The Impact of College Admissions Practices on African American and Latino Students at Low- to Medium-Selectivity Four-Year Public Universities

• In Event: A New Look at an Old but First Step: Admission Policies and Practices

Abstract

On average, college acceptance rates at 4-year public universities for African-American and Latino students are disproportionate to those of their White peers. Studies have been conducted on access to higher education that address underrepresented minorities’ attendance at highly-selective colleges and universities; however, few studies have examined admissions at comprehensive low- to medium-selectivity institutions, where most underrepresented students enroll. This study draws on institutional theory to consider and explain admissions processes at two low- to medium-selectivity institutions. The colleges that are the subject of this study play a critical role in providing access to higher education for underrepresented students who have few options but their admissions practices or their impact on underrepresented students have been neglected by scholars of higher education.

Author

• Maxine Roberts, University of Southern California