Is Retaking the GRE Risky?

[paradigm]

Hi everyone.

I realize that I've already posted about retaking the GRE after a strong showing (760 Q, 590 V, 5 AWA), but I'm still agonizing over whether to retake it or not because I think I'm capable of slightly better. My main concern at this point, however, is risk: do any of you believe that retaking the GRE is NOT a risk-free activity in that a possible lower score on the retake could be frowned upon by admission committees and adversely affect my application?

I'm applying for some MA in Economics programs and MPP (Public Policy) programs and may use my GRE scores for MBA applications a few years down the road. Most programs that I'm applying to say that they'll accept either the highest total score or highest score from each section, but I still wonder if a score decrease would factor into their admission or funding decisions.

Some of my friends have suggested that if I were to retake the GRE I'd have nothing to lose, whereas others have expressed concern that an underwhelming score on the retake could devalue my scores from my first GRE and therefore have negative consequences on my applications. I don't know what to think or how to proceed. What do you think?

If anyone has personal experience with either retaking the GRE or electing to not take it again after already scoring well on one's first exam, please let me know why you decided the way you did. Also, I'd be interested to know if anyone has regretted retaking the GRE (in the hopes of raising one's score slightly) after taking it once and scoring well.

Thanks.

[jblsmith]

Hi everyone.

I realize that I've already posted about retaking the GRE after a strong showing (760 Q, 590 V, 5 AWA), but I'm still agonizing over whether to retake it or not because I think I'm capable of slightly better. My main concern at this point, however, is risk: do any of you believe that retaking the GRE is NOT a risk-free activity in that a possible lower score on the retake could be frowned upon by admission committees and adversely affect my application?

I'm applying for some MA in Economics programs and MPP (Public Policy) programs and may use my GRE scores for MBA applications a few years down the road. Most programs that I'm applying to say that they'll accept either the highest total score or highest score from each section, but I still wonder if a score decrease would factor into their admission or funding decisions.

Some of my friends have suggested that if I were to retake the GRE I'd have nothing to lose, whereas others have expressed concern that an underwhelming score on the retake could devalue my scores from my first GRE and therefore have negative consequences on my applications. I don't know what to think or how to proceed. What do you think?

If anyone has personal experience with either retaking the GRE or electing to not take it again after already scoring well on one's first exam, please let me know why you decided the way you did. Also, I'd be interested to know if anyone has regretted retaking the GRE (in the hopes of raising one's score slightly) after taking it once and scoring well.

Thanks.

When I took the GRE I nearly got the same exact scores as you and got funded offers from 4 different Ph. D. econ programs (Ranked 25-50). It's been said before, but the GRE is NOT THE ONLY metric adcomms look at. It's well documented that GRE scores are not robust indicators of grad school performance and adcoms know this. My sense is that adcomms use the GRE as an initial cut, that is they remove everyone who doesn't meet some minimum score but after that it doesn't matter much. I'm sure you are well above the minimum, I know people who've gotten in and gotten funding at Ph. D. programs with scores below 750Q.

With economics, admissions committees are far more interested in the other aspects of your application: What, if any, research have you done? What do your transcripts look like? How did you do in your math classes and upper-level econ courses? How strong are your LORs and SOP. I think your GRE is more than acceptable and that you would be better served to spend your time editing your SOP and contacting prospective programs rather than stressing out over a couple points on the GRE Quant.

As far as using your GRE score for an MBA I would advise against it. Econ adcomms are more concerned with the absolute score, i.e. the 760, whereas B-school adcomms are more worried about the percentile rank. Remember, you're taking the GRE with people who are trying to get there Ph.D's in Math, Statistics, and Theoretical Physics as such even your 760 puts you (I'm guessing) somewhere in th 85th-90th percentile. However, if you take the GMAT with a bunch of former business and music majors you may be able to score somewhere in the low 90's which is really what B-Schools want to see. Therefore, my suggestion would be to sit for the GMAT if you really want to get an MBA after your MA.

Hope this helps.

[paradigm]

@jblsmith

Thanks for sharing your experience and opinion with me. I certainly recognize that a 760 Q, 590 V, and 5 AWA are very strong scores, but I'm a perfectionist at heart and wanted better, especially on the verbal and AWA, since I've always been an extremely strong writer as well as very strong verbally. But I recognize that retaking the GRE is NOT a risk-free activity in that it certainly is possible that either or both of my scores could decrease, which I imagine would 'devalue' my first GRE score -- am I right?

I think that it is reasonable to expect that if I were to retake the GRE, I'd score a 640 or so on V, but from reading your post I can surmise that the difference between a 640 V and a 590 V just isn't as big of a deal as I am making it out to be, and thus, doesn't warrant a retake, right?

I also think that it is possible that I might see my 760 Q drop somewhat -- anything can happen, right? -- and the risk associated with a drop on my Q score unsettles me a great deal, so this is another reason why I'm viewing a retake as an unnecessary risk that I don't need to take. Would a decrease on my Q score alongside a possible modest increase on my V score be either damaging or unhelpful, or both?

I think I'm done, since popular opinion on TheGradCafe and elsewhere is telling me that I'd be taking an unnecessary risk in retaking the GRE, and since I've already done a solid job on the exam. Please feel free to let me know if you think I'm on the right track or if I'm missing something.

Thanks.

@bloomquish

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences with me. I'm sorry to hear that you've not quite found your footing on the GRE, but it certainly sounds as though you're more than capable of doing well on it, so I hope that your next exam goes smoothly. Best of luck to you.

Edited July 19, 2011 by paradigm