Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    College Advising
    Serving Higher Ed
    Chronicle Festival 2025
Sign In
News

The Rise of Undermatching Research

June 16, 2014

Caroline Hoxby

February 2006: “Cost Should Be No Barrier: An Evaluation of the First Year of Harvard’s Financial Aid Initiative,” by Christopher Avery, Caroline M. Hoxby, and others, is issued as a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper. The researchers found that Harvard University’s new effort drew a group of applicants that was larger and somewhat poorer than before.

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

Caroline Hoxby

February 2006: “Cost Should Be No Barrier: An Evaluation of the First Year of Harvard’s Financial Aid Initiative,” by Christopher Avery, Caroline M. Hoxby, and others, is issued as a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper. The researchers found that Harvard University’s new effort drew a group of applicants that was larger and somewhat poorer than before.

Melissa Roderick

March 2008: The University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research releases a research report, “From High School to the Future: Potholes on the Road to College,” that sheds light on the issue of college match among students in Chicago Public Schools.

September 2009: Crossing the Finish Line, by William G. Bowen, Matthew M. Chingos, and Michael S. McPherson, is published. The book, believed to contain the first use of the term “undermatching,” presents evidence that students have a better shot at graduation if they go to a more selective college.

Christopher Avery

December 2012: “The Missing ‘One-Offs’: The Hidden Supply of High-Achieving, Low-Income Students,” by Ms. Hoxby and Mr. Avery, is released as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research. It estimates the population of high-achieving, low-income students and explains that many of them are not located in the places where college recruiters are likely to be looking.

Sarah Turner

March 2013: “Expanding College Opportunities for High-Achieving, Low Income Students,” by Ms. Hoxby and Sarah E. Turner, is released as a discussion paper by the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. It shares the results of an experiment in which the authors mailed information on colleges and application fee waivers to such students.

March 2013: Ms. Hoxby and Ms. Turner announce that the College Board will be expanding their experiment.

June 2013: The Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project releases a proposal from Ms. Hoxby and Ms. Turner saying they plan to work with the College Board and ACT to adapt their experiment and asking for federal data that would help them further customize their outreach efforts.

September 2013: The State of Delaware announces its effort to combat undermatching.

December 2013: Ms. Hoxby and Ms. Turner are included in The Chronicle’s 2013 Influence List.

January 2014: Undermatching is discussed at the White House college opportunity summit.

Michael Bastedo

February 2014: Educational Researcher releases “Conceptual and Methodological Problems in Research on College Undermatch,” by Michael Bastedo and Allyson Flaster, which describes assumptions made in undermatching work and argues that they may not hold.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

More News

Vector illustration of large open scissors  with several workers in seats dangling by white lines
Iced Out
Duke Administrators Accused of Bypassing Shared-Governance Process in Offering Buyouts
Illustration showing money being funnelled into the top of a microscope.
'A New Era'
Higher-Ed Associations Pitch an Alternative to Trump’s Cap on Research Funding
Illustration showing classical columns of various heights, each turning into a stack of coins
Endowment funds
The Nation’s Wealthiest Small Colleges Just Won a Big Tax Exemption
WASHINGTON, DISTICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES - 2025/04/14: A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator holding a sign with Release Mahmud Khalil written on it, stands in front of the ICE building while joining in a protest. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in front of the ICE building, demanding freedom for Mahmoud Khalil and all those targeted for speaking out against genocide in Palestine. Protesters demand an end to U.S. complicity and solidarity with the resistance in Gaza. (Photo by Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Campus Activism
An Anonymous Group’s List of Purported Critics of Israel Helped Steer a U.S. Crackdown on Student Activists

From The Review

John T. Scopes as he stood before the judges stand and was sentenced, July 2025.
The Review | Essay
100 Years Ago, the Scopes Monkey Trial Discovered Academic Freedom
By John K. Wilson
Vector illustration of a suited man with a pair of scissors for a tie and an American flag button on his lapel.
The Review | Opinion
A Damaging Endowment Tax Crosses the Finish Line
By Phillip Levine
University of Virginia President Jim Ryan keeps his emotions in check during a news conference, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 in Charlottesville. Va. Authorities say three people have been killed and two others were wounded in a shooting at the University of Virginia and a student is in custody. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
The Review | Opinion
Jim Ryan’s Resignation Is a Warning
By Robert Zaretsky

Upcoming Events

07-31-Turbulent-Workday_assets v2_Plain.png
Keeping Your Institution Moving Forward in Turbulent Times
Ascendium_Housing_Plain.png
What It Really Takes to Serve Students’ Basic Needs: Housing
Lead With Insight
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin