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Understanding Discrimination in College Admissions: A Field Experiment

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  • Melo, Vitor
  • Rocha, Hugo Vaca Pereira
  • Sigaud, Liam
  • Warren, Patrick L.
  • Gaddis, S. Michael

    (NWEA)

Abstract

We examine the extent and mechanisms by which race affects the college admissions process. We provide evidence from a field experiment where fictitious applicants request application fee waivers from all university admissions counselors in the United States. White applicants are much more likely to receive a waiver, be informed that the application is free, or receive a request for more information than Black or Asian applicants. Our results contrast sharply with previous evidence from acceptance decisions showing bias in favor of Black applicants. We introduce a model of university pricing and use information from counselors' LinkedIn and university profiles, along with university characteristics, to test predictions. We find evidence consistent with agent-taste-based discrimination, where biases stem from counselors' preferences, and profit-maximizing statistical discrimination. Discrimination in university admissions can vary substantially based on the context in which decisions are made.

Suggested Citation

  • Melo, Vitor & Rocha, Hugo Vaca Pereira & Sigaud, Liam & Warren, Patrick L. & Gaddis, S. Michael, 2024. "Understanding Discrimination in College Admissions: A Field Experiment," SocArXiv 5ctms, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:5ctms
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/5ctms
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