Wondering what role does GRE play in this circle? GRE was optional in this circle for the majority of programs, and UCSD doesn't require GRE. The result is that I only receive an offer from UCSD and all rejections from others (some T50 or T60) who require GRE. My score was pretty ugly (with V158 and writing 4.0). I was thinking that GRE actually plays a greater role in this cricle as programs want to make sure they recruit the safe and right students.