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Transforming equity in university applications with MIT Department of Economics

WISE collaborated with researchers at the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on a project to explore how young people make decisions about their university applications.

The research focused on Year 12 and 13 students (16–18-year-olds), exploring how various interventions can influence their university selection and course choices.

The project builds on existing evidence which suggests that women and students from disadvantaged backgrounds feel they are less likely to fit in socially at universities they are unfamiliar with, relative to more advantaged students with similar grades, which can lead to inequality in application choices. As a result, access to knowledge and opportunities can be limiting, further enhancing inequalities.

The research

Researchers Nagisa Tadjfar and Kartik Vira worked with more than 20 schools as part of a study exploring how young people choose universities and the factors that influence those decisions. Combining national university application data with a field experiment, the research examined several key themes:

  • The influence of parents, family, friends and peers on university choices
  • Social fit, belonging and perceptions of elite universities
  • Educational inequality and social mobility
  • Increasing exposure to elite universities, and their alumni, to widen participation
  • Challenging assumptions about why students from low socio-economic backgrounds apply to elite universities at lower rates.

Their paper, Friends in Higher Places: Social Fit and University Choice found that concerns about social belonging, rather than academic ability alone, can play an important role in shaping university application decisions

Thank you to all the schools and volunteers who are supporting this work.

A special thank you to WISE Member AtkinsRéalis in helping support this collaboration through their school supply chain, bringing awareness to under-represented young people through their STEM Governors.

Utilising Friends in Higher Places: Social Fit and University Choice, WISE produced Belonging, perception and pathways into STEM education to more closely focus on the factors that shape girl’s educational aspirations and progression into STEM careers.

Our WISE report explores how social belonging, representation and exposure to role models influence educational decision-making and STEM participation.

Download our WISE report:

This report formed the basis of two events hosted by WISE:

Belonging, perception and pathways into STEM education webinar

WISE held an open webinar welcoming interested stakeholders from all areas of education and industry to learn more about the Friends in Higher Places: Social Fit and University Choice report.

The session provided an opportunity to share the findings with stakeholders involved and interested in the research.

WISE academic roundtable

On Monday 13 July, WISE brought together leaders from academia, industry and government to explore how collaboration can strengthen belonging in STEM for 16 to 18-year-olds transitioning to higher education.

Following presentations from WISE Young Professionals Committee member Gabbie Fox and researchers Nagisa Tadjfar and Kartik Vira, attendees shared insights from research, practice and lived experience to identify actions that can strengthen belonging, inform policy and create more equitable pathways into STEM for women and girls.

Thank you to everyone who attended the event and contributed their knowledge, findings and support as we move on to the next phase.

Next steps

Following the academic roundtable and the publication of Belonging, perception and pathways into STEM education, we are developing a white paper to provide practical guidance for educators, employers, policymakers and other influential stakeholders on how to address the challenges identified in the research.

We are working with partners across education and industry to ensure the recommendations are informed by real-world experiences and can drive meaningful change.

Call for case studies

We are seeking case studies, lived experiences and examples of effective practice to support our research into belonging, perceptions and pathways into STEM.

In particular, we are interested in:

  • Inspiring individual journeys and progression stories, including "breakthrough" students whose success has encouraged others to follow similar pathways.
  • Experiences of accessing highly selective universities, institutions or opportunities.
  • Stories that highlight the importance of belonging, representation, role models and exposure to opportunities in shaping aspirations and educational decisions.
  • Examples of outreach, mentoring, partnership or enrichment programmes that have had a positive impact on young people.

The case studies will be used to showcase effective approaches, and inform recommendations for educators, employers, policymakers and other stakeholders.

If you would like to submit a case study related to the research, please contact MorganPayne@theiet.org.

If you’re interested in working with WISE on a similar project, or would like to know more about this research project, please contact KatherineWatson@theiet.org.