Does Affirmative Action Lead to 'Mismatch'? A Review of the Evidence. Issue Brief

When students are admitted through admissions preferences--especially when the preferences are large and the students pursue demanding fields of study--do they benefit from going to a more selective school? Or, instead, do they suffer from being "mismatched" with their peers--falling behind, becoming frustrated, receiving low grades, and sometimes switching to easier majors or dropping out? This brief will survey some of the most influential research on this question in order to give a bird's-eye view of the debate.