GRE-Optional Policies in PhD Admissions: Impacts on Student Applications, Yield, and Structural Diversity

Test-optional policies in graduate admissions have been increasingly common, yet their impact on structural diversity remains a topic of debate. To scrutinize the policies’ effects on applications, yield, and structural diversity, we utilized 182,638 admissions records across 117 PhD programs at a flagship U.S. public university. Employing heterogeneity-robust difference-in-differences analyses, we found that the adoption of Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)-optional policies increased program selectivity, evidenced by a decrease in acceptance rates. Changes in applicant, admitted, and enrollee demographics were, for the most part, not significant. Our study provides the first empirical insights into the relationship between GRE-optional policies and enrollment outcomes, while also noting the policies’ mostly negligible impact on structural diversity in PhD programs.