When students apply to graduate school, they usually are required to submit GRE scores along with their applications. College officials know that there is a good relationship between scores on the GRE and success in graduate school. In this situation, success in graduate school is best characterized as the ____ variable.

Criterion variable: In statistics and research methods, the term "criterion variable" is described as a specific name that is being used to determine any "dependent variable" in a variety of "statistical modelling contexts" and involves canonical correlation, multiple regression, and discriminant analysis.

Along with the criterion variable, another variable exists named "predictor variable" that is considered as different from the criterion variable and they both differs in the "concept of causation".

In the question above, the correct answer is the criterion variable.