Towards an understanding of graduate admissions practices in physics

The APS bridge program works to improve the participation of students from traditionally under-represented groups in graduate physics. Related to this, we have undertaken research to improve our understanding of graduate admissions practices from the point of view of both students and faculty. Previously, we collected data on admission practices from over 75\% of PhD-granting physics departments in the U.S., which highlighted the role of various criteria (including the GRE) in the admissions decisions faculty make, and identified the efforts (or lack thereof) made to recruit students from traditionally under-represented backgrounds. Currently, we are conducting a parallel study of upper division undergraduate physics majors to investigate their post-graduation career intentions, their perceptions of graduate admissions and perceived barriers to admissions, and to understand how undergraduate experiences influence students' career interests. Lastly, we are also studying, in depth, students who have been connected to physics bridge programs, to understand post-admission experiences and the enculturation process in physics departments. In this talk, we report on the collective results of these research efforts to date.