Abstract: Although the graduate application process can present a significant barrier to higher education, there is currently no evidence-based intervention available to aid students with the process. Hence, this pilot study sought to develop and provide initial evaluation of a theoretically founded career intervention designed to increase postgraduate school application self-efficacy (PSASE) for underrepresented undergraduate students planning to apply to graduate school. The intervention, titled Bridging the Graduate Application Process (GAP) , comprised evidence-based workshops on the graduate school search, letters of recommendation, resume/curriculum vitae development, standardized tests, and self-promotion. Participants from two universities ( n = 80) provided pre-and post-intervention data. A linear mixed-effects analysis revealed that self-efficacy scores were statistically significantly greater in the experimental condition compared to the control group for underrepresented and well-resourced students. This article concludes with a discussion of study limitations, future directions, and the implications of this research for students, career counselors, faculty, and administrators.
Rowe-Johnson et al. (Fri,) studied this question.