ERIC Number: EJ1325694
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Feb
Pages: 37
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0002-8312
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Untested Admissions: Examining Changes in Application Behaviors and Student Demographics under Test-Optional Policies
American Educational Research Journal, v59 n1 p180-216 Feb 2022
This study examines a diverse set of nearly 100 private institutions that adopted test-optional undergraduate admissions policies between 2005-2006 and 2015-2016. Using comparative interrupted time series analysis and difference-in-differences with matching, I find that test-optional policies were associated with a 3% to 4% increase in Pell Grant recipients, a 10% to 12% increase in first-time students from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds, and a 6% to 8% increase in first-time enrollment of women. Overall, I do not detect clear evidence of changes in application volume or yield rate. Subgroup analyses suggest that these patterns were generally similar for both the more selective and the less selective institutions examined. These findings provide evidence regarding the potential--and the limitations--of using test-optional policies to improve equity in admissions.
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, College Applicants, College Admission, Admission Criteria, College Entrance Examinations, Standardized Tests, Grants, Federal Aid, Minority Group Students, Enrollment, Females, Selective Admission, Equal Education, Educational Policy, Disproportionate Representation
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Pell Grant Program
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A