Too much affirmative action hurts the students it's meant to help

New research finds that the amount of affirmative action in college admissions matters a lot. A small boost helps students in the long run, but a large boost can actually hurt them.

Many people assume that more support for disadvantaged groups is always better. This paper shows that for college admissions, there is a point where good intentions turn into bad outcomes. It means that policies designed to help can actually harm students' academic performance, career choices, and long-term financial well-being if not carefully designed.