| This quantitative study explored the connection between the use of a private social networking website during the graduate admissions process at a law school in the southeastern United States and the decision to matriculate or withdraw from the program. A theoretical model of persistence over time within the graduate admissions process was constructed and categories of variables from each phase of the model: (a) pre-graduate level factors, (b) initial commitment factors, and (c) socialization factors were assembled. Demographic data, along with data from variables within the three categories of the theoretical model were collected and compared. A logistic regression analysis of the factors for 73 law students in the 2010 admissions cycle explored the relationship between the variables within the categories and the decision to matriculate or withdraw. The result showed statistical significance was achieved for three variables. From the initial commitment factors, On-Campus Visit (on_campus_visit), and from the socialization factors, Days Registered (days_registered) and Days Applied ( days_applied) all showed a statistical significance. These results support the need for further exploration of the use of online social networking within the graduate admissions process. |
