Towards a Model of Computer Science Graduate Admissions Decisions

Nigel Ward

doi:10.20965/jaciii.2006.p0372

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JACIII Vol.10 No.3 pp. 372-383

doi: 10.20965/jaciii.2006.p0372

(2006)

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Towards a Model of Computer Science Graduate Admissions Decisions

Nigel Ward

Department of Computer Science, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, Texas 79968, USA

Received:

February 22, 2005

Accepted:

December 21, 2005

Published:

May 20, 2006

Keywords:

student assessment, acceptance criteria, decision-making, combination of evidence, ordered weighted average

Abstract

Potential applicants to graduate school find it difficult to predict, even approximately, which schools will accept them. We have created a predictive model of admissions decision-making, packaged in the form of a web page that allows students to enter their information and see a list of schools where they are likely to be accepted. This paper explains the rationale for the model’s design and parameter values. Interesting issues include the way that evidence is combined, the estimation of parameters, and the modeling of uncertainty.

Cite this article as:

N. Ward, “Towards a Model of Computer Science Graduate Admissions Decisions,” J. Adv. Comput. Intell. Intell. Inform., Vol.10 No.3, pp. 372-383, 2006.

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References

[1] R. M. Dawes, “A Case Study of Graduate Admissions: Application of Three Principles of Human Decision Making,” American Psychologist, Vol.26, pp. 180-188, 1971.
[2] N. Ward, “The (Un)Predictability of Computer Science Graduate School Admissions,” Communications of the CACM, 49, to appear, 2006.
[3] N. Ward, “A Model of Computer Science Graduate Admissions Decisions,” University of Texas at El Paso Computer Science Technical Report UTEP-CS-04-30,
(also at http://www.cs.utep.edu/admissions/model.pdf),
2004.
[4] “ETS: Guide to the Use of Scores,”
ftp://ftp.ets.org/pub/gre/994994.pdf ,
2004.
[5] R. R. Yager, “On Ordered Weighted Averaging Aggregation Operators in Multicriteria Decisionmaking,” IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Vol.18, pp. 183-190, 1988.
[6] “OWA Operators for doctoral student selection problem. Christer Carlsson, Robert Fuller and Szvetlana Fuller,” The OrderedWeighting Averaging Operators: Theory and Applications, R. R. Yager and J. Kacprzyk, eds., pp, 167-177, Kluwer, 1997.
[7] M. A. Bishop, and J. D. Trout, “Epistemology and the Psychology of Human Judgment,” Oxford University Press, 2005.
[8] J. A. Swets, R. M. Dawes, and J. Monahan, “Psychological Science can Improve Diagnostic Decisions,” Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Vol.1, pp. 1-26, 2000.
[9] L. Longpre, “MSApplicants.xls,” spreadsheet used at the University of Texas at El Paso, 2003.
[10] “The National Research Council Study of Ph.D. Programs in Computer Science,” 1993/1995, as found on the CRA web site at
http://www.cra.org/statistics/nrcstudy2/home.html.
[11] R. T. Hartnett, “The Information Needs of Prospective Graduate Students,” GRE Board Technical Report 77-8R, 1979.

This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationa License.

[1] [1] R. M. Dawes, “A Case Study of Graduate Admissions: Application of Three Principles of Human Decision Making,” American Psychologist, Vol.26, pp. 180-188, 1971.

[2] [2] N. Ward, “The (Un)Predictability of Computer Science Graduate School Admissions,” Communications of the CACM, 49, to appear, 2006.

[3] [3] N. Ward, “A Model of Computer Science Graduate Admissions Decisions,” University of Texas at El Paso Computer Science Technical Report UTEP-CS-04-30,
(also at http://www.cs.utep.edu/admissions/model.pdf),
2004.

[4] [4] “ETS: Guide to the Use of Scores,”
ftp://ftp.ets.org/pub/gre/994994.pdf ,
2004.

[5] [5] R. R. Yager, “On Ordered Weighted Averaging Aggregation Operators in Multicriteria Decisionmaking,” IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Vol.18, pp. 183-190, 1988.

[6] [6] “OWA Operators for doctoral student selection problem. Christer Carlsson, Robert Fuller and Szvetlana Fuller,” The OrderedWeighting Averaging Operators: Theory and Applications, R. R. Yager and J. Kacprzyk, eds., pp, 167-177, Kluwer, 1997.

[7] [7] M. A. Bishop, and J. D. Trout, “Epistemology and the Psychology of Human Judgment,” Oxford University Press, 2005.

[8] [8] J. A. Swets, R. M. Dawes, and J. Monahan, “Psychological Science can Improve Diagnostic Decisions,” Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Vol.1, pp. 1-26, 2000.

[9] [9] L. Longpre, “MSApplicants.xls,” spreadsheet used at the University of Texas at El Paso, 2003.

[10] [10] “The National Research Council Study of Ph.D. Programs in Computer Science,” 1993/1995, as found on the CRA web site at
http://www.cra.org/statistics/nrcstudy2/home.html.

[11] [11] R. T. Hartnett, “The Information Needs of Prospective Graduate Students,” GRE Board Technical Report 77-8R, 1979.