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The Common Application and Student Choice

We study the effects of the Common Application (CA) platform, which allows students to submit a single application to multiple institutions, on student choice. Using individual-level data from freshman surveys over the period 1982-2014, we develop two proxies for student choice, one based upon the number of applications submitted and another based upon students attending non-first-choice institutions. Using these proxies, we first document sharp increases in student choice over time. Linking these outcomes to the timing of CA membership, we provide evidence of a link between CA entry and increased student choice.