"OPEN FOR ME AN OPENING THE SIZE OF A PINHOLE": THE LINK BETWEEN STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENTS AND THEIR SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUND: THE ARI'EL UNIVERSITY CENTER AS A CASE STUDY

The paper deals with the link between students' SES and their study achievements. It concentrates on Ari'el University Centre in Israel as a case study. The research illustrated in the paper followed (through a sample) the 4,500 graduates of the Centre. It is based on the computerized data of the institution's administration. Two important findings emerged. First, there is no significant statistical link between the graduates SES as reflected by their locality of residence, on one hand and their scholastic attributes upon registration to the Centre, on the other. The distribution of their grades and scores was not linked to their SES. Second, no significant correlation was found between the conditions of acceptance and the type of graduation certificate received. The probability of a student who is accepted to the institution based on matriculation and psychometric grades to graduate cum laude or suma cum laude is not different than the probability of a student accepted to the institution based on informal criteria. The paper arrives at a cautious conclusion that the graduates scholastic achievements are not significantly affected by their SES.