How Selectivity Shapes Selection

This field experiment investigates how stressing selectivity at career information events affects the diversity, size, and quality of the applicant pool. While the total number of applications remains unaffected by stressing selectivity, it reduces the share of female participants and children of migrants in the applicant pool. A key mechanism driving this effect is that treated participants perceive their (also treated) peers as more competitive during the event. Leveraging treatment timing, I find that exposure to such peer behavior significantly contributes to the gender-specific effect of stressing selectivity. Moreover, further analysis reveals that stressing selectivity deters high-quality female participants from applying and attracts low-quality male participants. The results point to de-emphasizing selectivity as a simple way of boosting diversity, particularly when potential applicants interact with one another.