By Jane Arnold Lincove

Studies of college applications have identified the prevalence of “undermatch” where highly qualified high school students forgo opportunities to attend elite universities in favor of less selective options. College undermatch is more likely to occur among historically underrepresented groups including Black and Hispanic students, students from low-income families, and first-generation college students. This is likely due to a combination of information asymmetries regarding college options, a lack of resources to attend private universities, and a preference for campuses with demographically similar peers.

This study investigates whether a similar form of undermatch occurs when middle schoolers apply to high schools in a citywide choice system. We focus our study in Baltimore City, where selective high school seats are allocated based on a single metric of middle school performance. In this context we ask whether access to academically selective high schools is driven by student preferences or student performance.

This research brief was published by the National Center for Research on Education Access and Choice.