Improving Decision Making and Equity in Engineering Admissions

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

This engineering education research project seeks to explore whether college admissions files can be structured to improve the decision making of admissions officers. Psychological biases may hinder the ability of admissions officers to make ideal decisions, which could lead to the rejection of well-qualified low-income and minority students. This experimental study will examine whether changing the information included with the application, along with the order in which that information appears, will affect admissions officers' decisions about which applications to accept. The interventions developed here have the potential to be adopted within college admissions processes for engineering majors and for all students. The broader significance and importance of this project arises through the potential for simultaneously improving the quality and diversity of incoming engineering students. This project may inform not only practices in engineering admissions offices, but also the activities of important national entities such as the College Board and Common Application. This project overlaps with NSF's strategic goal for performing as a model organization by helping colleges and universities attain both excellence and inclusion. Additionally NSF's goal of innovating for society is enabled by facilitating research that informs educational policies and practices.