joint with Ghazala Azmat (Queen Mary, University of London and Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.), Manuel Bagues (Aalto University and IZA) and Nagore Iriberri (University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, IKERBASQUE)

This paper studies the effect of providing feedback to college students on their position in the distribution of grades using a randomized control experiment. This information was updated every six months during a three-year period. In the absence of treatment, students' underestimate their position in the distribution of grades. The treatment improves significantly the students' self-assessment. We find that treated students experience a significant decrease in their educational performance, as measured by their accumulated GPA and number of exams passed. This, however is short lived. Students catch up in subsequent periods, and on receiving repeated updates on their relative position, there are no further impacts. Interestingly, the provision of information improves students' self-reported satisfaction with the course, measured by survey responses taken after information is provided but before students take their exams.

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