Should you send ALL GRE scores?

[brontebitch]

Hi everyone,

Posting quickly and hoping someone has some thoughts. Basically, I have taken the GRE (general) 3 times. I have anywhere from 5-5.5 on the writing, and 155-159 on the Verbal. My quantitative is very low except on one of them, but that is also the test that I got my lowest verbal score (155). 

Basically, I am wondering if I should send my complete score report to schools. I'm an MA student right now at CU Boulder and applying to doctoral programs in English. My sense is that I should probably just send the test with my highest verbal score (which is also the most recent test, from this October), but the quant is very low on that. 

I'm wondering if it's worth it/beneficial to send all of my scores. They'll see progress, but will also probably be confused about my quant scores, which jump around a lot. However, they will only see a very low quant score if I only send the test with my highest Verbal. 

I'm already concerned about my GRE scores because they are pretty low, so I want to make them stick out less if possible. Sending my complete record would probably be more distracting, I think? 

I appreciate any and all advice! Thanks in advance. 

--

Just as a side note, I know my scores are pretty low for PhD admission, but I am a strong applicant overall. Please avoid any discouraging words -- this process is scary enough! 

Edited November 27, 2018 by natalielouise

[kef5]

Hi @natalielouise,

I'm sure others will have better insight into your question than I do, but I just wanted to put in a reassuring word. From everything I've read and heard, GRE scores (especially for the quant section) are the least important aspect of your application. My own quant score is appallingly low, but I believe my verbal and subject test will make it less of a concern. If I were you, I would definitely send the test with the highest verbal score and then try to let it go. If your undergrad and grad GPA don't raise any red flags and your SOP/writing sample/letters of rec/fit are solid, I don't think any of your GRE scores should tank your application. 

Best of luck!

[GlacierPoint]

From what I've read on program websites, English programs do not care about the quant score at all. The only thing you need to worry about is passing the minimum cutoff for the school. USC has it listed but someone reported getting in last cycle with a 137 Q. That is 3rd percentile. Total scores also come in play for university-wide fellowships too.

And 159 V isn't a terrible score if the rest of your application is strong! I got a 159 too but I'm retaking due to taking a gap year and trying to make up for a low-ish cumulative GPA (for PhD applications) due to being a hot mess freshman/sophomore. 

[brontebitch]

10 hours ago, GlacierPoint said:

From what I've read on program websites, English programs do not care about the quant score at all. The only thing you need to worry about is passing the minimum cutoff for the school. USC has it listed but someone reported getting in last cycle with a 137 Q. That is 3rd percentile. Total scores also come in play for university-wide fellowships too.

And 159 V isn't a terrible score if the rest of your application is strong! I got a 159 too but I'm retaking due to taking a gap year and trying to make up for a low-ish cumulative GPA (for PhD applications) due to being a hot mess freshman/sophomore. 

Thank you so much for your response! Yes, I am not too concerned about my verbal score -- one school I am applying to suggests that the verbal score of successful applicants is usually at least in the 75th percentile, and other schools I am applying to do not specify a requirement. I actually got a 137 on the quant on the most recent exam (lol) and I am pretty embarrassed; I think the highest quant score I received was somewhere in the high 140s. 

I think I would have prepped a lot more for the GRE if I had not pursued my Master's after my first application cycle in 2016/17, but right now I have several graduate conference presentations, teaching & research experience, and a really solid writing sample (pulled from my MA thesis), so I feel like the bulk of my materials speak for me as a qualified applicant. If I were just coming from undergrad, I would definitely keep retaking the GRE!

Good luck to you and thanks again!

[WildeThing]

I had a similar question as I took the GRE twice, scoring nearly 10 percentile points lower in the quant the second time but nearly 10 higher and more than 10 higher in the other two. I actually sent both to some schools at first because I didn’t know if my scores would be better or not, but since I only send my better verbals. I asked someone who helps with applications and they said that the ‘improvement’ narrative probably doesn’t come up. 

Ultimately, from my understanding GRE scores are more important than we’d like to think, but are certainly less important than everything else. I would send my best scores and keep my fingers crossed. Quant is certainly less important for English programs, but the degree to which it does matter, if it does indeed matter,  will vary by school.

[brontebitch]

9 hours ago, WildeThing said:

I had a similar question as I took the GRE twice, scoring nearly 10 percentile points lower in the quant the second time but nearly 10 higher and more than 10 higher in the other two. I actually sent both to some schools at first because I didn’t know if my scores would be better or not, but since I only send my better verbals. I asked someone who helps with applications and they said that the ‘improvement’ narrative probably doesn’t come up. 

Ultimately, from my understanding GRE scores are more important than we’d like to think, but are certainly less important than everything else. I would send my best scores and keep my fingers crossed. Quant is certainly less important for English programs, but the degree to which it does matter, if it does indeed matter,  will vary by school.

Thanks for your input! I think that my very low GRE scores were one of the reasons I got shut out from PhD programs my first time applying (and ended up in an MA), but I do feel like a much stronger applicant this time around with a clearer focus and better writing skills. Still, I do worry about the scores -- I know they are often a preliminary method for narrowing down applicants. 

At the same time, it seems like scores are more and more insignificant. Stanford no longer requires any GRE scores and I've heard that CUNY and Columbia are also trying to get them out of the admissions process. Still, with schools that require them (most of them), bad scores probably don't help anything. 

Good luck to you!