Undermatch occurs when students attend a college less selective than their high school academic achievement would allow¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associational r? · q1
Currency · newest study 2020 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · overdue for a recheck since 2025: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q1 i? Undermatch is the phenomenon in which students attend a college that is less selective than what their academic achievement in high school would allow. → Naihobe Gonzalez 2020

Evidence¶

Naihobe Gonzalez 2020¶

Naihobe Gonzalez, Dan Thal. (2020). Understanding College Match Among KIPP Northern California Students. Mathematica. https://www.mathematica.org/publications/understanding-college-match-among-kipp-northern-california-students

q1 · i? · associational · r?

The brief's introductory framing defines undermatch as a descriptive concept: students attend "a college that is less selective than what their academic achievement in high school would allow." No data or effect sizes are printed in the available text.

"Sometimes students attend a college that is less selective than what their academic achievement in high school would allow, a phenomenon known as undermatch."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• A study analyzed the college application and enrollment choices of KIPP Northern California graduates from the classes of 2016 to 2019 — related
• There was substantial variation among charter high schools on test scores, college enrollment, and college selectivity—more variation than among non-charter schools once incoming characteristics were controlled — related
• Escaping a bottom-tier school raises four-year graduation rates, by 10 percentage points for top-tier schools and 3 for mid-tier schools — related
• CPS neighborhood IB DP students were 40 percent more likely to attend a four-year college and 50 percent more likely to attend a more selective college than a matched comparison group — related
• Attending a match college raises simulated four-year graduation probability by 13 percentage points for CPS students with access to very selective colleges, but college choice has little impact for students with low qualifications — related
• College undermatch is widespread among CPS students at all qualification levels, with only 27 percent of selective-access graduates matching — related
• Undermatch among CPS four-year college-goers rose from 42.7 percent in 2003 to 57.7 percent in 2013 before rebounding after 2013 — related
• Among students eligible for highly selective institutions, about 60 percent of low-income students undermatch versus 27 percent of the highest-income students — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Nearly half (49.6 percent) of low-income students under-match into colleges less selective than their credentials warrant, and under-matched students are substantially less likely to graduate — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Information barriers disadvantage low-income students in the college transition: bright low-income students miss selective colleges, and mailed information packages raise application and enrollment
• Selective enrollment students from low-income neighborhoods are less likely to attend selective colleges than similarly-performing low-income students who do not enroll — related
• Despite strong academic qualifications, IB DP students often have limited access to the social capital needed to navigate college course selection and access faculty support — related
• Among selective enrollment students, 64 percent are qualified to attend a selective or very selective college but only 37 percent enroll in one — related