PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Arcidiacono, Peter
AU  - Kinsler, Josh
AU  - Ransom, Tyler
TI  - Divergent
AID  - 10.3368/jhr.0421-11641R1
DP  - 2024 May 01
TA  - Journal of Human Resources
PG  - 653--683
VI  - 59
IP  - 3
4099  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/59/3/653.short
4100  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/59/3/653.full
AB  - We examine how increased admissions competition at elite U.S. colleges has affected the admissions advantage that legacies and athletes (LA) receive. Using 18 years of Harvard admissions data, we show that nonlegacy, nonathlete (NLNA) applications expanded, while LA applications remained flat. Yet, the share of LA admits remained stable, implying substantial increases in LA admissions advantages. These facts imply a strong degree of complementarity in the number of LA admits and overall admit quality. If the admissions advantages for LA applicants had been constant throughout this period, there would have been a large increase in the number of minority admits.