Princeton MPA Admissions Data

[policywonk64]

Hey Everyone --

I was looking at Princeton WWS's data on MPA admissions. Specifically, the relationship of those who applied with certain levels of GRE scores versus those who were offered admission. Maybe I'm looking at this wrong, but it seems like the GRE isn't as significant at the WWS.

Check it out:

Applied with GRE Score of:

700 – 800: 57%

600 – 699: 27%

500 – 599: 11%

Admitted with GRE Score of:

700 – 800: 66%

600 – 699: 26%

500 – 599: 6%

If having a high GRE score (defined as 700 and above) was really that important in WWS admissions, wouldn't we see more of a lopsided relationship in this data. 27% of applicants had a GRE between 600 and 699. Yet, when you look at the pool of people they admitted, 26% had GRE scores from 600 to 699. Now, if it were 26% of the 27% percent who applied with scores between 600 - 699 -- that would mean something. But, it's 26% of the total applicant pool which is pretty consistent with the lower number of people who applied with that range of scores.

As for the 700 - 800 data. It's not like applicants with that range of GRE scores did exceedingly well in their admission rate. The difference in the applicant to admit pool is +9% points. Definitely better than the -1% difference in the 600-699 pool -- but still not huge in my book.

The one caveat that I can think of is that these ranges are still pretty large. Not so much the 700 to 800 range -- anything beyond 700 is pretty much "max points in that category" range. But maybe that range had a bunch of 690s and not too many 610s.

But, with the data presented -- it certainly doesn't seem like Princeton cares too much about your GRE so long as you get above say a 650.

Thoughts?

[abogs78]

Well if WWS does not think GREs are important then I will be the first to give them a handshake. Why should any school allow a 4hr plus exam in one day determine who their best candidates might be when factors like GPAs, work experience, recommendations and SOPs are far better choices. Personally, I think these tests are a bunch of BS and it does not help that it tends to favor people who are from the United States while international students struggle especially with the verbal part... Do I really need to learn so much vocabulary which I will barely use when I am writing papers or having a normal concersation with people? If you ask me it is a bunch of BS....so let us applaud WWS for getting this part of the application process right. Perhaps this is the same reason why some prestigious institutions are doing away with the SATs at the undergraduate level. In any case, whether WWS admits people with low GRE scores does not mean it is still not prestigious afterall they only admit between 9 to 11 percent of their applicant pool each year

qunote name='policywonk64' timetamp='1307471401' post='257586']

Hey Everyone --

I was looking at Princeton WWS's data on MPA admissions. Specifically, the relationship of those who applied with certain levels of GRE scores versus those who were offered admission. Maybe I'm looking at this wrong, but it seems like the GRE isn't as significant at the WWS.

Check it out:

Applied with GRE Score of:

700 – 800: 57%

600 – 699: 27%

500 – 599: 11%

Admitted with GRE Score of:

700 – 800: 66%

600 – 699: 26%

500 – 599: 6%

If having a high GRE score (defined as 700 and above) was really that important in WWS admissions, wouldn't we see more of a lopsided relationship in this data. 27% of applicants had a GRE between 600 and 699. Yet, when you look at the pool of people they admitted, 26% had GRE scores from 600 to 699. Now, if it were 26% of the 27% percent who applied with scores between 600 - 699 -- that would mean something. But, it's 26% of the total applicant pool which is pretty consistent with the lower number of people who applied with that range of scores.

As for the 700 - 800 data. It's not like applicants with that range of GRE scores did exceedingly well in their admission rate. The difference in the applicant to admit pool is +9% points. Definitely better than the -1% difference in the 600-699 pool -- but still not huge in my book.

The one caveat that I can think of is that these ranges are still pretty large. Not so much the 700 to 800 range -- anything beyond 700 is pretty much "max points in that category" range. But maybe that range had a bunch of 690s and not too many 610s.

But, with the data presented -- it certainly doesn't seem like Princeton cares too much about your GRE so long as you get above say a 650.

Thoughts?

[greendiplomat]

I think the percentages are a matter of correlation rather than of causation. That is to say, it's not that Princeton weights GREs heavily, but just that students that have performed well academically tend to do better on the GRE than those that do not.

As I mentioned in another thread, the GRE is used more as a general tool for "calibrating" the different undergraduate programs' relative rigor. For example, if you come from a school with which the admissions committee doesn't have much experience, they might look to the GRE scores as to get a general idea of the academic potential a certain candidate with, say, a 3.6 GPA from that school might have with an applicant with a 3.6 from, say, Princeton.

[nz32n]

Agreed with greeendiplomat. Although GRE is only one of the five criteria, it is still important to do well on it. Why not put some effort to get a plus on our applications? Good luck to everyone!

I think the percentages are a matter of correlation rather than of causation. That is to say, it's not that Princeton weights GREs heavily, but just that students that have performed well academically tend to do better on the GRE than those that do not.

As I mentioned in another thread, the GRE is used more as a general tool for "calibrating" the different undergraduate programs' relative rigor. For example, if you come from a school with which the admissions committee doesn't have much experience, they might look to the GRE scores as to get a general idea of the academic potential a certain candidate with, say, a 3.6 GPA from that school might have with an applicant with a 3.6 from, say, Princeton.

[paxi]

Are these ranges for the quantitative scores?