THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES OF GRADUATE ADMISSIONS COMMITTEES IN PSYCHOLOGY

In the present study, fifty-five graduate institutions offering the Ph .D. in psychology completed a value tree diagram indicating the relati ve weight of admissions factors used in the decision making process. E ach committee was also asked to describe their exact procedures. In we ighing the factors, respondents reconfirmed the importance of grade po int average (GPA), Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, and lette rs of recommendation, but also heavily weighed the importance of the a utobiographical statement and research experience. Examination of the admissions committee protocols yielded three general approaches to eva luating incoming information about applicants: quantitative, qualitati ve, and situational. Results of the present study are discussed in ter ms of their usefulness to advisors of undergraduates as well as to stu dents pursuing graduate school admission.