Can Socioeconomic Status Substitute for Race in Affirmative Action College Admissions Policies? Evidence From a Simulation Model
- Author(s):
- Reardon, Sean F.; Baker, Rachel; Kasman, Matt; Klasik, Daniel; Townsend, Joseph B.
- Publication Year:
- 2015
- Source:
- ETS White Paper
- Document Type:
- White Paper
- Page Count:
- 36
- Subject/Key Words:
- Admission Process, College Admission, Race, Affirmative Action, Socioeconomic Status (SES), Policies
Abstract
These simulations suggest 3 important patterns: (a) practical SES-based affirmative action policies do not yield nearly as much racial diversity as do race-based policies; (b) there is little evidence that affirmative action policies produce systemic academic mismatch; on average, affirmative action policies do not sort minority students into colleges for which they are academically unqualified; and (c) the use of affirmative action policies by some colleges affects enrollment patterns in other colleges.