparts. The studies indicate the extent of institutional involvement with disadvantaged students is not great. As late as 1968, three-quarters of the institutions surveyed sponsored no special efforts for the disadvantaged; few institutions with such programs approached the problem with maximum utilization of their resources. The graduation rate of black students is said to be high (90% versus 60% for whites) but there are little data on the progress of students specifically designated as disadvantaged. Existing data usually refer to first semester college GPAs as the dependent variable. Suggestions for further research are discussed in relation to remediation strategies, the role of the instructore, and application of the definition "high-risk." (JS)

Little information is available concerning the validity of the Admission Test for Graduate Study in Business as a predictor of grades in graduate business programs, despite its use for 15 years. The overall pattern of data suggests that the ATGSB is not a strong predictor of graduate business GPA. Four of the 8 studies reviewed showed low zero-order correlations between ATGSB and graduate grades; 2 showed low moderate multiple correlations when ATGSB was combined with undergraduate GPA as a predictor; 1 reported no significant relationships; and 1 reported high ATGSB Q and V scores were more often associated with high graduate grades than with low ones, but that students with middle range ATGSB V scores received even higher graduate grades than did students with high ATGSB scores. (JS)

This report presents highlights of and summarizes 17 articles and papers on college calendars that were published between 1959 and 1970. The calendars discussed include the 2 semester calendar that operates on a 10-month year; the year-round calendar that adds 1 or 2 summer sessions to the 2 semester year; the interim-term calendar often designated as a 4-1-4 or 4-4-2, indicating that a short term can occur between semesters or after them; the trimester plan; and the quarter plan. In addition to reviewing the various calendars, some of the articles are concerned with the inefficiency of calendar planning. Only 1 article deals with the relationship of students' academic performance and a particular plan. (AF)

Independent Study (IND) programs are increasingly favored as part of the generally favorable attitude toward student autonomy. On the basis of experimental evidence, the unhesitating acceptance of IND does not appear to be completely justified. Some research studies found IND superior to traditional methods in terms of learning efficacy; others found IND inferior on those terms. Others concluded there was no difference. The implications of the research are thus inconclusive. In order to get more meaningful results from research studies, more complex questions must be asked, such as: "In what ways is IND superior, for what kinds of students, with what kinds of training, studying what subjects, with what degree of faculty interaction?" (AF)

In the spring of 1969, a short computer course comprising three hours of lectures and two hours of working with a computer was offered at Hofstra University to 101 natural science students. A questionnaire, which was designed to assess the impact of the 5-hour course, was administered to the students before and after they took the course. This paper presents evidence on the extent to which the students' attitudes toward and appraisal of the computer changed after they had taken the course. Post-course student responses to five questions in the questionnaire revealed that 34 to 52% of the students felt they had learned a great deal; 50% indicated that too little time, and the other half felt that too much time, was spent on various parts of the course; the average student spent 2.7 hours listening to lectures and 2.4 hours studying or working at the computer center; the computer course, when compared to the regular course, approximately matched the regular course in terms of amount learned and ease of understanding, but was considered to be a little more interesting; and 63 of the students made suggestions for improving the course. These and other data seem to confirm the value of the short computer course, especially since it resulted in more favorable student views of the computer and of its general usefulness. The paper discusses some of the course's limitations and suggests improvements for future presentations. The questionnaire and six tables are appended. (WM)

This report presents data on the 4th year performance of transfers from 2- and 4-year colleges, and a sample of Hofstra natives. This report extended an analysis which dealt with the 3rd-year performance of these groups. The relationship was examined between performance (GPA) and high school decile, SAT verbal scores, sex, and cumulative 2-year GPA's. The 3rd and 4th year performances of these groups was also compared. Some of the major findings were: The performance of transfer students prior to their transfer and the 2-year cumulative GPA of Hofstra natives were almost the same; however, both in the 3rd and 4th year, the GPA of the transfers from 2-year colleges was significantly lower than the GPA of the two other groups. The GPA of the transfers from 4-year colleges and that of the Hofstra natives did not differ significantly in the 3rd and 4th year, and their 4th-year GPA also tended to be much higher than their cumulative 2-year GPA's. The 3rd-year GPA of 2-year school transfers tended to be lower than their 2-year cumulative GPA, while their 4th-year GPA tended to be similar to their cumulative GPA. A higher percentage of the 4-year school transfers and Hofstra natives tended to graduate than the 2-year school transfers. SAT verbal scores were of little value in predicting performance, and female students tended to have higher GPA's than males. (AF)