ETS allows you to send your GRE score to 4 schools after the rest - what if I haven't applied to any schools as of yet?

[EIA0010]

Hi everyone,

sorry for what perhaps may be a dumb question, but I'm writing the GRE later this week, and from my understanding, ETS allows you to send your scores to up to 4 schools of your choosing. My question is if I know what schools I'd like to apply to, but I haven't applied yet, can I still send these scores the day of the test, or would I have to apply first. Thanks!

[TheBumChikiBum]

You can send your scores even before applying. It's al-right to do so.

[TakeruK]

Sending your scores will mean that the schools will have access to your GRE scores. When you do submit an application, the school will connect your application with the GRE scores they received.

[avflinsch]

As others stated - send the scores to whatever schools that you think you will be applying to. The schools will keep track of the score until your application comes in. If you end up not applying to one of the schools you sent the score to it won't be a problem.

Just make sure that you don't do what my daughter did. She knew what schools she was going to apply to, but did not submit the scores at the test time. ETS ended up charging her for all of the score transmittals when she went back to their website after she finished the applications. The 4 free transmissions are only free if you send the scores at the time that you take the test, any score sent after taking the test will incur their usual fee.

 

 

[TakeruK]

In addition to what avflinsch said, keep in mind that your options on test day (for the four free score reports) are different than after test day.

On test day, you only have two choices: Send ALL of your scores, or send the score for the current test you just took.

After test day, you can choose which test score(s) you want to send. Of course, if it's your first test, then these two scenarios are the same and it doesn't make a difference. But if you end up taking it more than once, remember that on test attempt #2, you will not be able to use a free score report to send the scores for test attempt #1!

[EIA0010]

Great, thanks for all the helpful responses! My main concern was not being able to take advantage of submitting your score to 4 schools and wanting to avoid the extra costs that come with submitting them afterwards. 

[KaffeeCafe]

I have a related question : If I am taking a subject test in late Oct - I won't get my scores for ~6 weeks, early Dec. Can I submit my applications before this without reporting sub test scores on the app and then have the scores sent when they arrive?

[TakeruK]

I have a related question : If I am taking a subject test in late Oct - I won't get my scores for ~6 weeks, early Dec. Can I submit my applications before this without reporting sub test scores on the app and then have the scores sent when they arrive?

Probably yes. Talk to your school with the deadlines prior to early December. In 2011, I took the subject test in mid-November and got the scores in mid-December, which means all of my schools with deadlines prior to Dec 12 received my scores after the deadline. When I talked to each one of them, they were fine with receiving a delayed score. They all told me that they don't start receiving files until January anyways---December is just used for them to compile all of the files for the admissions committee to review.

[KaffeeCafe]

Probably yes. Talk to your school with the deadlines prior to early December. In 2011, I took the subject test in mid-November and got the scores in mid-December, which means all of my schools with deadlines prior to Dec 12 received my scores after the deadline. When I talked to each one of them, they were fine with receiving a delayed score. They all told me that they don't start receiving files until January anyways---December is just used for them to compile all of the files for the admissions committee to review.

I see, thank you. So, for mid-Dec deadlines for which I should have my scores in time, should I wait and submit close to the deadline or is it favorable to submit early? (Is there a rolling admission or priority given the earlier received? I'm applying to a variety of Chem PhD schools. Thanks!

[TakeruK]

Unless the school states that there is a rolling deadline, or that priority will be given to applications by a certain date, then the actual time you submit your application should not matter at all. For all of my applications, I submitted as close to the deadline as possible because I had so many other things to do that I sometimes could not find time to do that last tweak on my application until the week of the deadline. Also, there was a paper that I was waiting for a decision to update my application! In most cases, I submitted within 48 hours of the deadline (tried to avoid the day of the deadline just in case Murphy's law kicks in and my internet or the school's system goes down etc.)

There is no application-specific advantage to submitting early. But if you are the type of person that likes to get it out of the way and if it will help your mental health, you don't need to feel like you have to hang onto it until the last minute either!