“Not Required,” “No Required Minimum,” and “Optional” General and Physics GRE Requirements: The Impact on Prospective Graduate Students

When applicants search for graduate schools, they research multiple aspects of the programs and reflect on how well they envision themselves fitting into each program. Graduate program’s reported Physics and General GRE requirements, recommended minimum scores, and previous cohort score averages influence students’ decisions about where to apply. In recent years, the test-optional language of No Required Minimum and GRE Optional requirements has muddied the waters for prospective applicants, particularly for women. In this qualitative study, 54 graduate students (25-F; 27-M; 2-DND) from 23 different graduate programs were asked how they decided where to (and not to) apply to graduate school. All students felt welcome to apply to graduate programs whose admissions requirements stated GRE Not Required or Do Not Send. However, women were far less likely than men to apply to graduate programs that stated No Required Minimum or GRE Optional language on their admission requirements webpage. This talk will highlight (1) how students interpreted these phrases, (2) how such phrases influenced students’ self-reflection about fit, and (3) how these factors influenced their decision on where to apply to graduate school.