162V/160Q/5.5 looking to apply to Top 10 Psychology programs. Retake?

[essequamvideri]

I was rushed taking the GRE this year, and studied for only a week or two. I scored 162V/160Q/5.5, which is pretty good (and got me into a Master's program), but I intend to apply to PhD programs this coming year at Top 10 American schools (i.e., Yale, Berkeley, etc.). I'm basically positive that I could bump up both my verbal and quantitative score if I did some serious practice for it, but I really don't want to take it again unless I need to (I don't want to waste my time and money). That said, I know that these programs are very competitive and that this score, while pretty good in general, is low for Top 10 schools. Should I retake it, or is my current score unlikely to exclude me from consideration?

[xolo]

I don't know your personal situation but since you are confident of improvement and you are going to some very competitive programs, I would re-take the GRE.  Your going to be spending serious time preparing applications anyway, this is just one more check box.   Then you can at least feel good that you are giving it your all.  Whether it matters for the programs you apply to, I would not know.  BTW, your score is excellent - I think all 3 areas are around the 90th percentile.

[ssynny]

I've read before that schools like harvard and yale like to see a combined of 330 or more. But obviously that's not all they look at.

[essequamvideri]

Ssynny, where have you read that (if you remember)?

[ssynny]

Ssynny, where have you read that (if you remember)?

 

I read it on magoosh somewhere, but I apologize that I wrote the number wrong. It should have been 320+. http://magoosh.com/gre/2013/gre-scores-for-top-universities/  I hope this site helps. Honestly, your score is good! But that won't be the deciding factor on whether you get into grad school. I know someone who got into harvard with a combined of less than 310. They had a lot of publications and good rec letters to back them. I know lots of people with perfect math scores who also didn't get in. Your score will not exclude you from consideration, but no score can really guarantee you consideration either. Good luck!

[geographyrocks]

GRE scores are generally used to thin the herd. Top schools have a higher cutoff than others, but retaking in hopes a few points higher really isn't going to make you a standout candidate. Your research and research fit SOP, and LORs will do that.

[PeakPerformance]

I tend to agree with Geographyrocks. I think your GRE score is less important coming from a Master's program. What's important is that you've used that time well — e.g., presented at conferences, impressed some professors, refined your area of interest such that you can articulate a strong project, etc.