Comparison of student and faculty interviewers using ratings data for admissions decisions

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Admissions Assessment
• Higher Education

Background:

• Evaluating dental school admissions factors is crucial for selecting suitable candidates.
• Interviews are a key component of the admissions process, providing insights beyond academic metrics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine correlations between cognitive and noncognitive factors in dental school admissions and interview ratings.
• To compare interview scores provided by faculty and student interviewers.

Main Methods:

• Utilized regression models to analyze factors associated with interviewer type and admission status.
• Assessed the correlation strength between faculty and student interview scores for 177 applicants across two admissions cycles.

Main Results:

• Admitted students received higher interview ratings than nonadmitted applicants, even after adjusting for other factors.
• No significant relationship was found between cognitive factors and interview scores.
• Prior leadership experience correlated with higher faculty interview scores, while faculty and student scores showed a strong linear correlation (r = .92).

Conclusions:

• Faculty and student interviewers provide comparable ratings, indicating consistency in assessment.
• Leadership experience may enhance faculty ratings, suggesting its importance in evaluating candidates.
• A mix of faculty and student interviewers offers diverse perspectives, potentially improving the assessment of an applicant's suitability for dental school.