Exploring Opportunity: A CRT (Critical Race Theory) Examination of Students of Color and Graduate School Choice

• In Event: Focusing on Graduate Student Experiences: Reflections on Engagement and Activism for Black and Latina Students

Abstract

Despite extensive research on college choice, limited scholarship exists that explores the graduate school choice process using Critical Race Theory. First, we explore how students of color make decisions about where and why they enroll in Ph.D. programs and the factors that they consider. And second, we aim to understand how race, class, and gender shape the process of graduate school choice. We organize our findings into three areas: the role of funding, the significance of the advisor, and engagement with the campus. Our findings highlight critical areas that warrant the need for a different model for graduate school choice. Additionally, we extend the literature by providing a national perspective on graduate school choice.

Authors

• Eligio Martinez, Cal Poly Pomona

• Dina C. Maramba, Claremont Graduate University

• Janette Mariscal, California State University - Long Beach

• Marlena Wolfgramm, Council of Graduate Schools