Strengthening Self-Efficacy in the Graduate Application Process: Evidence From a Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Despite an increase in graduate school enrollment for students with marginalized identities, disparities in graduate school entrance persist, particularly for first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students of color. Although pilot research has offered preliminary support for interventions designed to assist students in the postgraduate application process, rigorous research allowing for causal inference remains limited. Using a randomized control design, this study sought to extend pilot research on one such graduate school application intervention, Bridging the Graduate Application Process (GAP) , through assessing its effectiveness compared to an attention control (AC) condition and waitlist control (WLC) condition. A total of 188 participants recruited from Midwestern universities completed baseline assessments and were included in an intent-to-treat analysis using a linear mixed-effects model to assess changes in postgraduate school application self-efficacy scores across the three intervention conditions at pretest and posttest. A per protocol analysis was also conducted to determine the efficacy of the intervention using participants who completed the condition originally allocated. Results suggest statistically significant improvements in application self-efficacy in the experimental group compared to both the AC and WLC conditions. These findings provide robust support for GAP as a promising intervention to increase sociocognitive resources and promote equity in the graduate application process.