Every Little Bit Counts: The Impact of High-Speed Internet on the Transition to College

A-Tier
Journal: Review of Economics and Statistics
Year: 2018
Volume: 100
Issue: 2
Pages: 260-273

Authors (3)

Lisa J. Dettling (not in RePEc) Sarena Goodman (not in RePEc) Jonathan Smith (Georgia State University)

Score contribution per author:

1.341 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper examines whether high-speed Internet affects students' college applications. Our analysis links the diffusion of residential broadband to the testing and application outcomes of millions of PSAT and SAT takers and reveals that students with broadband in their postal code perform better on the SAT and apply to a higher number and more expansive set of colleges. While the availability of broadband generally improved applications to college, the effects appear to be concentrated among high-SES students, suggesting that the new technology may have increased preexisting inequities.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:tpr:restat:v:100:y:2018:i:2:p:260-273
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-29