A scenario-based approach for the behavior analysis of talented students

Every year, a number of the students who obtain their bachelor's degree attend a university in order to continue their graduate studies. Most universities attempt to encourage their top students to continue education in the same university. On the other hand, they receive applicants from other universities, and selecting the top students among these candidates without a thorough examination may not guarantee the best choice. In this paper, using the massive records of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (FUM) in a 15-year period, a method has been proposed to help the Graduate Office examine the students' performance before offering an admission. The results indicate that top students are not normally the ones with the best performance in their graduate studies. Furthermore, behavioral patterns of the students who continue their graduate studies in the same university demonstrates that the students with an average GPA are the most successful ones in their graduate studies.