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Shifting College Majors in Response to Advanced Placement Exam Scores

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  • Christopher Avery
  • Oded Gurantz
  • Michael Hurwitz
  • Jonathan Smith

Abstract

Mapping continuous raw scores from millions of Advanced Placement examinations onto the 1 to 5 integer scoring scale, we apply a regression discontinuity design to understand how students’ choice of college major is impacted by receiving a higher integer score despite similar exam performance to students who earned a lower integer score. Attaining higher scores increases the probability that a student will major in that exam subject by approximately 5 percent (0.64 percentage points), with some individual exams demonstrating increases in major choice by as much as 30 percent. These direct impacts of a higher score explain approximately 11 percent of the unconditional 64 percent (5.7 percentage points) gap in the probability of majoring in the same subject as the AP exam when attaining a 5 versus a 4. We estimate that a substantial portion of the overall effect is driven by behavioral responses to the positive signal of receiving a higher score.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher Avery & Oded Gurantz & Michael Hurwitz & Jonathan Smith, 2016. "Shifting College Majors in Response to Advanced Placement Exam Scores," NBER Working Papers 22841, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:22841
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    Cited by:

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    2. Bizopoulou, Aspasia & Megalokonomou, Rigissa & Simion, Stefania, 2022. "Do Second Chances Pay Off? Evidence from a Natural Experiment with Low-Achieving Students," IZA Discussion Papers 15139, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Avery, Christopher & Goodman, Joshua, 2022. "Ability signals and rigorous coursework: Evidence from AP Calculus participation," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    4. Fricke, Hans & Grogger, Jeffrey & Steinmayr, Andreas, 2018. "Exposure to academic fields and college major choice," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 199-213.
    5. Machin, Stephen & McNally, Sandra & Ruiz-Valenzuela, Jenifer, 2020. "Entry through the narrow door: The costs of just failing high stakes exams," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    6. Graetz, Georg & Öckert, Björn & Nordström Skans, Oskar, 2020. "Family background and the responses to higher SAT scores," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 108461, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Feng, Qiang & Wang, Xiaojun, 2018. "The psychological effects of academic labeling: The case of class tracks," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 568-581.
    8. Sargent, Carol Springer & Sullivan, Troy & McAlum, Harry, 2022. "DFW in gateway courses not always a graduation problem: A study in Intermediate Accounting I from 2007 to 2018," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    9. Fazlul, Ishtiaque & Jones, Todd & Smith, Jonathan, 2021. "College Credit on the Table? Advanced Placement Course and Exam Taking," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    10. Serena Canaan & Antoine Deeb & Pierre Mouganie, 2022. "Adviser Value Added and Student Outcomes: Evidence from Randomly Assigned College Advisers," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 14(4), pages 151-191, November.
    11. Aspasia Bizopoulou & Rigissa Megalokonomou & Stefania Simion, 2022. "Do Second Chances Pay Off?," Bristol Economics Discussion Papers 22/762, School of Economics, University of Bristol, UK.
    12. Marcos Agurto & Sandra Buzinsky & Siddharth Hari & Valeria Quevedo & Sudipta Sarangi & Susana Vegas, 2020. "Academic Aptitude Signals and STEM field participation: A Regression Discontinuity Approach," Working Papers 2020-08, Lima School of Economics.
    13. Richard W. Patterson & Nolan G. Pope & Aaron Feudo, 2019. "Timing is Everything: Evidence from College Major Decisons," CESifo Working Paper Series 7448, CESifo.
    14. Stefania Bortolotti & Annalisa Loviglio, 2024. "The Impact of a Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program on University Choices and Performance," Working Papers wp1192, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    15. Gurantz, Oded & Hurwitz, Michael & Smith, Jonathan, 2020. "Sibling effects on high school exam taking and performance," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 534-549.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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