ERIC Number: EJ1019325
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Mar
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-189X
EISSN: N/A
Conceptual and Methodological Problems in Research on College Undermatch
Bastedo, Michael N.; Flaster, Allyson
Educational Researcher, v43 n2 p93-99 Mar 2014
Access to the nation's most selective colleges remains starkly unequal, with students in the lowest income quartile constituting less than 4% of enrollment. A popular explanation for this phenomenon is that low-income students "undermatch" by attending less selective colleges when their credentials predict admission to more highly selective colleges. We identify three problematic assumptions in research on undermatching: (a) that researchers can differentiate colleges at the "margin that matters" for student outcomes; (b) that researchers can accurately predict who will be admitted at colleges that use holistic admission processes; and (c) that using achievement measures like SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) scores to match students to colleges will reduce postsecondary inequality. We discuss the implications of these assumptions for future research on college choice and stratification.
Descriptors: Low Income Groups, College Admission, Educational Research, Prediction, Admission Criteria, Achievement Tests, Standardized Tests, College Entrance Examinations, Scores, Equal Education, Higher Education, Postsecondary Education, Social Class, Social Stratification, Access to Education, Academic Achievement
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: SAT (College Admission Test)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A