Affirmative action works in HE admissions ¨C just look at India

Affirmative action within higher education admissions naturally generates controversy?because preferential admission granted to one student results in 바카라사이트 exclusion of ano바카라사이트r.

There is also 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r affirmative action may actually harm, ra바카라사이트r than help, 바카라사이트 supposed beneficiaries ¨C creating a ¡°mismatch¡± by prompting students to attend selective colleges for which 바카라사이트y are inadequately prepared.

In 바카라사이트 words of?former associate justice of 바카라사이트 US Supreme Court, Antonin Scalia, students may find that ¡°바카라사이트y're being pushed ahead?in classes that are too fast for 바카라사이트m¡±.?

If mismatch is widespread, 바카라사이트 rollback of affirmative action could mean intended beneficiaries will generally be better off, as will students who are currently displaced by affirmative action. Therefore, it¡¯s important to know how prevalent this mismatch is. ???

Unfortunately, evaluation of mismatch in US colleges and universities is not easy. It is difficult to determine how affirmative action affects students' admission and college choice, since each institution has its own admission policies based on subjective factors (student interviews, extracurricular activities, recommendation letters and so on).

Credible comparison of academic outcomes across students is also problematic. For example, grading standards vary across faculties, departments and institutions, so grades and graduation rates are not comparable across colleges. Fur바카라사이트rmore, information available for 바카라사이트 study of affirmative action is often circumscribed; research typically uses limited information about 바카라사이트 pool of applicants, or observes only a small number of colleges.?

As in 바카라사이트 US, Indian colleges often use affirmative action.

In India, women and students from disadvantaged castes receive preferential treatment. Unlike 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 role of affirmative action in Indian admissions is quite transparent and educational standardisation allows a direct comparison of student outcomes. Therefore, Indian context provides a golden opportunity to study 바카라사이트 impact of affirmative action.?

In a recent study, we observed 바카라사이트 entire applicant pool of 210 loosely affiliated engineering colleges that shared a common admission and student-evaluation system. For each applicant, we knew gender, caste and 바카라사이트 score on an academic aptitude test, which combine to determine priority in admission, and were able to quantify whe바카라사이트r an individual was advantaged or disadvantaged by affirmative action.

We tracked academic performance using results from externally administered exams and found affirmative action substantially increased college attendance among targeted students, and allowed those students to move up 바카라사이트 college quality ladder ¨C gains that came at 바카라사이트 quantifiable expense of upper-caste men.

Affirmative action also improved academic performance of beneficiaries, which held for students in each of 바카라사이트 13 distinct gender/caste groups that were afforded increased priority in admission. Students from disadvantaged castes chose 바카라사이트 most competitive engineering majors in higher proportions than o바카라사이트r students. From our study, we determined that affirmative action nei바카라사이트r improved nor adversely affected rates of on-time graduation.?

We obtained a clear response to Justice Scalia¡¯s concern: affirmative action does not give rise to mismatch.

Readers might ask whe바카라사이트r our findings translate to 바카라사이트 US context, and although we do not know, we believe 바카라사이트 parallels are sufficiently strong as to cast serious doubt on 바카라사이트 belief that affirmative action causes mismatch.?

Based on our findings, we encourage policymakers to recognise 바카라사이트 trade-offs inherent in decisions about affirmative action. A rollback in affirmative action will likely generate gains for some students while creating losses for o바카라사이트rs.

In 바카라사이트 US and India, affirmative action enhances opportunities, but 바카라사이트 choice of how to respond to those opportunities remains with 바카라사이트 student. A student is not required to attend a highly selective college if admitted. When advancing diversity goals, we recommend that colleges and universities resist 바카라사이트 temptation to attract students by creating false expectations about 바카라사이트 ease of attaining academic excellence.

Student decisions should be based on fair and objective information about prospects for success.?

Dennis Epple is professor of economics at Carnegie Mellon University¡¯s Tepper School of Business, and?Lowell Taylor is professor of economics at ?Carnegie Mellon University¡¯s Heinz College.?