um...that's called discrimination and it's very illegal. i have to say that this theory seems incredibly half-baked to me and is deeply problematic in terms of how the poster thinks about gender/family issues. the field is extremely competitive and it's certainly not like you check a box on your application to state your pregnancy status (again, even asking for such information would be very illegal). yes, it is difficult to have a family in grad school but i can speak from personal experience (phd candidate in a top tier program) that having kids, partners while applying does not enter into the admissions process. in fact, there are two very successful students in my phd program who have two children. everyone has been incredibly supportive and they are welcome to bring their children to many department events. family planning is highly personal and does have anything to do with your ability to get into grad school. but you know what does? your project, your letters (these are HUGELY important!!), your luck, your dedication to the field as evidence by teaching/internships, etc, and to a lesser extent, your GRE scores/undergrad gpa (if at all...).
fullofpink, not only is it egregiously sexist to suggest that family planning is to blame , but unless you have actually seen this person's application, how could you ever know why she did not get in? am i the only one who found this suggestion deeply offensive and incredibly preposterous?