Proof Points: Study finds elite college prep can backfire

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By Jill Barshay

Here’s a cautionary tale from France about efforts to do good. A study of one of that country’s most elite college prep programs for disadvantaged youth concluded that it harmed half the high school students who participated and left them worse off.

The paper, “A Pleasure That Hurts: The Ambiguous Effects of Elite Tutoring on Underprivileged High School Students,” was published in the April 2020 issue of the Journal of Labor Economics. It was written by three economists from the Paris School of Economics.

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Key Findings

The two-year program of extra tutoring and mentoring worked brilliantly for disadvantaged high school students who were already very high achieving -- those with ninth grade test scores that placed them in the top 20 percent of their high schools. They posted higher high school exam scores, were admitted to preparation programs for the elite grande ecoles (akin to the Ivy League) at higher rates and persisted in their studies more than similar students.
By contrast, middle-to-high achieving students -- those with ninth grade test scores that fell between the 30th and 70th percentiles in their high schools -- ended up with lower high school test scores and fewer offers for the prestigious grandes ecoles preparation programs than similar students who didn’t participate in the program.
The problem: the additional lessons and college prep were a time-consuming distraction from students’ main high school studies. The very best students managed the extra workload but the rest struggled.

Teacher Takeaway

Check in with students to see how they’re managing the workload of an extracurricular program. Some students need extra support.

Lit Review

Son Thierry Ly, Eric Maurin, and Arnaud Riegert, "A Pleasure That Hurts: The Ambiguous Effects of Elite Tutoring on Underprivileged High School Students," Journal of Labor Economics 38, no. 2 (April 2020): 501-533. https://doi.org/10.1086/705925
Catherine M. Millett & Marisol J. C. Kevelson, “Positioning for College Success: The Evaluation of the Princeton University Preparatory Program’s Work With High-Achieving, Low-Income Students,” Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ (2018)

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Proof Points: Study finds elite college prep can backfire

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