Typical physics Ph.D. admissions criteria limit access to underrepresented groups but fail to predict doctoral completion
Typical physics Ph.D. admissions criteria limit access to underrepresented groups but fail to predict doctoral completion
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DOI：
10.1126/sciadv.aat7550
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发表时间：
2019-01-01
期刊：
影响因子：
13.6
通讯作者：
Hodapp, Theodore
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Miller, Casey W.;Zwickl, Benjamin M.;Hodapp, Theodore
本研究旨在了解典型的录取标准在确定将完成物理博士学位的学生方面的有效性。对2000年至2010年大约八分之一的物理博士学生的多元统计分析表明，传统的本科平均成绩（GPA）和研究生入学考试（GRE）定量、口头和物理学科测试的录取指标并不能有效地预测完成招生委员会的假设。在四个研究模型中，有两个模型发现本科GPA与完成度有显著关联；GRE物理和GRE语言在任何模型中都不显著。值得注意的是，在定量测试中，美国物理专业的考生在第10百分位与第90百分位的完成度变化不到10%。除了这些在预测博士毕业总体上的局限性之外，在招生过程中过度依赖GRE分数也会对代表性不足的群体造成不利影响。
This study aims to understand the effectiveness of typical admissions criteria in identifying students who will complete the Physics Ph.D. Multivariate statistical analysis of roughly one in eight physics Ph.D. students from 2000 to 2010 indicates that the traditional admissions metrics of undergraduate grade point average (GPA) and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Quantitative, Verbal, and Physics Subject Tests do not predict completion as effectively admissions committees presume. Significant associations with completion were found for undergraduate GPA in all models and for GRE Quantitative in two of four studied models; GRE Physics and GRE Verbal were not significant in any model. It is notable that completion changed by less than 10% for U.S. physics major test takers scoring in the 10th versus 90th percentile on the Quantitative test. Aside from these limitations in predicting Ph.D. completion overall, overreliance on GRE scores in admissions processes also selects against underrepresented groups.