Abstract

This paper evaluates the impact of referrals and Equal Opportunity (EO) statements on the selection for and participation in an international training program for college students. In a field experiment, 680 faculty from a Colombian university were invited to nominate students based on academic merit. Half of the faculty were also encouraged to prioritize merit without excluding candidates due to gender or social class through an EO statement. The EO statement increased nominations of low-social-class students by 35% (8 percentage points) without reducing efficiency, as referred candidates in both conditions achieved similar high GPAs, outperforming the general student population. To assess the effectiveness of referrals on program engagement, I compare these results to a separate condition where students were directly invited to the program based on academic merit. Referred students were significantly more likely to participate, highlighting the potential of referrals combined with EO statements to enhance participation and diversity in educational opportunities.