TRANSFER STUDENTS AND THE MISMATCH HYPOTHESIS

Joseph A. Soares; Kelly Watson

TRANSFER STUDENTS AND THE MISMATCH HYPOTHESIS

Joseph A. Soares, Kelly Watson

Abstract

This study uses the National Longitudinal Study of Freshman to analyze the different factors that affect a student’s decision to transfer from an NLSF institution. Several arguments against affirmative action rest on the assumption that minority students are more likely to leave selective institutions if admitted. This analysis found no evidence to support claims that that race plays a role in transfer decisions. The study provides the counterintuitive finding that students who did not feel self-conscious about their race were more likely to transfer. This study found no support for the mismatch hypothesis at the institutional or individual level.

Keywords

Race; transfer students; mismatch hypothesis; affirmative action

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References

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