Sending GRE scores when not required

[biggielarges]

Hey y'all,

So now lots of programs are dropping the GRE requirement, but are there implications to leaving your scores off your application?  Does anyone know if programs will look down on you or assume your scores are bad if you don't send? 

I have scores that are alright, but I am very curious about this. 
GRE Scores:
Q: 157 (65th) 
V: 165 (96th)
W: 4.5 (82nd) 

Thanks!! 

[90% Caffeine]

I would like to know about this too!! I don't want to pay for that $26 per school fee, but if it helps in anyway to have my GRE score I'll send it. 

[b3lljar]

I spoke to an admission rep at Columbia yesterday and she says if the scores are not required, you should only submit them if they can HELP your application. If you did extremely well, then sure, go ahead. If your scores are mid-range or low, however, absolutely do not submit them as it likely can and will be held against you. In cases where the GRE requirement is dropped, your best course of action is to write a killer SOP and have great letters of rec. Best of luck!

[BabyScientist]

Agreed with above.

They can't make assumptions when you don't submit scores. For all they know, you couldn't afford to take it or send them. Or you thought 80th percentiles were low and didn't send them.

Only submit if you think your scores can help you. 

[ucgrit]

Hi there, 

At UChicago we just dropped the GRE requirement in the Biological Sciences Division. You can't be hurt by not submitting your GRE, but of course if you did well and want to submit it, you are more than welcome to. A big part of the work we do (GRIT) is to make sure that application processes are equitable for URM students and students from other marginalized groups - and dropping the GRE requirement was a big part of that! We (students) will be making sure admissions committees are held accountable to this fact and not using the lack of a GRE submission as any sort of detriment towards that applicant. The GRE should not (and at UChicago Biological Sciences Division cannot) be used as a 'cutoff' for applications since it disadvantages certain groups (URMs, socioeconomic minorities etc) more so than others. 

Hope that helps! 
Also, if you're considering applying to UChicago, feel free to send us a message or check out our page - we'd be happy to talk more about all this. 

 

(P.S. I'm a current Biology student at UChicago (in Genetics, Genomics, and Systems Biology program) and got very similar scores to yours)