Speaker: Alexander Frankel (Professor, University of Chicago)

Time: 10:30-12:00 pm, December 1, 2022, GMT+8

Host: 
Prof. Wu Zenan,  Prof. Shi Fanqi, School of Economics
Prof. Hu Ju, National School of Development

Venue: Zoom Meeting: 899 2414 5532 Passcode: 733266

Abstract:

The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the trend of many colleges moving to test-optional, and in some cases test-blind, admissions policies. A frequent claim is that not requiring standardized test scores allows a college to increase the diversity of its student body. This argument is unsatisfying: how can a college make better decisions with less information? Our paper instead argues that test-optional policies may be driven by social pressure on colleges’ admission decisions. We show that, when social pressure is important, a college can use a test-optional policy to reduce its “disagreement cost” with society and obtain a student pool the college prefers. We discuss which students either benefit from or are harmed by a test-optional policy. In an application, we study how a ban on using race in admissions may result in more colleges going test optional or test blind.

Biography:

Alex Frankel is a Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is a micro-economic theorist whose work focuses on information economics. Prior to working at the University of Chicago, he received his PhD from Stanford GSB.

Source: National School of Development