Reducing Frictions in College Admissions: Evidence from the Common Application

Brian Knight and Nathan Schiff

American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2022, vol. 14, issue 1, 179-206

Abstract: College admissions in the United States are decentralized, creating frictions that limit student choice. We study the Common Application (CA) platform, under which students submit a single application to member schools, potentially reducing frictions and increasing student choice. The CA increases the number of applications received by schools, reflecting a reduction in frictions, and reduces the yield on accepted students, reflecting increased choice. The CA increases out-of-state enrollment, especially from other CA states, consistent with network effects. Entry into the CA changes the composition of students, with evidence of more racial diversity and more high-income students and imprecise evidence of increases in SAT scores.

JEL-codes: I23 I28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Related works:
Working Paper: Reducing Frictions in College Admissions: Evidence from the Common Application (2020)
Working Paper: Reducing Frictions in College Admissions: Evidence from the Common Application (2019)
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DOI: 10.1257/pol.20190694

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