Potential Project Description for 2012-13 Title: Yield models in
college admissions Domain Expert: (Admissions) Accurately
forecasting yield (the percentage of admitted applicants who
enroll) is an important yet challenging part of a college’s
admissions process. Having a reliable yield model helps a
college decide on the optimal number and composition of students
to admit; admitting too few students can lead to financial
pressures, while admitting too many students can lead to
pressures on class size and housing. The St. Olaf Office of
Admissions is interested in evaluating and potentially improving
its current yield models for admitted students. The probability
that a particular admitted student enrolls at St. Olaf will vary
by individual, but a healthy amount of data is available for
each student who applies – from test scores to extracurricular
activities to high school attended to financial aid and much
more – that can be used to create a yield model. In addition,
the effects of individual characteristic