Should I bother retaking the GRE?

[tinymica]

Hello! I'm planning to apply this December to a number of doctoral programs in English literature. I took the GRE last year and, while I didn't completely bomb it, I wasn't happy with my scores. I've already signed up for a re-take and even a prep course, but a friend of mine told me the GRE is just a formality at this point and I should cancel it in order to focus my attention on the more important components of my applications (WS, PS, LOC). To those of you who've been through the applications/admissions ringer, what do you think?

Thank you very much for any responses ?

[MarineBluePsy]

Well this is going to depend largely on where you're applying and how much emphasis they place on GRE scores.  Some schools have hard cutoffs, others take a holistic approach, and for some it is just a formality.  Also it helps to understand what the GRE does, it is designed to predict how well you will do your first year in grad school.  If you've already completed a Master's degree or graduate level courses in your last year of undergrad and did well you can highlight this in your SOP as an indicator of your ability to handle graduate coursework despite the GRE score.