Abstract:
Data collected from 1384 students graduating during a 6 year period between 1982 and 1987 were compared to determine if the most academically capable students are entering the Agriculture field and to evaluate their success upon graduation. Criteria examined included high school ACT scores, high school percentile ranks (HSP), college accumulated grade point averages (acc GPA), and responses to a survey regarding placement success. Composite ACT scores were higher (P>.05) for students entering Biology (B) and Chemistry (C) than for students entering Agriculture (A) or Agribusiness (AB) comparing 23.22, 24.45, 19.59, and 20.35 respectively. Students entering B and C had higher (P>.05) ACT natural science scores than students entering A or AB. English and Social Science ACT scores were also higher (P>.05) for students entering B and C compared to those entering A or AB. Math ACT scores were higher (P>.05) for students entering C than those entering B, both of which were significantly higher than those for students entering A or AB. Students entering C and B had higher (P>.01) HSP than students entering A. No difference (P>.05) was observed in HSP for students entering A or AB. Regardless of college major, junior college transfer students had lower (P>.01) HSP than non-transfer students. No differences (P>.05) were observed in Acc GPA between majors. When pooled across majors, transfer students had lower (P>.01) Acc GPA than non-transfer students. For those graduates obtaining positions related to their major, C graduates started at significantly higher salaries. Significantly fewer students graduating in B were able to obtain a job related to their major. This study suggests academically superior students are entering B and C rather than A, and recruiting strategies should be more successful if targeted towards students interested in B.
Keywords:
evaluation of student enrollment, recruitment
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