Gender differences in college applications: Aspiration and risk management

Abstract

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Gender and Educational Achievement: Stylized Facts and Causal Evidence

“…Saygin (2016) shows that, in Turkey, girls applying to college through the centralized application system are less likely to apply for high-ranking universities than equally qualified boys. In contrast, in the Irish application system, Delaney and Devereux (2021), find no gender gap in selectivity of programs applied to amongst high achieving students and that, among low achievers, females are more likely to apply to selective programs than males. Both studies find evidence consistent with greater female risk aversion with girls being more likely to list "safety" choices.…”

Gender Differences in High School Choices: Do Math and Language Skills Play a Role?

“…A related strand of literature addresses performance under different levels of competitiveness, generally showing that women tend to balance their choices and reduce risks when possible and are less likely to engage in highly competitive situations (Delaney and Devereux, 2021a). This is important for educational choices and labour market outcomes because fields such as sciences and mathematics are viewed as more competitive.…”

Showing high-achieving college applicants past admissions outcomes increases undermatching

“…Completing college applications is both time-consuming and expensive, and the process yields uncertain outcomes. These factors make consequential decisions about where to apply particularly difficult and sometimes haphazard ( 2 – 6 ). Under the best circumstances, high school counselors can assist students as they navigate this high-stakes task ( 7 ).…”