RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Short-Term Events, Long-Term Friends?
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 1024-13917R1
DO 10.3368/jhr.1024-13917R1
A1 Brade, Raphael
YR 2025
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2025/03/26/jhr.1024-13917R1.abstract
AB How does the formation of social connections at the beginning of college shape individuals’ subsequent academic performance? Exploiting quasi-random assignment to groups of a two-day freshman orientation program, I find that such brief social activities can be sufficient to generate lasting performance spillovers: being assigned to a peer group with one SD higher ability improves the academic performance of business administration students by 0.05 to 0.08 SD up to three years later. I provide evidence that the effects result from the formation of lasting social ties, and that performance spillovers are moderated by the broader social environment.