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ERIC Number: EJ1328825
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Mar
Pages: 30
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0895-9048
EISSN: EISSN-1552-3896
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.
Educational Policy, v36 n2 p282-311 Mar 2022
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. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED604336.]
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2814
Publication Type: Journal Articles; 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