Alternative Channels for Enrolling Students in a Selective University: Applicants' Choice and Selection Effectiveness

The challenges of the modern economy direct companies to the constant optimization of processes inside, which is impossible without a well-built human resource management system, continuous training and the attraction of young competent professionals. The asymmetry of information in the labor market requires employers to find a suitable job seeker according to the observed characteristics. As such a characteristic, within the framework of this work, we consider the choice of an applicant (school graduate), the choice of an admission channel. As part of the study, four categories were identified, depending on the year of admission to the university (applicants in 2020 and 2021) and the choice of the selection channel for a selective university (orientation towards the Unified State Exam and the Olympics). Comparison of the profiles of applicants, as the goal of the work, was carried out through a quantitative analysis of the performance of freshmen and a structured interview. The choice of one of the trajectories of admission - the Olympiad or the Unified State Exam - provides participants not only with the appropriate preferences for admission, but also a certain theoretical base, as well as specific skills. Representatives of the Olympiad movement, due to their qualities, will demonstrate high results in positions of a creative or managerial nature. Students with a focus on the Unified State Exam can be in demand as high-level performers. To optimize the recruitment strategy, reduce the cost, speed up and improve the quality of the process, employers should take into account the greatest tendency towards a certain profile of the position of applicants at the time of admission to the university. The organizers of school subject-based browsing Olympiads should build more relationships in the system of interaction between schools, universities and companies. The exploratory nature of the study explains its limitations and directs it to continue research: expand the base of respondents, explore the professional paths of Olympiad winners, conduct a study of applicants as job seekers for companies, and use statistical data to determine government priorities.