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In discussions about whether percent plans (e.g. Texas's top 10% law) promote equity in college admissions, it is rarely discussed that roughly half of high schools send ZERO students to UT and A&M. Paper by Kalena Cortes and Daniel Klasik explores this: https://www.edworkingpapers.com/sites/default/files/ai21-342.pdf
Most important figure in my view. The authors analyze sending patterns over a 20-year period. They show that the introduction of the top 10% plan had little effect on sending patterns, even though students from "never sending" schools now had admissions certainty.
Note that never sending schools do have slightly higher percentages of Black, Hispanic, and low-income students compared to sending schools. But school size (and likely geography) seems to be far more related to which schools send kids to UT/A&M.
Why is this important? I think it highlights a growing body of evidence that many students have the academic credentials needed to get into colleges, even very selective ones, but they still do not apply or enroll.
Lots of factors are likely at play: perceptions of flagship institutions being inaccessible/elite/hostile, college costs, the challenges of leaving one's home community in many places, etc. But equally important is the need to provide students with high-quality college advising.
In fact, while access to public flagships is obviously important, equally important is the need to advise students about all other postsecondary options: other 4-years, community colleges, CTE, apprenticeships, etc. Diverse paths can be valuable and rewarding for students.
That's why I love collaborating with programs like @TexasOnCourse that are promoting the knowledge and expertise of counselors and college advisers across the state and developing tools and resources for secondary students to help them navigate their futures.
