Really Really Really upset

[salman33]

So I took the GRE today, and I was in utter shock. If you want to be mean, please dont reply. So heres my score

Q-670, V-460. I never scored that low on verbal, the lowest I received on the prac exams was a 570. Im in shock. I really dont understand it. Im not using this forum to rant about it, though it seems that way. I just wanted to if anyone has had this happen to them, and what steps they took after. I was hoping to apply to MPP and various foreign policy oriented schools. I have a 3.8 gpa overall, double majors with 4.0 in each majors. 1 year abroad work experience, 2 years domestic Non profit and NGO. My chances, unless i retake are low. so any thoughts.

thanks for reading and for (hopefully) responding.

hopeful applicant!

sara

[purplepepper]

Its easy to get wound up about GRE scores, but I don't think you have that much to worry about. Your experience is not that uncommon to tell you the truth. The same thing happened to me actually--I was consistently scoring about 100 points higher on practice tests than when I took the actual test the first time on the verbal. A friend told me, and he is so right..it's all a crap shoot. It really is. maybe you just made a few errors on some easy questions in the beginning. that alone can put you on an uphill battle the rest of the test. What I did after I got over my initial shock, was just simply retake the test again. I didn't even study all that much, and it shot back up to where it was supposed to be.

With that being said, if you don't have time before your deadlines, you shouldn't spend so much time worrying about it. Admissions decisions are never made on GRE scores alone, especially if the rest of your package is competitive. I don't think one low test score will break an application.

Anyway, try to focus on the rest of your application at this point!

[t_ruth]

I was 100 points lower on my verbal test than in practices too so I feel you on the 'what gives?' aspect.

From what I've seen, most programs have a min. somewhere under 1100, so you are at least good there. Probably best just to concentrate on the rest of your application now.