GRE perfect score

[dan231]

According to the computer when I finished my test, my score was 800 quantitative, 800 verbal. Undoubtedly quite lucky. How many people total, every year, get this score (I have yet to get the essay scores back)? And has anyone ever heard of one of the ETS computers malfunctioning and reporting a perfect score? I'm slightly incredulous.

[tskinner]

If this is true. Great work! Don't worry about your writing score. You could get a zero and no program would care (they'll have a writing sample to use anyway).

What programs are you applying to?

As for "how many" people ace it, I have no clue? Check this out: http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1088256&forum_id=3&PHPSESSID=1c52b46c6cc69ef81a2e43017b150558

[balderdash]

Well done, man. There were about 1.5 million tests taken over the last 3 years, says the ETS. If that's true, then only about 2,000 of them got an 800 V. Combine that with the knowledge that not all 2,000 got an 800 Q but more did than they would have at a 400 V (just guessing that if you're smart enough to get 800 V you are more likely to get an 800 Q than at a lower V score), I would guess around 500.

Of course, AW throws it all off... I would guess a very small group of people actually get a 800/800/6. But honestly, once you're in the 750+ range for both, I don't think it matters. No school is going to go "800/800/5? Idiot." or "780/770/6? What a twit."

Edit: Yeah, so I just read that thread that you posted after I began doing the math.

Edited August 16, 2010 by balderdash

[dan231]

If this is true. Great work! Don't worry about your writing score. You could get a zero and no program would care (they'll have a writing sample to use anyway).

What programs are you applying to?

As for "how many" people ace it, I have no clue? Check this out: http://www.autoadmit...a2e43017b150558

Well, the essays felt strong, but who knows. I just feel like I'm losing my mind, because it doesn't seem possible. I am petrified that in 2 weeks I'll get in the mail scores that contradict this. I tried calling their score service, willing to pay the $12 or so for piece of mind, but my scores are unavailable. I think I have to wait a week. An impossibly long time to welter in the madness of not knowing. Damn them!

As for programs, I'm unsure. I majored in Chinese at Georgetown University, but my GPA was ~3.3, so I wasn't planning on applying to anywhere too selective... Maybe UNC for classics (After I do Post-Bac for more Latin and Greek) or Duke for East Asian studies.

Which brings up another point. I've seen in these threads people who have great credentials, but who got a bad GRE score, and then had it explained that a bad GRE score can be eclipsed by other good. I don't have a stella GPA, for instance, so would a 1600 GRE score mitigate this?

[balderdash]

Well, the essays felt strong, but who knows. I just feel like I'm losing my mind, because it doesn't seem possible. I am petrified that in 2 weeks I'll get in the mail scores that contradict this. I tried calling their score service, willing to pay the $12 or so for piece of mind, but my scores are unavailable. I think I have to wait a week. An impossibly long time to welter in the madness of not knowing. Damn them!

As for programs, I'm unsure. I majored in Chinese at Georgetown University, but my GPA was ~3.3, so I wasn't planning on applying to anywhere too selective... Maybe UNC for classics (After I do Post-Bac for more Latin and Greek) or Duke for East Asian studies.

Which brings up another point. I've seen in these threads people who have great credentials, but who got a bad GRE score, and then had it explained that a bad GRE score can be eclipsed by other good. I don't have a stella GPA, for instance, so would a 1600 GRE score mitigate this?

Unfortunately, what works one way isn't necessarily true for the opposite. A great academic record isn't overly ruined by poor GREs, as it's just one test from one day and really isn't anything to do with skills professional scholars need. But great GREs do little to mitigate a low GPA (yours isn't bad, by the way, so don't undersell it) for exactly the same reasons. I think you can expect the same look as someone with a 3.5 and dual 700s would get, but obviously that's really subjective.

[rachaelski]

Wow, that's pretty amazing! Congrats! Any study/preparation suggestions for other test-takers?

[lifetimestudent]

That's really incredible. Congratulations! I don't mean to be a party pooper, but unfortunately most grad programs only look at the GRE as a way to differentiate students when all else is equal. In my experience it is the LORs and SOP which have a much larger impact on an application. But a perfect score--hey, it never hurts! It can only help. Good luck with your applications!