IHE article: Fail! High-achieving, low SES students still under match

[polly_mer]

The new article is:
https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2019/06/03/effort-change-college-going-patterns-low-income-students-reports

Our evidence suggests that one key issue is students received the information but did not use it to consistently apply to colleges of higher quality," the report said. "Data on SAT score sends suggests that students became interested in both higher and lower quality institutions, though even these changes were of a relatively small magnitude and unlikely to result in large changes to observed enrollment. Thus it appears that efforts to shift college enrollment were thwarted at the application stage. Given the influence of neighborhood, family and peers in the college selection process, the type of information we provided may not have been sufficiently novel or compelling to change student behavior.

I am annoyed at the word choice "thwarted" in the article, but I am not surprised at the overall results because I know the research regarding geography and lower SES college students.

The crux of the problem is a misalignment of expectations: from policy makers' perspective, students would attend college at whatever institution is best for them. But for some students, location is nonnegotiable -- and often, that means their options are dramatically limited.

For upper-class students, having more information might help; they have the flexibility to travel, and they can afford to shop around. But it isn't enough for working-class students, who may need to choose from the options available nearby.

"Most of the conversations today overlooks the working-class student and prioritizes the upper-class student," Hillman said. "It's just really frustrating from the academic side -- and even more frustrating from a policy angle."

citation: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/02/03/when-students-enroll-college-geography-matters-more-policy-makers-think

[marshwiggle]

I wonder how much of the effect is due to the apparent cost. The fact that a student might get a scholarship that would cover most or even possibly all of the cost is not going to matter if the student has no idea how likely such a scholarship is. (Further, even if a student enrolls with such a scholarship, if the possibility of losing it in a later term means having to drop out due to cost; it's not a risk worth taking.)

Students, especially low SES students, are not likely to have a clue about where they stand academically. And institutions, by stressing their high incoming standards, are actually going to make the situation worse. The wealthy students, on the other hand, who have had parents orchestrate and pay for everything, aren't going to worry about that.

[Hibush]

This study seems to have been well done. It tested whether information that could be supplied at low cost was a limiting factor in the amount of undermatching on a population level. They found that this information was not a limiting factor overall.

That result means various other social influences have to be altered before that information becomes actionable for potential applicants. Of course that is a big, expensive undertaking.

A lot of people were hoping that something cheap would also be effective. That is very much worth checking into! But, it turns out not to be the case.

The data they collected on so many students can probably be used to predict which individual students might be effectively encouraged to consider more schools and thereby include schools that provide a satisfyingly challenging situation.

[Hibush]

I looked at all the tables, and there were two subgroup effects.

Table 8 shows that sending mailers to high-achieving students (SAT score in top decile) results in enrollment at cheaper schools. That seems to be for all income levels.

Table 9 suggests that information let to low-income, on-track (SAT in top half) enroll at schools with slightly higher cost of attendance for low-income families.

Neither of these effects seems useful for schools that want to increase diversity and revenue.

[marshwiggle]

I looked at all the tables, and there were two subgroup effects.

The authors could really use some data visualization lessons. Not a single graph, and all of the tables in the Appendix. Nothing but text forever......

[spork]

[. . .]

Table 8 shows that sending mailers to high-achieving students (SAT score in top decile) results in enrollment at cheaper schools. That seems to be for all income levels.

[. . .]

It would be interesting to use data of this type to roughly estimate the size of the reputational premium high-achieving students are willing to pay to attend a particular institution. (On average admitted applicants are willing to pay $X more to attend prestigious A instead of slightly-less-prestigious B, but they will choose B at > $X.)

[Puget]

Given all the research on behavioral change, it's sort of surprising they thought this would actually work-- they don't seem to have really done any of the things that research shows are effective-- personal contact with a trusted person, social comparison (other students like you attended these universities. . .), multiple just-in-time nudges (e.g., as each application deadline approaches), having people form implementation plans (when, where and how), motivational interviewing, etc.  Instead they sent mass emails, mailers and texts from a commercial entity with no personal connection, which are very likely to be perceived as spam. To their credit they do acknowledge some of these limitations.

[polly_mer]

I wonder how much of the effect is due to the apparent cost.

Some effect may be due to the sticker price versus real price.

However, a dorm room and relevant meal plan is pretty much $10k, wherever one goes, (https://www.collegedata.com/en/pay-your-way/college-sticker-shock/how-much-does-college-cost/whats-the-price-tag-for-a-college-education/ ).  When Shiny HS Grad moves out, the family generally doesn't see a $10k decrease in rent, utilities, and food that can be just shifted to another payment. 

Thus, many families tend to push hard for Shiny HS Grad to enroll within an easy commute to save money on room and board as well as possibly still contributing to the family budget through paid work.  Life at the lower SESs may include college, but it's seldom four years with a primary focus on academics.  Increasingly, the college years are part-time while working full-time to keep the family afloat (https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-postsecondary/news/2017/10/18/440997/new-data-highlight-higher-education-failing-part-time-students/).  This leads to lower graduation rates because paying rent and eating today generally wins over studying hard to hope to get a better job someday.

[ciao_yall]

I wonder how much of the effect is due to the apparent cost.

Some effect may be due to the sticker price versus real price.

However, a dorm room and relevant meal plan is pretty much $10k, wherever one goes, (https://www.collegedata.com/en/pay-your-way/college-sticker-shock/how-much-does-college-cost/whats-the-price-tag-for-a-college-education/ ).  When Shiny HS Grad moves out, the family generally doesn't see a $10k decrease in rent, utilities, and food that can be just shifted to another payment. 

Thus, many families tend to push hard for Shiny HS Grad to enroll within an easy commute to save money on room and board as well as possibly still contributing to the family budget through paid work.  Life at the lower SESs may include college, but it's seldom four years with a primary focus on academics.  Increasingly, the college years are part-time while working full-time to keep the family afloat (https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-postsecondary/news/2017/10/18/440997/new-data-highlight-higher-education-failing-part-time-students/).  This leads to lower graduation rates because paying rent and eating today generally wins over studying hard to hope to get a better job someday.

Not to mention family responsibilities. Low-income families don't have the resources to pay for child care for younger siblings/grandchildren or elder care, so the whole family is expected to be available to watch the little ones while their parents work or drive Grandma to the doctor's appointment.

[apl68]

Being place-bound is definitely a thing.  Most college-bound students from our town go to the nearest four-year institution--which is nearly 40 miles away!  There is no other way to get there except to drive.  It's the most poorly-ranked college in the state, but it's the only four-year school the region has.  Bright local students who go there will have classmates from out of the region who enrolled because the place is cheap and will take absolutely anybody who has a high school diploma and can sign a student loan form.

One of our staff members' daughter is heading there this fall.  I'm trying to advise her to work HARD to get the most she can out of the limited opportunities that school will give her.  The general caliber of her classmates will tend to pull her down, not up, so it will be on her to pull herself up.

Did I mention that her parents are divorced, that her father is an alcoholic, and that she and her mother are in court today pressing charges against the drunk for coming to their house and trying to get violent recently?  That young woman has an awful lot to deal with that a college student shouldn't have to worry about, and she's a long way from the most disadvantaged youth around here.  Even if she'd been a high school academic star, I just don't see her having ever tried to apply to anything too ambitious.

[Vkw10]

Thirty years ago, I was a lower SES student from a Deep South state. I didn't apply anywhere that had photos of students frolicking in the snow because I'd never owned a coat, turtleneck, boots, etc. Financial aid doesn't cover winter clothing. I eventually limited my options to colleges within a six hour drive, so my parents could drive me to campus and return same day, with no need to pay for motel. We packed lunches for those trips, to save the cost of a fast food meal.

Little expenses matter to low SES students, even when they receive enough aid to cover tuition, room, and board.

[ciao_yall]

Thirty years ago, I was a lower SES student from a Deep South state. I didn't apply anywhere that had photos of students frolicking in the snow because I'd never owned a coat, turtleneck, boots, etc. Financial aid doesn't cover winter clothing. I eventually limited my options to colleges within a six hour drive, so my parents could drive me to campus and return same day, with no need to pay for motel. We packed lunches for those trips, to save the cost of a fast food meal.

Little expenses matter to low SES students, even when they receive enough aid to cover tuition, room, and board.

Which, oddly enough, is how this person ended up at Yale and told this story. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/06/10/stonehenge