We study the relation between the presence of superstar firms and college students' major choice. Salient occurrences … of superstar performers in an industry are followed by a sharp rise in the number of college students choosing to major …. Students' tendency to follow superstars, however, is met with lower real wages earned by entry-level employees when these …

significantly influenced by the timing of their experiences. Using administrative data, we study whether the order in which students … Academy in which students are randomly assigned to certain courses either during or after the semester in which they are … required to select their college major. We find that when students are assigned to a course in the same semester as they select …

class rank on college students' managerial attainment is crucial for understanding some determinants of career advancement …. This paper estimates the effect of a low rank in a highperforming class on the probability of college students attaining a … employment registries. For most programs, this university divides first-year students into two classes based on their preferences …

Motivated by the self-determination theory of psychology, we ask how simple school practices can forge students … crossover design, involving all the students of the University of Szeged in Hungary. Our intervention consisted of an automated … encouragement message that praised students’ past achievements and signaled trust in their success. The treated students received …

We empirically examine whether there is discernable variation in the matriculation patterns of low-income students at …, low-income students with need-based aid. While enrollment responses cannot be attributed to these programs, we do find …-distant students. These findings imply that "improved" access may actually displace some needy students in favor of others. -- Low …

Scholarship has affected students' college major decisions, with a focus on STEM. We find that HOPE reduced the likelihood of …

selective colleges to lower their curricular demands, low-ability students benefit at the expense of medium-ability students … better serve their most able students. This stylized model of curricular product differentiation in higher education offers …

of less able students. As we argue in the paper, this adjustment benefits low-ability college students at the expense of … colleges become a less appealing alternative for the medium ability students. The selective, elite colleges therefore adopt a … more demanding curriculum to better serve their most able students, again at the expense of medium ability students. The …

's HOPE Scholarship has affected students' college major decisions, with a focus on STEM majors. We find consistent evidence …

encourage women to enter male-dominated fields, and students of both genders pursue more difficult majors, such as STEM fields …. These findings imply that the economic environment changes how students select majors, possibly by encouraging them to …