ERIC Number: ED604336
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 45
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Contextualizing the SAT: Experimental Evidence on College Admission Recommendations for Low-SES Applicants
Bastedo, Michael N.; Glasener, Kristen M.; Deane, K. C.; Bowman, Nicholas A.
Grantee Submission
Although it is well established that college entrance exams have become a key factor for admission to selective institutions, less is known about the influence of test scores in relation to other academic factors in the evaluation of a student's application file. This study conducts a randomized-controlled trial to determine whether providing students' test scores in context--how they perform relative to their school and neighborhood peers--increases the likelihood that admission officers (n = 321) would recommend admitting low-socioeconomic status (SES) applicants. The study also examines how including a personal admission essay that conveys grit, or ability to persevere in the pursuit of long-term goals, influences admission decision making. Admission officers in the contextual condition were significantly more likely to accept both the low-SES and high-SES applicant than those without contextual information on test scores; however, they were not more likely to accept applicants who convey grit in their personal essays. [This is the online version of an article published in "Educational Policy."]
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: SAT (College Admission Test)
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305B150012