![]() Today’s paper focuses on yet another reason to ditch the PGRE for good, taking down the myth that it evens the playing field by helping applicants “stand out.” These are exceptional circumstances though, and it is unclear if graduate programs will revert to their previous policies once circumstances change. It’s important to note that these policies have been drastically changed for 2020, since the COVID-19 pandemic caused ETS (the company that runs the GREs) to cancel administrations of this year’s exams. and Canada that no longer require the PGRE has been growing rapidly. Thankfully, the list of schools in the U.S. (All the programs that do not accept PGRE scores are either astronomy or a joint program with physics and astronomy). still normally require or recommend the Physics GRE, despite the recommendations against it. Of course, some set-in-their-ways faculty will claim that it’s a good indicator, and a good physicist should be able to excel at these exams.Īccording to today’s paper, over 90% of physics and astronomy programs in the U.S. It also makes the job of admissions committees easier, since it can quickly narrow down large applicant pools some schools use a “cutoff score”, which requires a minimum score in order to be a competitive candidate. ![]() With all these strikes against it, why do departments still use it? Some claim that it helps students from smaller schools “stand out” and allows for comparison of students from very different backgrounds since it’s standardized, unlike GPA or research experience. Studies have also shown that these exams do not correlate with the likelihood of finishing a doctorate, or the likelihood of earning a prize postdoctoral fellowship. It’s even been shown to be biased against women, people of color, and students from lower socioeconomic status in fact, it’s a better indicator of these demographic characteristics than of an applicant’s potential for success in graduate school. With its $150+ price tag (which just adds to the growing costs of grad school admission), the PGRE can be a barrier to entry to graduate school for lower income students. Research done by both universities and external agencies has shown that the Physics GRE is harmful to marginalized students. There was also recently an Astro2020 white paper calling for astronomy programs to eliminate both the subject-specific Physics GRE and the general GRE. The American Astronomical Society, the American Association of Physics Teachers, and the American Physical Society’s Bridge Program have all issued recommendations to limit the use of GREs in admissions, and many studies have looked into the effectiveness and bias of these standardized exams. For the past few years, removing Physics GRE (PGRE) requirements for admission to graduate school has been a point of contention in many university physics departments. However, it usually fails in the endeavor to show off an undergrad’s ability to do physics. ![]() ![]() The Physics GRE is a standardized test that has been used for over 35 years to showcase to graduate admissions committees how much fundamental physics an undergraduate knows. physics and astronomy program, chances are the Physics Graduate Record Exam (a.k.a. If you’re talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion in a U.S. Caballeroįirst author’s institution: Department of Physics and Astronomy & Department of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering, Michigan State University Title: The Physics GRE does not help applicants “stand out”Īuthors: Nicholas T.
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