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Do Elite Universities Practise Meritocratic Admissions? Evidence from Cambridge

Author

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  • Bhattacharya, D.
  • Rabovic, R.

Abstract

The merit-vs-diversity balance in university-admissions remains a controversial issue. Statistical analysis of these problems is jeopardized by applicant characteristics observed by admission-officers but unobserved by researchers. Using administrative microdata from the two-stage Cambridge admission-process, we compare post-entry exam-scores of directly admitted h-type students with g-types entering via the “pool” - a second-round clearing-mechanism. Better performance by the latter implies higher admission-standards for g-types, irrespective of the unobservability problem. We find strong evidence of higher admission-standards for males in STEM/Economics, and a weak one for private-school applicants. The gender-gap weakens over time for a cohort, and is non-evident in Law/Medicine.

Suggested Citation

  • Bhattacharya, D. & Rabovic, R., 2020. "Do Elite Universities Practise Meritocratic Admissions? Evidence from Cambridge," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2056, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    • Handle: RePEc:cam:camdae:2056
    Note: db692, rr574
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Debopam Bhattacharya & Shin Kanaya & Margaret Stevens, 2017. "Are University Admissions Academically Fair?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 99(3), pages 449-464, July.
    2. David Arnold & Will Dobbie & Crystal S Yang, 2018. "Racial Bias in Bail Decisions," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 133(4), pages 1885-1932.
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    Cited by:

    1. Karlsson, Linn & Wikström, Magnus, 2021. "Gender differences in admission scores and first-year university achievement," Umeå Economic Studies 1001, Umeå University, Department of Economics.
    2. Devereux, Paul J. & Delaney, Judith, 2021. "Gender and Educational Achievement: Stylized Facts and Causal Evidence," CEPR Discussion Papers 15753, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

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