Diffusion of Common Application Membership and Admissions Outcomes at American Colleges and Universities

Liu, Albert Yung-Hsu; Ehrenberg, Ronald G.; Mrdjenovic, Jesenka

doi:10.2139/ssrn.989975

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Diffusion of Common Application Membership and Admissions Outcomes at American Colleges and Universities

33 Pages Posted: 3 Jun 2007

See all articles by Albert Yung-Hsu Liu

Albert Yung-Hsu Liu

Cornell University - Cornell Higher Education Research Institute; Cornell University - Department of Economics

Ronald G. Ehrenberg

ILR-Cornell University; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Jesenka Mrdjenovic

Cornell University

Date Written: May 30, 2007

Abstract

We study the adoption of Common Application membership by private four-year postsecondary institutions and its role in explaining the growth in undergraduate applications. Using data from the College Board's Annual Survey of Colleges, proportional hazards models suggest that institutions respond to the net benefit of adoption. We then estimate that membership increases applications by 5.7-7.0 percent and decreases yield rates by 2.8-3.9 percent. Acceptance rates decrease for members when their local networks are large. Falsification tests indicate that membership effects occur as a one-time adoption shock. Membership also decreases SAT scores and increases the percent students of color.

Keywords: higher education, diffusion of innovations

JEL Classification: I21, L11, L14

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Liu, Albert Yung-Hsu and Liu, Albert Yung-Hsu and Ehrenberg, Ronald G. and Mrdjenovic, Jesenka, Diffusion of Common Application Membership and Admissions Outcomes at American Colleges and Universities (May 30, 2007). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=989975 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.989975