The subjectivism in the selection of students to the graduate programs: A study on the entry interviews

Abstract

Starting at the year of 1997, the system of graduate selection has gradually evolved a new model. The new model, in the selection of students, considers not only subjective such as interview score but also objective criteria including ALES (academic staff and graduate education test) score, graduation grade and foreign language score. The existence of objective criteria indicates the intention that reduces the subjectivity in the assessment process. However, it is t is controversial to what extent the new system meets this expectation. The purpose of this study is to examine the subjectivism in the assessment of the applicants to the graduate school programs of a university in Turkey. The findings point out that the subjective factor (interview score) plays a more determining role than the objective factors (ALES score, graduation grade and foreign language score) in the selection process.