Relationships Among Predictors of Collegiate Performance, Introduction to College Life Courses, and Measures of Academic Success

The primary purpose of this thesis was to develop and validate a regression equation designed to predict cumulative college grade point average. The analyses included both traditional and non-traditional predictor variables. These variables included ACT composite scores, ACT math scores, ACT reading scores, high school GPA, high school percentile rank, Introduction to University Life (IDS 110) grades, and self-reported attitudes, behaviors, and efficacies obtained from the 1997 data for the Student Information Form. Data were collected for 418 Southwest Missouri State University students. Using regression analysis, a model that included high school GPA and final grades in IDS 110 courses accounted for approximately 45% of the explained variability in cumulative college GPA for the derivation sample. The model was validated using a hold-out sample. The predictors substantially explained variability in cumulative GPA and predicted well for both males and females. Methodological issues, relevance for selection and intervention, and directions for future research were explored