PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Graetz, Georg
AU  - Öckert, Björn
AU  - Skans, Oskar Nordström
TI  - Parental Education and the Responses to Higher SAT Scores
AID  - 10.3368/jhr.0420-10824R2
DP  - 2025 Nov 01
TA  - Journal of Human Resources
PG  - 1971--2007
VI  - 60
IP  - 6
4099  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/60/6/1971.short
4100  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/60/6/1971.full
AB  - Using discontinuities within the Swedish SAT system, we study the causal impact of additional admission opportunities on participation in higher education among high-ability students. Students with low-educated parents who marginally pass an SAT score threshold, are more likely to enroll and graduate from programs they could have attended even with a lower score. This suggests that they face behavioral barriers even in a setting where colleges are tuition-free, student grants are universal, and application systems are simple. In contrast, students with high-educated parents respond to enhanced opportunities in ways that appear rational and informed, particularly by switching to higher-quality, more competitive programs.