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The Effect of College Applications on Enrollment

Abstract This article investigates determinants of the number of four-year colleges to which students apply and how the number of applications affects their probabilities of enrollment. To estimate the effect on enrollment, I use a novel instrument: the adoption rate of the Common Application near a student’s home. I find that applying to one additional college increases students’ likelihood of enrollment, but only for those applying to very few colleges. Going from one to two applications and two to three applications increases students’ probabilities of enrollment by 40% and 10%, respectively. This is partially due to the increase in the probability of being accepted to some college but also due to the increase in the probability of choosing to enroll, conditional on being accepted.