Relationships among admissions credentials, the college experience, and postgraduate outcomes: A survey of the Harvard and Radcliffe Classes of 1977

Using information from a survey of alumni of the Harvard and Radcliffe Classes of 1977, this study investigates whether the evaluation of the college experience and differences in postgraduate outcomes are related either to particular characteristics of students (gender or admissions credentials) or to certain aspects of the college experience (academic honors achieved, field of study, or primary extracurricular activity). The data set includes the 414 non-minority respondents for whom admissions credentials were recovered; the ratio of men to women is 69:31.;Women and intercollegiate athletes, on average, are significantly more satisfied with their college experience. There is no relationship between admissions credentials, academic honors achieved, field of study, or extracurricular activity other than intercollegiate athletics and the degree of satisfaction.;Respondents evaluated the extent to which certain skills and abilities were enhanced by the college experience. On average, those with weaker academic credentials feel that their skills and abilities were enhanced to a greater extent than do their classmates. There is no effect of gender, admissions credentials other than the academic rating, academic honors achieved, field of study or the primary extracurricular field.;There are significant relationships between gender and each of the postgraduate outcomes: graduate degree, current job field and salary. Men are much likely than women to earn a law degree, whereas women are much more likely to earn a master's degree. Roughly the same proportion of men and women earned medical and business degrees. Men are far more predominant in the fields of law and business, and even within the same job fields, men earn significantly more than women.;Those with the strongest academic credentials or the highest academic honors are least likely to earn an MBA, whereas over half of those with modest academic credentials or no academic honors choose business careers.;Significant relationships exist between undergraduate major and both graduate degree earned and current job field. Science majors earn medical or doctoral degrees and pursue either medical or academic career. Social science majors earn law degrees and choose careers in law or government.