Another CS Subject Test Post

[President]

Hey guys,

I've read from various forum posts about how schools view GRE CS Subject Test scores. The general consensus was that the test score isn't all that important.

But I'd like to ask a question about a trend in recent applicants: That students just not take the test at all (i.e. on Yale's CS admissions page, it says "almost no one took it"). What are your thoughts about this? Would it be worth it for an undergraduate student at a top 50 CS department (with absolutely no grades below B+ in CS) to take the test? There are certain topics on the test that I haven't learned about, and I'm torn between investing time on studying for the stupid test or else just using that time for research.

Thanks!

[nvseal]

If an applicant has a different undergrad major or has been away from school for awhile then the subject test may be justifiable. However, I don't think that it is really needed for some with good grades coming straight out of school from a good university. It certainly isn't as important as research. Having research (especially if you can some publications which you played a key role in) tells an adcom much more about you as a potential graduate student at their school than a test which will most likely just validate the grades in your transcript which they already have. Maybe if you really studied for it you could convince the adcoms that some B+ was just a fluke and you could have gotten A, but I don't think they would really care since a B+ isn't really a bad enough grade to raise any eyebrows --- especially if its bookended by some A's.

[OH YEAH]

I took it, and did well. I don't know if it helped or not (I was coming from a completely unknown undergrad). The CS subject test is really hard, and a good score is something few people have. That's gotta count for something...

[nvseal]

That is true. I don't want to give the impression that taking it won't matter -- especially if you come from an unknown undergrad (like me, though I didn't take the test). In that case it can help adcoms put your GPA in perspective which may help a lot. As OH YEAH said, it is a hard test and it can take a lot of time to study for. So if you are coming from a school which is already known to the committee, I personally don't think the cost would justify the benefits in most cases, especially if you could spend your time doing research and getting good LORs.

Edited May 24, 2011 by nvseal

[BKMD]

I wouldn't take it because it costs money and it requires a lot of studying (it's a hard test, even coming straight out of school). If you do decide to take it, don't submit your scores unless you do well. If you do take it and end up above 90%ile then definitely submit your scores because it could give you a boost. If you don't do that well, then don't bother submitting the scores because it won't help and might even hurt.

[President]

Thanks guys!

I can see that the CS GRE wouldn't be a smart investment for a person in my situation. I don't come from a "top" university, but it's still a school that would be known among all adcoms.

[newms]

Hey President,

I concur with your conclusion that the CS GRE wouldn't necessarily be a wise investment of your time. FWIW I'm from a not well-known international school and I will be going to a top 20 school in the Fall and I didn't submit a CS GRE subject score. I would think that in your case it would be better to spend the time you would have spent preparing for the CS GRE on research or on improving your SoP. If you are sure that you can score very highly on the test (perhaps you could try the sample test in the ETS booklet) then it would be worthwhile to get that high score, since that would help your application. Otherwise, focus on research and your SoP. Good luck!

[President]

Hey President,

I concur with your conclusion that the CS GRE wouldn't necessarily be a wise investment of your time. FWIW I'm from a not well-known international school and I will be going to a top 20 school in the Fall and I didn't submit a CS GRE subject score. I would think that in your case it would be better to spend the time you would have spent preparing for the CS GRE on research or on improving your SoP. If you are sure that you can score very highly on the test (perhaps you could try the sample test in the ETS booklet) then it would be worthwhile to get that high score, since that would help your application. Otherwise, focus on research and your SoP. Good luck!

Thanks so much! Your post really helped me solidify the belief that I shouldn't spend time on the CS GRE!