Data Ninjas

[#1]

Team Name	Data Ninjas
Track	Student Track 2
Use Case	Student track 2 - Ethical Data Analysis | Graduate School Admission
Technology	SAS Viya for Learners
Region	EMEA
Team lead	@Karanshrestha
Team members	@SushantMagar123  ,@KaranShrestha , @Possibilities
Social media handles	Linkedin: Karan Shrestha : https://www.linkedin.com/in/karanxhrestha/  Sushant Magar: www.linkedin.com/in/sushant-magar Otobong Edemenang : https://www.linkedin.com/in/otobong-edemenang-de-solutions/
Is your team interested in participating in an interview?	Y
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[LGroves]

Excellent work, @DataNinjas!  I loved the framing you used to highlight the challenges in using historical data to predict the incoming class.  Moreover, your interactive data analysis/exploratory data analysis did a great job of level setting before hopping right into the modeling.  With the modeling, I really like how you broke bias into performance bias and prediction bias... nice work!  Finally, nice work in diving into the tradeoffs between model performance and fairness in outcomes...

One question: if you could wave a magic wand, which new variables would you want to collect in the admissions process to make the admissions process more equitable?

Great work!

[SushantMagar123]

Thank you so much for the thoughtful feedback! This whole experience has been incredibly rewarding for our team, and we’re excited to share a few ideas we brainstormed on making the admissions process even fairer.

One straightforward addition we thought could make a difference is Behavioral Engagement Data—basically capturing an applicant’s motivation through things like attending webinars, prep courses, or other academic-related activities. By turning this into an Engagement Score, it would give us a window into an applicant’s proactive efforts beyond just their grades.

Another idea we’re really excited about is a Growth Trajectory Score. Instead of focusing solely on peak academic performance, this score would look at an applicant’s entire journey. Why: It lets us recognize steady improvement, resilience, and adaptability, especially for candidates who may have had a rocky start but showed consistent growth. How: We’re imagining a hybrid approach, automating trends in GPA, certifications, and relevant subjects, while also letting admissions officers step in for those unique, non-linear journeys. It’s much like giving SOPs that “human touch” while still keeping things consistent and scalable. Plus, it can be adapted to fit the specific needs and resources of each university.

And to round it out, I’d love for @KaranShrestha to share another idea we discussed that’s practical and pretty easy to implement. Thanks again for the thoughtful feedback and the opportunity to work on this and sorry for the long reply, but we thought it was worth the detail!

[LGroves]

Growth Trajectory Score?  Love the concept!  I'm not familiar with that approach, but do agree that it would worth exploring.  Moreover, some bonus points for engagement is also a nice concept, to better isolate those applicants truly enthusiastic about the program.

Well done @SushantMagar123 - I love how you're thinking through admissions at my fictious university!

[KaranShrestha]

Thanks so much for the encouraging feedback, @LGroves ! This whole experience has been a rewarding journey for both me and @SushantMagar123 , and it’s great to hear our ideas resonated. We’ve also been brainstorming some additional ways to make admissions even fairer

One idea we’re excited about is what we’re calling an Assessment Score. It’s a way to capture qualities like adaptability, problem-solving, and critical thinking—things that don’t always appear in grades alone. We were inspired by assessment tools from the UK hiring process, and we think this score could give a fuller view of each applicant’s potential by highlighting qualities like resilience, initiative, and practical skills.

Why and How: Our goal is to reduce bias by objectively assessing these real-world skills, which could bring more inclusivity to admissions. To get there, we’d want to set up fair criteria, maybe using structured assessments or scenario-based evaluations. In the end, we’re aiming for a process that values diverse strengths and makes admissions more equitable for everyone.

[LGroves]

Again, love the way you all are ideating here, @KaranShrestha!  Thank you for the additional detail... I like where you are going here.  Moreover, I completely agree with this statement: In the end, we’re aiming for a process that values diverse strengths and makes admissions more equitable for everyone.  Indeed!

Great work!

[SushantMagar123]

Thank you so much for the incredible feedback and support throughout this journey, @LGroves! Both @KaranShrestha and I have found this experience immensely rewarding and eye-opening. Thanks again for your guidance throughout the project to all the teams and for giving us the opportunity to work on such an impactful project. We’re looking forward to where these ideas might lead!