Signaling, Cultural Matching, and the Shared Language of Elite University Admissions

• In Event: 72.044 - The Role of Social and Cultural Capital in Postsecondary School Transitions

Abstract

In recent years the number of students applying to top universities in the US has skyrocketed and acceptance rates have plummeted.
Quantitative measures are no longer sufficient to cull the applicant pool. How do gatekeepers at these elite universities select among highly qualified applicants? Interviews with undergraduate admissions officers indicate that the selection process at top universities shares many similarities with labor market sorting processes of screening, signalling, and cultural matching. Through shared labor markets and professional interactions, college counselors at top public and private schools develop a ``shared language'' with admissions officers at elite universities that they are able to leverage to advantage their students.

Author

• Jonathan D. Schwarz, University of Notre Dame