GEOGREXIT: STRATEGIES FOR REMOVING THE GRE AS ONE BARRIER OF ENTRY TO GEOSCIENCE GRADUATE PROGRAMS

From 2019 until summer 2020, at least 69 geoscience-based graduate programs in the United States have removed or made optional the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test for admissions. This is driven by a large body of research that indicates the test is not tied to success in graduate school and instead presents a barrier to minoritized and low-income applicants. With the geosciences as one of the least diverse STEM fields, removing barriers to entry is one step to improved equity. Collected wisdom from programs that have dropped the GRE requirement show that using the body of peer-reviewed literature to convince colleagues increases the likelihood of faculty agreeing to remove the requirement. Other programs have seen success with simple analyses of past GRE waivers, scores, and time-to-degree, along with other measures of student success in their own department. However, understanding the centrality of admissions in your university is key, as is understanding if the test may be required for any university-level fellowships, or the decision to remove the GRE may be made at the College or University level. Initial impressions from graduate programs that had removed the requirement for fall 2020 admissions (before the COVID-19 pandemic) indicate a higher number of total applications and an increase in applications from underrepresented groups. Additionally, several programs have temporarily waived GRE requirements for Fall 2021 admissions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making the next admissions cycle an opportunity for even more geoscience departments to consider dropping the test permanently.