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Review
. 2023 Aug 17;186(17):3529-3547.
doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.07.029.

Insights and strategies for improving equity in graduate school admissions

Melissa Andrea Cadena  1 , Cathy Amaya  2 , Daisy Duan  2 , Carlos Alberto Rico  3 , Leonor García-Bayona  4 , Aníbal Tornes Blanco  5 , Yessica Santana Agreda  6 , Gonzalo Javier Villegas Rodríguez  7 , Alexis Ceja  8 , Vianna G Martinez  9 , Olivia V Goldman  10 , Robert W Fernandez  11
Affiliations
Review

Insights and strategies for improving equity in graduate school admissions

Melissa Andrea Cadena et al. Cell. .

Abstract

Applying to graduate school can be particularly challenging for students from historically minoritized backgrounds due to a hidden curriculum in the graduate admissions process. To address this issue, a team of volunteer STEM trainees established the Científico Latino Graduate Student Mentorship Initiative (CL-GSMI) in 2019 to support applicants from historically minoritized backgrounds. CL-GSMI is designed to improve access to critical resources, including information, mentorship, and financial support, and has assisted 443 students in applying and matriculating to graduate school. Using program evaluation data from 2020 to 2021, we highlight areas in graduate school admissions that can be improved to promote equity and inclusion.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests R.W.F. and O.V.G. are co-founders of CIENTIFICO LATINO LLC. The authors declare no other competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. The impact of the CL-GSMI program.
An illustration showing features of the hidden curriculum of graduate school application in the sciences, the tools that the Científico Latino GSMI program uses to intervene to promote equity in graduate school admissions, and possible long-term impact of their mentorship program.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. CL-GSMI program timelines.
An illustration showing the GSMI application timeline for participating in the CL-GSMI program as (A) an applicant or (B) a mentor.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. CL-GSMI team structure.
An Illustration of CL-GSMI team structure and delegation of responsibilities between approximately 30 volunteers.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.. Actionable items for multi-level increasing of graduate school admissions equity and accessibility.
Actionable items that individuals in the sciences (PIs, professors, Director of Undergraduate Studies), departmental efforts, and institutional efforts that can be enacted to improve equity in graduate school admissions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. U.S. Census Bureau 2020. American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates Data Profiles (Demographic and Housing Estimates, Table DP05; ).
    1. National Science Foundation (2023). Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering (NSF National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics; ).
    1. National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (2022). Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (National Science Foundation; ).
    1. National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Science Foundation. (2022). Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities
    1. Guzmán B (2001). The Hispanic Population: Census 2000 Brief (U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau; ).

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