Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/307241 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 17417
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
We study the impact of a personalized mentoring program on university enrollment choices and academic outcomes. Conducting a randomized controlled trial among 337 high school students, we find that the program significantly influences students' decisions. The likelihood of choosing a field aligned with their mentor increases by 14 to 22 percentage points, depending on the sample and specification, representing a 25% to 45% increase from the baseline. Notably, the program also shifts preferences towards STEM/Economics fields, potentially enhancing prospective wages by 3.1- 3.7%. Using administrative data, we confirm the validity of survey-based evidence and show that the intervention does not negatively impact university performance, even though treated students enroll in more competitive fields.
Subjects: 
mentoring
university choices
RCT
JEL: 
C93
I23
I26
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
953.78 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.