Abstract

This study investigates the impact of interpersonal connections on the academic success of students at The College of Wooster, utilizing graph theory and social network analysis. By analyzing survey data on student involvement in various college organizations, this research aims to determine how shared connections influence academic outcomes, particularly GPA. Exploratory data analysis, decision trees, and random forest models were employed in the thesis to identify key predictors of student success. The results indicate that students with stronger social networks, defined by involvement in multiple organizations and shared attributes with peers, exhibit improved academic performance. Network centrality measures such as degree and betweenness centrality were then used and found to correlate significantly with GPA outcomes. While the analysis suggests that a minimum of five shared attributes is necessary to establish a meaningful network connection, further investigation is required to refine this threshold. These findings from this thesis provide valuable insights for institutions seeking to enhance student success through fostering positive interpersonal connections.

Advisor

Bush, Michael

Department

Mathematics

Publication Date

2025

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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