Predicting the Academic Success of Gifted Postsecondary Students

Undergraduate institutions strive to recruit academically talented students. The incorporation of honors programs and colleges are used as ways to enhance those efforts. The challenge is that these opportunities may not accurately identify and admit the truly gifted, exceptional or capable students, thereby possibly distributing the resources of these programs incorrectly. A study was conducted to analyze the components of Renzulli's Enrichment Triad, which is comprised of above-average ability, creativity and, for this study, self-efficacy, to gauge its possible use as a predictor of academic success for honors students. The academic records of Honors students were analyzed in concert with their responses to a self-efficacy scale and a test of creativity. The implications of these findings support change in the admissions procedures for academically talented students by supporting current methods, refuting others and suggesting and supporting new approaches. This research provides a basis for restructuring admissions processes so that students will be more accurately placed into academic learning environments in which they will thrive.