In the past few years, there has been a surge of graduate applications to astronomy and astrophysics programs. Because the departments that offer these programs are generally rather small, graduate positions are inherently competitive. This has led to applicants experiencing exceptionally low success rates which creates a self-perpetuating problem. High volumes of applications not only place a heavy burden on admissions committees but also exacerbate issues of accessibility and inclusivity for applicants. Because this trend is considered unsustainable by many in the field, the AAS has formed a task force composed of members at all career stages.

The purpose of this admissions task force is to collect data on current and historic admissions from as many astronomy and astrophysics programs as possible. The data collected will concern not only the various departments’ policies and procedures in handling application influx, but also the experiences and concerns of recent applicants. The task force plans to summarize their findings and recommendations in a formal letter to the AAS Board of Trustees. The hope is to address these growing challenges by proposing solutions that make the application process more equitable and manageable. By improving access, the AAS hopes to support a diverse cohort of future researchers and ensure a sustainable pipeline of talent in the field.

The Astronomy Graduate Congress (AGC) is proud to have two of its members on this AAS taskforce; Daniel Piacitelli (Rutgers University) and Sebastian Monzon (Yale University). Together they have designed a survey that is meant to target recent applicants and collect information on common barriers in the admissions process. Their survey is designed to advocate for the collective experience of all recent applicants with a particular emphasis on diversity and inclusion. The AGC looks forward to learning about the results of the task force’s efforts and is excited by the prospect of a graduate admission landscape that is not over-subscribed.