Low GRE for Mechanical Engineering?

[dat_cake]

Hey all,

 

This question probably gets asked a million times but I could really use some advice. I'm currently in my last year of undergrad, graduating in May.

 

I've taken the GRE 3 times, my scores in order are

 

1. 160 V, 159 Q

2. 156 V, 156 Q

3. 159 V, 158 Q

 

All of the top 25 mechanical engineering schools have an average Quant of 165...

I've only sent my first scores to any schools, thankfully.

 

This is a huge disappointment to me because I feel the rest of my application is stellar:

GPA: 3.76/4.0

Major GPA: 3.83/4.0

 

Summer Research at Purdue (top 10) with a well-known prof

 

Publications:

1 conference from my summer program

1 journal article in progress.

 

I have two LOR's from profs at my university, one of which I know will be really strong. My prof from Purdue will also be writing me one.

 

The schools I was looking at were:

 

Berkeley, GA Tech, Purdue, Michigan, Johns Hopkins, Columbia

 

So my question is:

 

Does my GRE score jeopardize my chances at top 10's? Should I even bother with Berkeley or Georgia Tech? I think it's in my best interest to only report the first one.

 

I should mention that I do not currently go to a school that is nationally ranked in mech E, although it is accredited.

 

Also, should I say something about my scores in my statement of purpose or personal statement? I don't really have a reason other than being busy with my current course load, which I don't think is much of an excuse.

 

[RP15]

Im in the same boat. I'm just under 160Q with great credentials (3.90 GPA, 3 research positions, internship at Intel, etc..).

I'm retaking the GRE on December 2nd. I know it's late as hell, but I figure I can e-mail the scores to the grad programs as a way of saying "I know my scores are terrible, but just so you know, here are my most recent ones"

 

I would apply to those programs anyway, especially to MIT since they do not care for the GRE (at least with EE they dont).

 

So frustrating, I know. My application is gold, but this pathetic exam may prevent me from getting accepted just because I didn't answer a few probability questions correctly

[grad_wannabe]

Im in the same boat. I'm just under 160Q with great credentials (3.90 GPA, 3 research positions, internship at Intel, etc..).

I'm retaking the GRE on December 2nd. I know it's late as hell, but I figure I can e-mail the scores to the grad programs as a way of saying "I know my scores are terrible, but just so you know, here are my most recent ones"

 

I would apply to those programs anyway, especially to MIT since they do not care for the GRE (at least with EE they dont).

 

So frustrating, I know. My application is gold, but this pathetic exam may prevent me from getting accepted just because I didn't answer a few probability questions correctly

 

Same boat.

 

My entire package is pretty stellar (3.95 GPA in my MS at MIT, three years of research at Harvard, multiple publications) but my quant score is dismal. Worried that one little number will sink my entire application.