Academic measures available in sophomore year can predict application and admission to dietetic supervised practice...

The purpose of the study was to determine whether college grade point average (GPA) and application and admission to supervised practice programs could be predicted from measures available in the sophomore year. The sample consisted of 193 graduates of a didactic program in a research university in class years 1986 to 1993. Variables tested included GPA in required dietetics program courses, SAT scores, high school class rank, and age. prediction equations were developed using data from class years 1986 to 1992 and tested on subjects in class year 1993. Subjects who applied to and were admitted to supervised practice programs had significantly higher GPAs. In class years 1986 to 1992, GPAs and SAT math scores of sophomores explained 88% of the variance in the college GPA, whereas the sophomore GPA for professional courses correctly classified 63% of applicants and 73% of admitted subjects. Using these prediction equations for the class of 1993, college GPA of subjects was accurately predicted and 84% of applicants and 75% of admitted subjects were correctly classified. The results of this study provide valuable information for didactic program directors to counsel students into or out of a dietetics program, and could decrease the number of graduates who do not complete registration requirements.