Nia, a 21-year-old computer science senior, has spent months preparing for her first full-time job. But she worries that before an employer evaluates her skills, an automated system may decide whether she is worth considering at all.

As graduation approaches, Nia spends hours searching job boards and tailoring applications. “Entry-level” jobs may ask for particular programming languages, certifications, previous experience, and a college degree. Among her classmates, there is a persistent belief that applicants without words such as bachelor’s, master’s, or degree on their résumés may be screened out before a hiring manager ever sees them.

That changes how Nia thinks about her diploma. The degree represents years of learning, but in the hiring process it can also function as a signal—a key that gets an application through the first gate. Students also notice that graduates from universities with stronger reputations or company connections may have an easier time getting through the next one.

What should a college credential tell an employer? What does an automated hiring system assume it tells them? And how much talent might be missed when getting a chance to demonstrate your abilities depends first on having exactly the right words on your résumé?