MPP GRE Score: 307 low?

[TalkPoliticsToMe]

Hi all,

Is a score of 307 too low for funding consideration and/or admission? I am not great at standardized tests which is why I am debating retaking it. 

• 5.5 Writing
• 153 Q
• 154 V

My undergraduate GPA is 3.33 (3.60 in my major).

Schools I am applying to: Michigan (Ford), Duke (Sanford), and Chicago (Harris). 

Thank you. 

[Guesswho]

The answer of whether or not a score is too low seems to depend on the background of the applicant. I think the consensus is that scores matter more when an applicant has little to no work experience and less so when they have at least a few years under their belt. If you're coming straight out of undergrad then I do think those scores may hold you back, but if you've been working then you still have a shot. Although in both scenarios lower gre scores can hurt one's chances at decent funding so that's something else worth considering. If you're coming straight out of undergrad then I think retaking it or working for a few years would be wise. 

[TalkPoliticsToMe]

Thank you for the feedback @Guesswho. I will have five years of work experience in the healthcare industry this June. I think I will try to retake the exam and see if I can bump up my score by a few points. 

[AGReyes]

When someone asks me this, I always look at their GPA. GPA and Test Scores are both general measures of aptitude and when one is low, you can cancel the negative impact by having a much higher score of the other.

In other words, a low GRE score is not a deal-breaker if your GPA is high.

Your GRE scores are 65th percentile in Verbal and 51st in Quant. I would say anything below the 70th percentile is low - which would be 156 V, 159 Q. 

Since you didn't crack 70th on either V or Q, you can't use a high verbal to assuage concerns about a low quant either.

Your GPA of 3.33 is also quite low for a top-tier program.

Your GPA is relatively low, your GRE Q is relatively low and your GRE V is relatively low.

Does this mean you can't get it in? No. But for Chicago, Michigan and Duke, these scores would place you in the bottom quarter of students, if not even lower.

I would recommend you retake the GRE and aim to boost each section by 5. Your chances would definitely go up when coupled with your work experience.