13. What if I can’t interview 4,000 students? Can I still participate in HMS? Yes. If your institution has fewer than 4,000 students, HMS will survey the entire population.
If you have more than 4,000 students but would like to select a sample of less than 4,000, HMS will accommodate you. The Center for Student Studies is available for consultation on sampling issues, including sample size.
We recommend sampling 4,000 students, because this number will typically yield at least 1,000 completed interviews. This number is sufficient for a robust sub-group analysis, which includes comparisons between
small demographic groups
schools or departments within the institution
sub-groups within the graduate student population
We require a minimum sample of 1,000 cases (or the full population of your school if it is less than 1,000).