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The Causal Effects of Admission to Highly Selective Private Colleges

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Summary

This article looks at the disproportionate number of leadership positions in the US held by graduates of highly selective private colleges, and examines whether changing their admissions policies would increase the socioeconomic diversity of America's leaders. Using data from admissions records, income tax records, and SAT/ACT scores, they found that children from high-income families have an admissions advantage at private colleges driven by preferences for alumni, non-academic credentials, and recruitment of athletes. They concluded that these colleges amplify the persistence of privilege across generations and that changing their admissions practices could help diversify the socioeconomic backgrounds of America's leaders.

Q&As

What are the causal effects of admission to highly selective private colleges?
The causal effects of admission to highly selective private colleges are that they increase the socioeconomic diversity of America's leaders and increase students' chances of reaching the top 1% of the earnings distribution by 60%, nearly double their chances of attending an elite graduate school, and triple their chances of working at a prestigious firm.

What factors give children from high-income families an admissions advantage?
The three key factors that give children from high-income families an admissions advantage are preferences for children of alumni, weight placed on non-academic credentials, and recruitment of athletes.

What is the impact of attending an Ivy-Plus college instead of a public flagship institution?
Attending an Ivy-Plus college instead of the average highly selective public flagship institution increases students' chances of reaching the top 1% of the earnings distribution by 60%, nearly doubles their chances of attending an elite graduate school, and triples their chances of working at a prestigious firm.

How can highly selective private colleges diversify the socioeconomic backgrounds of America's leaders?
Highly selective private colleges can diversify the socioeconomic backgrounds of America's leaders by changing their admissions practices to use scores and grades more, legacy less, extracurriculars less, and athletics less for admission purposes.

How do SAT/ACT scores and academic credentials predict post-college success?
SAT/ACT scores and academic credentials are highly predictive of post-college success, while the three key factors that give children from high-income families an admissions advantage are uncorrelated or negatively correlated with post-college outcomes.

AI Comments

👍 This article raises important issues about inequity in access to highly selective private colleges and offers potential solutions. It is well researched and provides useful insight into the current admissions process.

👎 This article fails to address the root causes of admissions inequality and fails to provide concrete solutions for achieving equity in admissions. It relies too heavily on statistics and does not explore the real-life experiences of students trying to gain access to these schools.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about the causal effects of admission to highly selective private colleges. It discusses the fact that many leadership positions in the U.S. are disproportionately held by graduates of a few highly selective private colleges, and that these colleges currently have many more students from high-income families than low-income families. The article suggests that these colleges could increase the socioeconomic diversity of America's leaders by changing their admissions policies.

Friend: That's really interesting. What are the implications of this article?

Me: Well, it suggests that these colleges are amplifying the persistence of privilege across generations, and that they could potentially diversify the socioeconomic backgrounds of America's leaders by changing their admissions practices. The article also points out that adjusting for the value-added of the colleges that students attend, the three key factors that give children from high-income families an admissions advantage are uncorrelated or negatively correlated with post-college outcomes, whereas SAT/ACT scores and academic credentials are highly predictive of post-college success. So, it suggests that if these colleges shifted their focus to academic credentials and test scores, rather than non-academic factors such as legacy and athletics, they could help to create more economic diversity in the U.S.

Action items

Research the admissions policies of highly selective private colleges to better understand the factors that give children from high-income families an admissions advantage.
Reach out to college admissions offices to advocate for changes to their admissions policies that prioritize academic credentials and SAT/ACT scores over non-academic credentials and legacy status.
Develop a model to analyze the potential impact of changing admissions policies on the socioeconomic diversity of America’s leaders.

Technical terms

Causal Effects: The effects of one factor on another, such as the effects of admission to a highly selective private college on the socioeconomic diversity of America’s leaders.
Data Source: A source of data used to study a particular question or phenomenon.
Leadership Positions: Positions of authority or influence in an organization or society.
Highly Selective Private Colleges: Colleges that are highly selective in their admissions process and typically have a higher proportion of students from high-income families.
Admissions Policies: The rules and regulations governing the admissions process of a college or university.
Anonymized Admissions Data: Data that has been stripped of any identifying information, such as names or addresses, to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.
Income Tax Records: Records of an individual’s income and taxes paid.
SAT/ACT Scores: Scores on standardized tests used for college admissions.
Flagship Public Colleges: The main or most prestigious college or university in a state or region.
Preferences for Children of Alumni: A preference given to applicants who have a parent or other relative who attended the same college or university.
Non-Academic Credentials: Qualifications or achievements that are not related to academic performance, such as extracurricular activities or athletic ability.
Recruitment of Athletes: The process of actively seeking out and encouraging athletes to apply to a college or university.
Waitlisted Applicants: Applicants who have been placed on a waiting list for admission to a college or university.
Top 1%: The top 1% of earners in the United States.
Elite Graduate School: A graduate school that is highly selective and considered to be among the best in its field.
Prestigious Firm: A company or organization that is well-respected and has a good reputation.
Value-Added: The additional value or benefit that a college or university provides to its students.