Took GRE Test Today - 163 V, 155 Q - Question on Value Add of Retaking

[bgt28]

I just took the GRE today and got the above-mentioned unofficial score. I feel good about my performance on the essay as well. However, I was wondering what folks think about the value of retaking it to get a higher quant score? I'm going for a PhD in American Literature at some pretty selective schools and want to present a solid profile, especially as someone who has been out of school for almost 10 years. Thanks!

[bgt28]

👀

[John Watson]

If your Writing score is good, I don't really think that it's necessary to retake the test. For PhD studies, it's all about research, and research is totally different from doing a standardized test, or having a good test-taking ability. Doing a PhD and taking the GRE are almost irrelevant, I can say that, among all application materials, the standardized test is of the least significance. The only thing you need to do about the GRE is that you don't get too low a score. Any mediocre score is sufficient.

 

That said, regarding the importance of the GRE, different subjects will demand high performance in different sections of the GRE. It varies from subject to subject. Only STEM programs such as Natural Sciences or Engineering, which have a strong emphasis on the student's Quantitative skills, require a high score in Quant. In your case, you study American Literature, so the Verbal and the Writing sections will be far more important than the Quant section. You Quant score is okay, don't worry about it. However, I'm not sure whether your Verbal score is competitive, and I certainly think that a Writing score of above or equal to 4.0 out of 6 should be a requirement for anyone serious about any subject in Humanities or Social Science. If you do want to retake the GRE, just focus on the Verbal and Writing sections. Good luck!

[bgt28]

@John Watson thank you for your response! At this point stamina is perilously low, so I may just move forward with this cycle lol

[John Watson]

12 hours ago, bgt28 said:

@John Watson thank you for your response! At this point stamina is perilously low, so I may just move forward with this cycle lol

Yeah, sure, if you're applying for the Fall 2025 cycle, I of course think that your time could be better used elsewhere, rather than being wasted on the GRE. Especially if you need to contact your professors for recommendation letters, and you need time to draft some good admissions essays and/or writing samples (if any)

[bgt28]

Yessir. Moving on to other things and excited to have everything particularly recommendations done and out of mind. 

[John Watson]

On 10/22/2024 at 2:40 AM, bgt28 said:

Yessir. Moving on to other things and excited to have everything particularly recommendations done and out of mind. 

Yeah, I do believe that most PhD programs in the US require a minimum of 3 recommendation letters for the admissions purposes. The PhD programs that youre applying to seem to be more academically oriented, so I reckon that academic recommendation letters will be more helpful, for example, letters from your past professors and the (if any) supervisors who once supervised your research. Nevertheless, considering your individual circumstances and the fact that you have been out of school for ten years, I think that professional letters from the workplace should also do the job, if professional recommendation letters are accepted as part of your applications.

 

I understand that the deadlines may be near, usually they are in early to mid December. However, the deadlines for recommendation letters are generally very loose, and recommenders do have grace period, they can submit their letters later than the deadlines for applicants, say two weeks later. And most schools tolerate that. So, if some certain recommenders dont really do things in a very "timely" fashion, I will say that you will still be polite to them, and send them kind reminders at some certain points, if necessary.

Good luck with your applications!

[John Watson]

I'm happy that you have a lot of things completed for now. Now maybe do some editions or revisions on your admissions essays, like statement of purpose for each program, before you click "submit"

[bgt28]

@John Watson Thank you for your kind words and for your detailed input. I sincerely appreciate it! Best of luck to us all.