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Perceived Ability and School Choices: Experimental Evidence and Scale-up Effects

Author

Listed:
  • Matteo Bobba

    (TSE-R - Toulouse School of Economics - UT Capitole - Université Toulouse Capitole - Comue de Toulouse - Communauté d'universités et établissements de Toulouse - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement)

  • Veronica Frisancho

    (Auteur indépendant)

  • Marco Pariguana

    (The University of Edinburgh)

Abstract

This paper explores an information intervention designed and implemented within a school assignment mechanism in Mexico City. Through a randomized experiment, we show that providing a subset of applicants with feedback about their academic perfor-mance can enhance sorting by skill across high school tracks. This reallocation effect results in higher completion rates three years post-assignment. We further integrate the experimental evaluation into an empirical model of school choice and educational out-comes to assess the impact of the intervention for the overall population of applicants. Information provision is shown to increase the ex-ante efficiency of the student-school allocation, while congestion externalities are detrimental for the equity of education outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Matteo Bobba & Veronica Frisancho & Marco Pariguana, 2024. "Perceived Ability and School Choices: Experimental Evidence and Scale-up Effects," Working Papers hal-05086384, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-05086384
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05086384v1
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    Citations

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    1. is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Bobba, Matteo & Frisancho, Veronica, 2022. "Self-perceptions about academic achievement: Evidence from Mexico City," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 231(1), pages 58-73.
    3. Rustamdjan Hakimov & Renke Schmacker & Camille Terrier, 2023. "Confidence and College Applications: Evidence from a Randomized Intervention," Working Papers 962, Queen Mary University of London, School of Economics and Finance.
    4. Decerf, Benoit & Van der Linden, Martin, 2021. "Manipulability in school choice," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    5. Bortolotti, Stefania & Loviglio, Annalisa, 2024. "The Impact of a Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program on University Choices and Performance," IZA Discussion Papers 17417, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Sean P. Corcoran & Jennifer L. Jennings & Sarah R. Cohodes & Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj, 2018. "Leveling the Playing Field for High School Choice: Results from a Field Experiment of Informational Interventions," NBER Working Papers 24471, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Hakimov, Rustamdjan & Schmacker, Renke & Terrier, Camille, 2022. "Confidence and college applications: Evidence from a randomized intervention," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Market Behavior SP II 2022-209, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    8. Tom‡s Larroucau & Ignacio A. Rios & Ana•s Fabre & Christopher Neilson, 2025. "College Application Mistakes and the Design of Information Policies at Scale," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2461, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    9. Avitabile, Ciro & Bobba, Matteo & Pariguana, Marco, 2017. "High School Track Choice and Liquidity Constraints: Evidence from Urban Mexico," IZA Discussion Papers 10506, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Avinatan Hassidim & Déborah Marciano & Assaf Romm & Ran I. Shorrer, 2017. "The Mechanism Is Truthful, Why Aren't You?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(5), pages 220-224, May.
    11. Caterina Calsamiglia & Francisco Martínez-Mora & Antonio Miralles, 2021. "School Choice Design, Risk Aversion and Cardinal Segregation," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(635), pages 1081-1104.
    12. Damgaard, Mette Trier & Nielsen, Helena Skyt, 2018. "Nudging in education," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 313-342.
    13. Peter Arcidiacono & Esteban Aucejo & Arnaud Maurel & Tyler Ransom, 2025. "College Attrition and the Dynamics of Information Revelation," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 133(1), pages 53-110.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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