Understanding Discrimination in College Admissions: A Field Experiment

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

No 5ctms, SocArXiv from Center for Open Science

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.

Date: 2024-10-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-des and nep-exp
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:osf:socarx:5ctms

DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/5ctms

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