Maria Veronica Santelices

Maria Veronica Santelices, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Department of Education, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Her research focuses on educational measurement, policy, and equity in higher education admissions and financial aid systems. She holds a PhD in Education from UC Berkeley (2007) and prior degrees from UC Berkeley and her alma mater, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Her current project, a book on Chile’s 40-year efforts to enhance higher education equity, examines private tertiary education expansion, state financial aid, institutional aid dynamics, and admissions reforms. The work compares Chile’s system with those of California, Texas, and Florida.

Publications emphasize standardized testing critiques (e.g., SAT bias), financial aid impacts on student retention, and AP course validity in admissions. Her 2004 study with Saul Geiser revealed AP course-taking alone fails to predict college success, urging admissions policy reconsideration.

No scientific awards listed, but her work has shaped debates on equity in admissions and financial aid systems. Active in grants and institutional collaborations without explicit details provided. No lab affiliations noted, though her research involves interdisciplinary policy analysis.