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Policy Framework
To remain globally competitive and to advance economic opportunity for all its residents, the United States must dramatically increase the number of low-income students who enroll in and graduate from college. Despite the broad political consensus on this point — and a significant investment of resources by public and private funders — efforts to restructure high schools and reshape curriculum have so far produced only modest improvements in college-going rates.
While large-scale education reform initiatives may succeed in the long term, a more targeted and cost-effective strategy offers potential for real impact in the near term. This approach focuses on academically capable, low-income and minority students who do graduate from high school and are well prepared for college. These are students who should enroll in college and should graduate — but very few do. Instead, thousands of these students choose to attend non-selective four-year colleges, where graduation rates are distressingly low. Others enroll at two-year colleges, where degree completion and transfer rates are even lower. Many more do not attend college at all.
This phenomenon — dubbed “undermatching” — was described in the highly acclaimed Crossing the Finish Line by William Bowen, Matthew Chingos, and Michael McPherson. Perhaps counterintuitively, the authors found compelling evidence that students are most likely to succeed and graduate when they attend the most academically demanding institution that will admit them. For that reason, students who enroll in colleges for which they are overqualified are placing their own academic future at risk.
Agenda, Scope, and Goals
The College Match Program (CMP) was designed to respond to the undermatching problem by encouraging academically capable students to choose colleges where they are likely to thrive and graduate. CMP proactively delivers crucial information, supports students as they navigate the complicated college and financial aid application process, and helps students and parents make thoughtful decisions about college enrollment.
CMP targets students who are prepared for college but need advice and support to choose the right college. Importantly, CMP is not focused on getting students into the most elite colleges and universities; rather, CMP seeks to increase the rate at which students apply to, are admitted to, and enroll in “match” colleges that fit their academic profile and meet their financial and personal needs. In many cases, CMP works with students who expected to enroll in a two-year community college — or did not plan to attend college at all. CMP advisers help those students understand that a selective four-year college is a practical, affordable, and superior option.
Beginning in the spring semester of a student’s junior year and extending through high school graduation, College Match delivers services through a combination of workshops and counseling by specially trained College Match advisers. These advisers replicate what is available to help students in more affluent schools and homes make informed decisions about college enrollment.
While CMP targets a relatively small percentage of high school students, those students represent the “low hanging fruit” of the large population that is struggling to reach and complete college. By helping low-income and first-generation students choose a college that best meets their needs, MDRC hopes that the lessons learned will support efforts to help a much larger student population make wise college choices in the future. Moreover, CMP’s highly personalized approach may ultimately prove more cost-effective than passive, technology-driven college advising strategies. At a minimum, MDRC believes there is value in rigorously testing and comparing a variety of approaches to combat the undermatching problem.
Design, Sites, and Data Sources
In the 2010-2011 academic year, the College Match Program was piloted in three Chicago public high schools that primarily serve students of color from low-income families. The 160 students who participated in the pilot had an average GPA of 3.4 and an average ACT score of 21.8. Over 87 percent were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
In the pilot year, two of the three CMP advisors were alumni of the National College Advising Corps (NCAC), an innovative training program headquartered at the University of North Carolina. MDRC and NCAC will continue to collaborate as the program expands.
The pilot intervention, delivered through a combination of classroom activities and one-on-one meetings with advisers, was organized around several key elements:
- Information-sharing and awareness-building: CMP built knowledge among students and their families around general application strategies, financial aid, and the concept of a “match” school. The program also exposed students to more selective colleges through campus tours and visits by alumni and admissions representatives.
- Individualized advising: CMP helped students identify “best fit” schools based on their individual interests, academic abilities, and other personal and family considerations.
- Application support: CMP helped students navigate the complex college application process, advising them on how to develop competitive applications and essays, procure fee waivers, and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- Parental engagement: Through a variety of outreach strategies, CMP helped parents understand the college options available to their children and the financial and personal implications of those choices.
- Decision-making and planning ahead: CMP helped students choose between multiple acceptances and financial aid awards. Advisers also helped them to prepare for college life and transition to college enrollment.
What's Next
In the 2011-2012 academic year, CMP will continue to serve students in the three Chicago high schools that participated in the pilot program. In addition, MDRC will identify up to five additional Chicago public high schools to serve as expansion sites, bringing the total of Chicago schools served to eight.
MDRC is currently developing plans to launch the program in two additional cities. In the long term, MDRC envisions a comprehensive evaluation of the implementation and impacts of the College Match Program across multiple districts. With adequate support, this aspect of the initiative will use a random assignment research design — widely regarded as the “gold standard” of evaluation protocols — to compare outcomes for students in schools that offer CMP with similar schools that do not participate in the program.
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