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Inferring Trade-Offs in University Admissions: Evidence from Cambridge

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  • Debopam Bhattacharya
  • Julia Shvets

Abstract

How do elite universities balance diversity and academics during admissions? We develop a theory-based empirical framework to identify and quantify this potential trade-off, using postentry outcomes. We apply this to matched admission and exam-performance data from Cambridge. Comparing first- versus second-round admits from different demographic groups yields bounds on the trade-off magnitude, which (a) hold irrespective of whether we observe all applicant characteristics and (b) require no information on rejected applicants. We find robust evidence of trade-off between gender balance and future performance in math-intensive subjects but not for state/private school students or for gender in competitive nonmathematical disciplines.

Suggested Citation

  • Debopam Bhattacharya & Julia Shvets, 2024. "Inferring Trade-Offs in University Admissions: Evidence from Cambridge," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 132(11), pages 3737-3784.
  • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jpolec:doi:10.1086/730544
    DOI: 10.1086/730544
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