School background and university selection: ranking performance as an inclusion factor to higher education

Abstract

Using databases of Admission to Higher Education in Chile in 2013, the behavior of components that have school career (NEM and Ranking) and PSU scores (Mathematics and Language) is analyzed based variables segmentation of socio applicants. But both factors in theory be aligned with the curriculum, scores report a reduced correlation between them. The aim is to explore and analyze the distribution of the scores obtained by the candidates in various selection factors based on their socioeconomic and educational characteristics, and the impact of incorporating the Ranking of Scores on diversification and inclusion of the population students annually participates in the selection process. School career components, especially Ranking establishing the relative position within their respective student accommodation have less biased and with a higher concentration toward higher scores compared to the PSU component distributions, and show less influenced by variables sociofamiliar or economic. Ranking as an expression of good school performance, effort and dedication to study by the student, compensates for unwanted selection bias doing more inclusive university choice, whose effects on the modification of the student profile selected will depend on the valuation assigned the university institution to the school career the detriment of traditional PSU component.