Predictors of Student

With the help of an ALISE Research Grant, a study was conducted of the 1,042 students who attended UCLA's GSLIS for more than a single quarter between 1972 and 1987. Twenty-eight variables were coded for 120 nongraduates and a matched sample of 240 graduates from this period. Among the student characteristics examined were gender, ethnicity, age, undergraduate institution, undergraduate major, undergraduate grade point average (UGPA), GRE and TOEFL scores, library-related work experience, recommendation letters, and stated reason for withdrawal from the program. UCLA's GSLIS was found to be similar to other schools of library and information science in terms of makeup of the student population and the predictability of students' performance. Ethnic minorities, foreign students, and males dropped out in larger proportions than other types of students. A multiple regression model found the optimal predictors of GSLIS GPA to be UGPA, GRE quantitative score, ethnicity, and gender. These same variables, along with the GRE verbal score and the amount of library experience, tended to predict completion of the program as well. These results are discussed in terms of the roles of competing career opportunities and commitment to the profession.