Building a Better ‘Bridge’ to the Ph.D.
As an undergraduate, Rose S. Perea never doubted her ability in physics. That changed in her master’s program. "The math just got super hard," she says. "I started questioning my performance compared to the other students and wondered whether I belonged in graduate school." Ms. Perea, who is Hispanic, had set her sights on a doctorate. She knew she had hurdles, like low GRE scores, and at New Mexico State University, she failed to pass a qualifying examination.