diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/sitewide/dropdown_selector.js b/app/assets/javascripts/sitewide/dropdown_selector.js
index c48e97fb9..53394b46c 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/sitewide/dropdown_selector.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/sitewide/dropdown_selector.js
@@ -340,6 +340,7 @@ var dropdownSelector = (function() {
 
     updateDropdownDirection(selector, container);
     refreshDropdownSelection(selector, container);
+    if (container.hasClass('open')) container.find('.search-field').focus();
     if (selector.data('config').onChange && !config.skipChange) {
       selector.data('config').onChange();
     }
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/shared/dropdown_selector.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/shared/dropdown_selector.scss
index 898112bf6..4be2da4f1 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/shared/dropdown_selector.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/shared/dropdown_selector.scss
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
     background: $color-white;
     border: 1px solid $color-alto;
     border-radius: 4px;
+    box-shadow: inset 0 1px 2px 0 $md-color-shadow-light;
     display: flex;
     flex-wrap: wrap;
     min-height: 36px;
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@
     background: $color-white;
     border: 1px solid $color-alto;
     border-radius: 0 0 4px 4px;
-    box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, .2);
+    box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 $md-color-shadow-dark;
     display: none;
     overflow: hidden;
     position: absolute;
@@ -176,8 +177,7 @@
         user-select: none;
 
         &:hover {
-          background: $brand-primary !important;
-          color: $color-white;
+          background: $brand-primary-light;
         }
       }
 
@@ -190,6 +190,10 @@
         .group-name.checkbox-icon {
           background: $color-concrete;
 
+          &:hover {
+            background: $brand-primary-light;
+          }
+
           &::before {
             content: "\f14a";
           }
@@ -209,7 +213,6 @@
   &.open {
 
     .input-field {
-      border-bottom: 1px solid $brand-primary;
       border-radius: 4px 4px 0 0;
       z-index: 12;
 
@@ -224,7 +227,7 @@
 
     .dropdown-container {
       border-top: 0;
-      box-shadow: 0 1px 2px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, .2);
+      box-shadow: 0 1px 2px 0 $md-color-shadow-dark;
       display: block;
       top: 100%;
     }
@@ -234,14 +237,13 @@
       .input-field {
         border-bottom: 1px solid $color-alto;
         border-radius: 0 0 4px 4px;
-        border-top: 1px solid $brand-primary;
       }
 
       .dropdown-container {
         border-bottom: 0;
         border-radius: 4px 4px 0 0;
         bottom: 100%;
-        box-shadow: 0 -1px 2px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, .2);
+        box-shadow: 0 -1px 2px 0 $md-color-shadow-dark;
         position: fixed;
         top: auto;
       }