The outstanding questions still driving me crazy...

[sofmeister]

1) I have a high gpa (4.0), some research experience, and what i hope are going to be positive recommendation letters. Let's assume I have a concrete SoP, and my research interests/methods are in line with a respective department. Will a low gre (V157 Q150) really keep an applicant out of top programs (Harvard, Columbia, NYU, etc?) 

2) If you scan the results page, I find reports here and there of acceptances at these programs with similar GRE scores. What do you make of this? 

3) In response to asking for a letter of rec, a professor has asked me to send along "what I would like them to touch on." This is a weird in-between of the "yes, i will write one for you" and the "sure, draft one up for me will ya?" My other two recommenders are writing them without my input, so I won't be able to curate them in any way. Any tips for what I might want to highlight? 

Given some financial hardships, I am debating not applying at all given the prevalence of high GRE cutoffs... (or waivers, I suppose)

Hope you all are doing well this application season, cuz im already totally unhinged. 

 

[whooshboosh]

1. Yes. GRE's are often the first way to pull applications. These programs have intensive first year sequences in theory and stats, and they think the GRE will determine success here (probably doesn't, but no way to tell). They receive so many applications and it's easier to drop people based on this than something else. 

2. Haven't looked. It could be that they got in, likely with other factors helping (publications, references, etc); it's also possible that people lied. It is the internet, after all. 

3. This is good. It means they want to tailor their letter toward the program and your strengths, rather than just writing a default " sofmeister is a good student" letter. Approach it as them asking you to draft it but without any of the actual writing, aka give them an outline of key points. Send them

• A copy of any papers you wrote for their class and a very quick 1-3 sentence summary of these papers
• Resume/CV
• Your personal statement (a polished draft is fine) for every school you're applying to
• If you're applying for a specific subfield, tell them, and tell them how you've worked in/on that area.  (State University has a strong area in XXX. As you know, I've taken these classes in that area, volunteered in something similar, and done something else too.)

 

As for whether you should apply, that's something you'll have to figure out soon. Go ahead and apply to any schools where you get an application fee waiver, but don't apply anywhere you wouldn't actually want to go. Good luck!

[lkaitlyn]

1. It depends on the program and what they're doing now. Pre-COVID, GRE could be used as an informal screening tool at some schools, especially the verbal section for international students. Now some don't even take it. An exceptional application can likely overcome GRE scores at most schools, but I'd opt for GRE optional if you have the choice at any of those schools you listed since they are some of the most selective schools in the country. Regardless, GRE probably matters the least of literally any part of your application, so it's not a prohibitive hurdle, just not a strength of your particular application. (Again, I'm talking about your scores relative to the schools you listed — your scores aren't objectively bad!) Of the schools you listed, based on their reputations a couple years back at least, I'd be wariest of Harvard in terms of looking for a school that would overlook a lower GRE.
2. As the other poster suggested, it could be many factors: publications, research experience, LORs, and also if someone is from a group underrepresented in academia. The GRE tends to benefit people who have already had the benefit of tremendous educational, socioeconomic, and racial privilege, and schools know that. As I said above, the GRE is the least important thing most places, so if they have a choice between a 167/170/5.5 person with moderate research experience and a 150/152/3.5 person who has two peer-reviewed publications and several conference presentations, the latter applicant will get in 99% of the time.
3. Definitely follow the suggestions above! If there's something specific you're looking for someone to highlight (for example, maybe you did a paper with Professor X that you think really showcases your research abilities, and you think Professor Y knows a lot about your critical thinking skills), definitely mention that as well. My formal research experience was weak (I went rogue and presented some things, but nothing with professor oversight), so I made sure to tell one of my LOR writers to emphasize a particular term paper I met with her about a lot.

Edited October 7, 2021 by lkaitlyn