The Battle for Reshaping the Student Body at Selective Colleges: Government Reform in College Admissions

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: Policy and Equity in Domestic and International Contexts (Table 16)

Abstract

This research evaluates the effect of a transnationally transferred policy in Korea. Holistic review is one of the most controversial policies which was introduced imitating the decentralized admissions system of the U.S. In this research, whether the policy operated as intended and recruited more traditionally disadvantaged students is examined. The study findings suggest that the adoption of holistic admissions increased selectivity, rather than closing the equity gap. Compared to the colleges which did not adopt holistic admissions, significantly fewer students from disadvantaged students enrolled at the institutions which administered holistic reviews. The positive relationship between the implementation of holistic admissions and selectivity was salient at prestigious colleges that received the government grant.

Author

• Heeyun Kim, University of Michigan