EMERGEing Educational Opportunities: The Effects of Social Capital and Nudging on Selective College Outcomes

July 2023

There is a growing debate in social science and education policy research on how to improve college access for high-performing students from low-income or first-generation backgrounds. While some studies suggest that providing information to students impacts college access, other studies do not and suggest that students may need more support in the college search and choice processes. Using a regression discontinuity research design with a layered randomized controlled trial, this study examines how information and personal assistance impact SAT scores, college application behaviors, and college enrollment decisions among low-income and first-generation high school students in a large urban school district. The results show that an intensive, multi-year college access program has large, positive effects on applying to a selective college, the number of applications submitted to selective colleges, and enrollment in a selective college. In contrast, a low-touch, general information packet intervention shows null effects on these outcomes. Implications for future nudge interventions and scaling up social capital interventions are discussed.

Keywords

college access, college selectivity, social capital, nudging, low-income students, first-generation college students, regression discontinuity, randomized controlled trial Education level

Education level

Post-secondary education

Topics

Pathways to and Through Postsecondary