Enhancing Equity in Higher Education: Institution-Level Admissions Initiatives in Chile

• In Event: Reforming College Admissions Policies: Evidence From Institutional Data and Perspectives From Admissions Officers

Abstract

During the last five years a group of universities in Chile started to implement admissions programs that consider the achievement of students in context of the educational opportunities they had, thus reducing reliance on the national college entrance exam. This study explores the program theories in a sample of these programs and their effects on access and academic outcomes. We use a mixed method approach: program theory is explored through the analysis of documents and interviews and the effects on access and outcomes are explored through descriptive and inferential statistics of institutional data. This study aims to contribute to the research exploring the evolution and outcomes of policy admission reforms intended to tackle the problem of equity in higher education.

Authors

• Maria Veronica Santelices, Catholic University of Chile

• Ximena Catalan, Catholic University of Chile

• Catherine L. Horn, University of Houston