A Theoretical Analysis of Interventions Aimed at Reducing Inequality in College Admissions Open Access
Adams, Stephen (Spring 2023)
Published
Abstract
This paper builds a mathematical model of the college admissions process to better understand the inequality present in it and to analyze the effect of government interventions. I find that, in accordance with the empirical consensus on the topic, there is substantial preference given to applicants with high level of resources available to them. The government is considered to have the objective of minimizing the role that students’ resources play in their likelihood of admission. In pursuit of this end, the interventions tested are partial revelation of student resources and direct redistribution of those resources. Revelation of partial information about a student’s resource level has positive effect in reducing material inequality in the admissions process. However, monotonic redistribution is shown to have no effect if the partial information is already revealed.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction……………………………..………1
2. Literature Review…………………..........……2
3. The Baseline Model…………………........…..5
4. Baseline Outcome………....…………......…..7
5. Private and Public Resources….……………..8
6. Government Objective…………….…………..10
7. Analysis………………..………………………….12
8. Limitations and Further Research…………..18
9. Conclusion…………………………………….....19
About this Honors Thesis
| School | |
|---|---|
| Department | |
| Degree | |
| Submission | |
| Language |
|
| Research Field | |
| Keyword | |
| Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor | |
| Committee Members |
Primary PDF
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
A Theoretical Analysis of Interventions Aimed at Reducing Inequality in College Admissions () | 2023-04-09 23:43:39 -0400 |
|
Supplemental Files
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|