Identifying the institutional policies, practices, and pressures that contribute to admissions undermatching / Stephanie S. Balmer.

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Balmer, Stephanie S., author.

Contributor:

Perna, Laura W., degree supervisor, degree committee member.

Christiansen, Douglas L., degree committee member.

Eynon, Diane E., degree committee member.

University of Pennsylvania. Higher Education Management, degree granting institution.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Penn dissertations--Education.

Education--Penn dissertations.

Penn dissertations--Higher education management.

Higher education management--Penn dissertations.

Local Subjects:

Penn dissertations--Education.

Education--Penn dissertations.

Penn dissertations--Higher education management.

Higher education management--Penn dissertations.

Physical Description:

xi, 165 leaves ; 29 cm

Production:

[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] : University of Pennsylvania, 2015.

Summary:

The concept of academic mismatch and how and why a student chooses a particular college is a phenomenon of recent interest and research in higher education. President Obama's higher education agenda includes a focus on encouraging and supporting low-income students to enroll and succeed in college, and prioritizes preventing undermatching, defined as students attending less academically challenging colleges than their academic credentials would allow them to attend. Undermatching is of concern because it disproportionately occurs among disadvantaged students. Although longitudinal studies indicate that high-achieving low-income students have been underrepresented at selective colleges for decades, the undermatching phenomenon has recently gained the attention of those seeking to improve educational access and opportunity.

This study used case studies of three highly selective liberal arts colleges with need-blind admission policies to explore the institutional policies and practices that contribute to and limit admissions undermatch. Although there is considerable literature on the predictors of undermatching from the student perspective and the psychological, socioeconomic, and economic effects of why a student undermatches, there is less literature available on the institutional policies, practices, and pressures that may contribute to undermatching. Findings suggest that the three institutions studied are limiting admissions undermatching by expanding admission staff travel to identify low-SES students, developing partnerships with community-based organizations and foundations to influence low-SES student interest; and admitting, aiding and enrolling higher shares of low-SES students. Low-SES students comprise a larger share of the admitted and enrolled pools at these institutions over the last 10 years, yet the sustainability of the generous financial aid programs that have contributed to the gains in low-SES student enrollment is uncertain in some cases given the institutional pressures on financial resources. College and university administrators and policymakers will find this study and its results of interest in informing institutional policy and practice.

Notes:

Ed. D. University of Pennsylvania 2015.

Department: Higher Education Management.

Supervisor: Laura W. Perna.

Includes bibliographical references.

OCLC:

951553157