Undergraduate Gender Differences in Knowledge of the GRE and Perception of the GRE as a Barrier to Applying

RUME 26

2024

Omaha, Nebraska

Undergraduate Gender Differences in Knowledge of the GRE and Perception of the GRE as a Barrier to Applying

Page: 782

• Tim C McEldowney
• Edwin B Townsend
• Danielle Maldonado
• Lynnette Michaluk
• Jessica Deshler

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are commonly required in applications to graduate school in mathematics. We examine undergraduate mathematics majors’ knowledge of the GRE and their perceptions of the GRE as a barrier to applying to these programs as part of a larger project studying student knowledge of the graduate school application process and how it contributes to lack of diversity in graduate mathematics programs. We found that there was an association by gender, and that women were less likely to report that they had heard of the GRE General and Subject Tests. Similarly, women were more likely to report that the GRE tests were a potential barrier to their decision to apply to graduate mathematics programs.