Reach for the stars: Inequalities in university applications by school type

A growing body of research has shown large SES gaps in the match between students and their courses, with students from disadvantaged backgrounds more likely to ‘undermatch’ by attending less selective university courses than their entry grades would permit. In this paper we examine the role of university application behaviour in explaining these gaps. We find that individuals from different schools have very different application profiles, with those from independent schools much more likely to make ‘reach’ applications. In general, these reach applications are successful, and thus largely explain the why those from independent schools appear to be more likely to enrol in more selective courses, even when their entry grades are similar to those from the state sector.