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I don't really want to talk about GREs in admissions because I'd much rather talk about mentorship. A thread.
The main point is that mentoring a PhD student is more than you may realize.
The main point is that mentoring a PhD student is more than you may realize.
When I was more junior I got advice from senior colleagues not to take on a URM student with lower GRE scores. The advice: Mentoring is hard and you're new at it and 'trust me' this student will struggle to get their PhD.
Back then I listened to this advice meant to help me.
Back then I listened to this advice meant to help me.
But the advice has a lay theory at its core, that if a PhD student struggles it is because they don't have what it takes. That's quite a strong take on a training system with A LOT of built in racism, sexism, and elitism up and down.
The advice also assumes that student struggles are a nuisance to be avoided if possible, and well, I struggled and other students struggled around me, before me, and after me.
They struggled with funding shortages, difficult advisors, racism, sexism, homesickness...
They struggled with funding shortages, difficult advisors, racism, sexism, homesickness...
In short, there are a lot of struggles that students have that mentors can help with!
So mentorship is more than seeing if a star emerges from this cohort of grad students. It's fostering someone's scholarly development in a place with many obstacles to success.
So mentorship is more than seeing if a star emerges from this cohort of grad students. It's fostering someone's scholarly development in a place with many obstacles to success.
Thinking structurally now, mentorship also means taking on more of the structural challenges that PhD students face.
This means supporting their rights as workers. It means doing your part to create a safe work environment. It means a living wage and funding for research.
This means supporting their rights as workers. It means doing your part to create a safe work environment. It means a living wage and funding for research.
Mentoring is also your vision for our future.
Imagine how much more just the field would be if folks actually took the affirmative step with their URM PhD applicants (particularly given how noisy academic success is).
You don't need the GRE's permission to do this!!!
Imagine how much more just the field would be if folks actually took the affirmative step with their URM PhD applicants (particularly given how noisy academic success is).
You don't need the GRE's permission to do this!!!
To close, I want you to consider the possibility that you could be the mentor you needed in grad school. Don't wait for a star to emerge or select based on star pedigrees alone--instead, build the conditions that allow people who don't have it all figured out to be successful.
