Gre Requirements and Student Perceptions of Fictitious Clinical Psychology Graduate Programs

Abstract

The influence of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) requirements on undergraduate students' perceptions of a fictitious clinical psychology graduate program was examined. The more rigorous a program's GRE requirement, the more highly students were expected to rate the program on quality, reputation, challenge of curriculum, attractiveness, and their willingness to apply. 140 undergraduate participants read and rated one of three possible program descriptions that differed only with regard to the stated GRE requirements. Although the effects were small, participants rated the program requiring a minimum combined GRE score of 1,200 (verbal and quantitative) as higher in quality and as having a more challenging curriculum compared to the program that required the GRE but with no minimum score. Although preliminary, these findings are consistent with previous research demonstrating that graduate school applicants use GRE requirements in their evaluation of graduate programs.