Jockeying for position: Strategic high school choice under Texas' top ten percent plan

摘要: Abstract Beginning in 1998, all students the state of Texas who graduated top 10% their high school classes were guaranteed admission to any in-state public higher education institution, including flagships. While goal this policy is improve college access for disadvantaged and minority students, use a school-specific standard determine eligibility could have unintended consequences. Students may increase chances being by choosing with lower-achieving peers. Our analysis students' transitions between 8th 10th grade three years before after change reveals that incentive influences enrollment choices anticipated direction. Among subset both motive opportunity strategic choice, at least 5% enroll different 10%. These tend choose neighborhood lieu transferring more competitive schools and, regardless own race, typically displace from pool. Relatively few behave strategically short run, so systemic effects are inherently slight. finding sizable take-up face costly strategizing, however, suggests endogenous group membership be important longer run other settings where individuals can select peers then “graded on curve.”