Is my GRE high enough for PhD programs in Classical Archaeology?

[Brandi]

Hi,

I was wondering if I should retake my gre this summer. I took it last summer and got a 610 verbal and 590 math. I really studied for this and was actually really happy with these scores as I don't typically do well on these sorts of tests. But now I'm wondering if these scores are really good enough.

I am going to applying this fall to Classics PhD programs (focus in Classical Archaeology). I don't necessarily have my heart set on any programs, but UT, UPenn, UMichigan, and UChicago are some of my top choices.

I will be completing my MA in Classical Archaeology from the University of Exeter UK next year, and have BA degrees in Anthropology, Classics, and History. My undergrad gpa is 3.93.

I know with these types of programs experience is really important and I have quite a bit of that including field schools, study abroad, courses in epigraphy and roman pottery taken in Portugal and at the American Academy in Rome. And have worked for a CRM Archaeology Lab as well. I also have presented a paper at the CSAS conference and am finishing up work for publication.

If anyone has any input this would be really helpful so I can know if I should start planning time to study again this summer. Thank you so much!

-Brandi

[Nibor6000]

I'm not sure about your particular field, but it seems that many Ph.D. programs use a combined score of 1200 as the cut off. So, you've met that requirement, but if you look at the mean GRE scores at schools you are interested in, you might find that the average score is quite a bit higher. While many schools say they don't place a huge amount of emphasis on the GRE for admission purposes, many schools do use GRE scores for funding decisions. If you aren't applying until next year, you have plenty of time to study and re-take it. I suggest spending more time on the math section, because it seems to be the area where most improvement can take place - there are fewer math concepts to learn versus thousands of vocabulary words that might not even be on the test.

So, while a high GRE score is not a strong predictor of graduate school success and you can quibble with the test's format and subject matter, in the end, it can be important for your application.

From personal experience, my score was quite high, and I had professors commenting on it, but they also commented on my LORs, too. I received a university-wide competitive fellowship. My guess is that GRE scores were one of the more objective ways to compare say, an engineering student against an English student, but that's just a guess. That being said, the rest of my application was very solid, too!

My advice, since you've got time, is to study and re-take. Good luck!

[lily_]

I was told by the director of the Joukowsky Institute for the Ancient World (essentially classical archaeology) at Brown that they don't really look at GRE scores. I did some time as a non-matriculated student at University of Chicago, and know people who got into the NELC department with scores similar to yours with funding, however one of the professors there told me that they consider GRE when they making funding decisions.

If you've got the time, study and retake it. A higher score can't hurt, but your other stats appear very competitive. Another thing a lot of classical archaeology programs look at is language, infact some of them weight that over GPA and GRE. I assume if you have a BA in Classics then you have the Greek & Latin, however many programs require you to also have two modern languages, normally French and German (sometimes, but not always, Italian). I know the departments at Brown and Boston will not consider applicants who have at least 2 or 3 of these languages requirements.

Best of luck!

[Brandi]

I was told by the director of the Joukowsky Institute for the Ancient World (essentially classical archaeology) at Brown that they don't really look at GRE scores. I did some time as a non-matriculated student at University of Chicago, and know people who got into the NELC department with scores similar to yours with funding, however one of the professors there told me that they consider GRE when they making funding decisions.

If you've got the time, study and retake it. A higher score can't hurt, but your other stats appear very competitive. Another thing a lot of classical archaeology programs look at is language, infact some of them weight that over GPA and GRE. I assume if you have a BA in Classics then you have the Greek & Latin, however many programs require you to also have two modern languages, normally French and German (sometimes, but not always, Italian). I know the departments at Brown and Boston will not consider applicants who have at least 2 or 3 of these languages requirements.

Best of luck!

Thank you! Yes, I forgot to mention that I have also had 2 full years of Greek and Latin (latin actually I have been taking since high school, so combined 6) and German. And am planing to take more language courses next year with my MA. I am applying this Fall though for programs back here in the states.

If I do retake it, does anyone know if I do worse if this will hurt anything or do they typically take the highest score?

[grotesqueidols]

If I do retake it, does anyone know if I do worse if this will hurt anything or do they typically take the highest score?

There is nothing I hate more than the GRE for Archaeology PhDs! Grr!!!

If you are going to retake it you might want to invest in a class. Expensive, yes, but it seems with scores at your level (*ALMOST* there) you could really get a boost. I would try to get them up, though. I used to work grad admissions in an unnamed american archaeology dept and, although it wouldn't have kept you out entirely, your score would have been marked as low by the committee.

Do you have any publications or conference papers under your belt? If not, GET ON IT! Present at wherever...TAG...grad conferences in the UK...wherever. Make posters for everything. Bulk up your CV. Oh! I see you have one paper... More! Be a conference slut We've all done CRM and field schools...can you get an actual position on a project for the summer? Maybe not paid but you have to be NOT paying to be there. Something like a lab director role or a trench supervisor position. You should be at that point if you want to be equal or better than your competition.

Also, make your statement of purpose sparkle...present your idea for a phd as a well thought out endeavor to answer a specific problem. Make sure it is focused towards the work of the specific person you want to be your supervisor without it being TOO close. Contact the person you want to work with in the department before you apply.