Summary

This paper aims to provide relevant evidence on the experience and results of Propedéutico programs. It suggests that, while performing well on the PSU is highly correlated with a high socioeconomic status, being at the top of the class rank is likelyto reflect the presence of the personal character and academic potential necessary to access and succeed in higher education regardless of social background. To make this argument, the paper relies on different sources. First, based on data about theperformance of students enrolled in two top universities (PUC and USACH), it shows that students who were in the top 10% of their high school class rank tend to perform significantly better and graduate in a more timely manner than their counterparts who, coming from similar socioeconomic backgrounds, were not among the top 10%. Second, the paper describes how the Propedéutico programs operate and presents the results of its latest evaluation. These results suggest that, even though Propedéutico students have lower performance and experience greater challenges than their counterparts admitted through regular admission during the first year, most of them end up overcoming the academic gaps throughout the second year and graduating within a one-year lag (Koljatic & Silva, 2012). The paper concludes and summarizes what Chile can learn from the experience of Propedéutico programs. It also highlights what still needs to be done if the country wants to move towards a more efficient and equitable system of university admissions.