Behind the Admissions Office Doors: Factors Affecting Admission to Selective Universities

Lauren Hale, Princeton University
Thomas J. Espenshade, Princeton University
Chang Y. Chung, Princeton University

Every spring at selective colleges and universities, admissions officers make difficult decisions regarding which applicants they accept. We research the role of meritocratic, non-meritocratic, and high school characteristics in these decisions. We use individual-level and high school data for over 113,000 students from the National Study of College Experience for the 1993 and 1997 entering applicant pools at four selective universities. We use a multivariate logistic regression model with admission as the outcome. As expected, higher SAT scores and a greater number of Advanced Placement tests benefit an individual in the admissions process. Further, black and Hispanic applicants have increased odds of admission relative to white applicants, controlling for other variables. In addition, athletic recruitment and legacy status greatly increase the odds of admission. Finally, we investigate the role of high school environment on admission. This valuable work identifies admissions decision patterns that are regularly discussed but rarely tested empirically.