Should I take the GRE anyway?

[unpocorizado]

New to posting, but have been lurking for awhile. I'm applying for Spring 2012 admission (and Fall 2012 if I don't get into my top program) in urban planning. My top programs don't require the GRE if your GPA is above a 3.0. I graduated with a 3.5 from a top 20 liberal arts college and have done an internship in a planning consulting firm. I also have research experience (I'm in the process of publishing my undergrad thesis research as a first author) and I've been promised stellar LoRs. I have also identified professors in these programs whose work aligns with mine. However, since my GPA isn't that great, do you think I would benefit from taking the GRE or should I not even bother? If it would significantly enhance my application I will definitely do it, but I also don't want a bad score to have the opposite effect (I'm better at verbal than quant). Has anyone else had a similar experience? Thanks so much for any help!

[aspiringhistorian]

Maybe if you try studying for it (probably the new GRE at this rate) and taking a reliable practice test, you can see where you stand. If you feel as though taking it will bring down the quality of your application, you can forgo the experience and if you find that it could support it with a little more studying, etc then it would be worth a shot! However, your GPA is above the minimum required... if you were at a 3.1 or thereabouts, it would be different... but you could probably get away without taking it if you really didn't want to.

[singlecell]

I'm still kicking myself for not taking a subject GRE that was "recommended" but not required for a certain program. I feel that perhaps they were subtly trying to separate out people who are not willing to go the extra mile. I didn't get an interview at that school, despite good quality of other application materials. Maybe this "GRE not required" is something similar, maybe not, but I though I should share my regrets.

[Teelee]

If you can get really high GRE scores (700+), it wouldn't hurt. Also, if you plan on applying to some external grants in the near future, the application may require GRE.