Understanding the Effect of HISD's EMERGE Program on Student Outcomes. Research Brief for the Houston Independent School District

High-performing first-generation and economically disadvantaged students are more likely to attend colleges and universities that are less competitive than their academic qualifications allow, which makes them less likely to graduate. EMERGE is a multiyear, personalized college advising program that aims to address this problem by preparing academically high-performing first-generation and economically disadvantaged students to attend and graduate from the nation's most selective colleges and universities. The costs associated with this high-touch approach warrant investigating how EMERGE compares with low-touch information packets and general district support. This first-ever causal study of EMERGE compared students who were admitted to HISD's EMERGE program with comparable students who applied but were not admitted and were close to the admission cutoff. The analyses showed students admitted to HISD's EMERGE program were significantly more likely to apply to selective colleges, submit more applications to selective colleges, and enroll in selective colleges. Information packets were ineffective.