How Are Applicants Selected for University Studies? Review of the Current Situation in Germany

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 1
  In Poster Session: Division J Poster Session: Organization, Management, and Leadership

Abstract

It is only in recent years that most universities in Germany have been able to select their students themselves. We present a systematic review of the admission procedures currently in use in the almost 10,000 study programs offered for first-year students. Results show that in the majority of cases, applicants are selected essentially on the basis of the mean grade of their school-leaving certificate (Abitur), but that private universities in particular increasingly apply additional selection criteria such as standardised tests, admission interviews, or self-assessment-tools. We discuss whether selection procedures increasingly differing between universities can improve the prediction of study success and decrease social disparities in the access to higher education in Germany.

Authors

• Jannika Haase, Leibniz University Hannover

• Julia Böttger, Freie Universitat Berlin

• Edith Braun, Justus-Liebig university of Giessen.

• Julia Mertens, Justus Liebig University of Giessen

• Bettina Hannover, Freie Universität Berlin