Demographic Factors Influencing Selection of an Ideal Graduate Institution: A Literature Review with Recommendations for Implementation.
Choosing a graduate (masters and doctoral) program of study at an ideal institution is probably one of the most important decisions students and their family will make. The graduate college selection involves identifying the most critical academic and non-academic factors, and weighing their importance against the large quantity of choices available. Academics are subdivided into institutional, departmental/program, and faculty factors, while non-academics are subdivided into personal reasons and influence of other people. This study reviews critical academic and non-academic factors influencing the college choice decisions of graduate students. Results of previous research indicate that graduate school selection factors vary according certain demographic variables including age, gender, ethnicity, citizenship, socioeconomic status, marital status, and enrollment status. Recommendations for implementation include involving faculty in the graduate student recruitment process, offering flexible program requirements (multiple academic tracks) to meet students' demands, arranging more campus visits for potential students than the present time, and accommodating international students who often had additional needs. Introduction A graduate school can provide students with an opportunity to pursue their interest in a particular field of study, and can develop knowledge and skills for their future career (Poock and Love, 2001). One of the most critical decisions that graduate students are facing is to decide which graduate school they will attend and present the best fit for them both academically and personally. Across the nation, many applicants find the graduate college selection (decision-making) process to be quite stressful and time-consuming (Poock and Love, 2001). There are many ways to identify the graduate colleges and programs that may be right for students, and there are many critical factors to consider before making the final decision. Malaney (1987) discovers that opinions of graduate students vary across demographic variables. Graduate students with different demographic characteristics need to think about which ones matter most to them and tailor their investigation accordingly. Such demographic characteristics may include age, gender, ethnicity, citizenship, socioeconomic status, marital status, and enrollment status. Regardless of their backgrounds, all students should initially make a list of variables that factor into selecting a graduate school, and then decide how important each variable is to them (Olson and King, 1995). The final decision to attend which graduate institution is a personal one, and the reasons to enroll vary widely from individual to individual. In general, the final decision should be based on careful reflection and clarification of graduate students' personal, academic, and career goals. Overall, the demographics of students in most graduate schools in the United States are rapidly changing, with doctoral students who are increasing older, taking longer to complete their degree, are ethnically diverse (Council of Graduate Schools, 1997), and comprised of more women (National Center for Education Statistics, 1994, 1995). As the academic environment become increasingly competitive and the demographics of students change, it is increasingly important to understand the reasons why perspective students choose to attend one program over another (Poock and Love, 2001). Undergraduate college choice has been the focus of extensive research (Kallio, 1995; Poock and Love, 2001). Decisions of graduate students are affected by some of the same factors that influence students in their selection of an undergraduate college including the academic reputation of the institution, program size and quality, campus resources, tuition, residency status, availability of financial aid, geographic location, surrounding communities, as well as students' characteristics such as academic ability and achievement (Kallio, 1995). …