Embarassingly Low GRE Score..Help!

[butterfingers2010]

I took the GRE twice and scored very low both times (450 verbal, 410 quant the second time). I am not sure why as I studied really intensively for about half a year beforehand. I am applying to Northwestern, UW Madison, and Marquette, all of which require the GRE. I am also applying to UW Milwaukee and UW Whitewater, which do not require the GRE (thank God).

so basically what I'm asking is..do I have ANY chance of getting into those schools that require the GRE? I graduated magna cum laude (3.89 gpa), had a really good internship, and have been working in the field full time for 2 years now. I plan on writing fantastic essays because writing is my strength. I have never failed so badly at anything as I did the GRE and I'm terrified it will stop me from getting into grad school. There are other schools I have researched that don't require the GRE but I am not interested in them (they're in small towns, too expensive, or just not good quality in my opinion).

[emmm]

That's too bad -- the GRE does seem out of line with your other qualifications. Did you try one of the commercial prep courses? Maybe your approach to studying was not effective.

[Lox26]

I second emmm's advice. If your undergraduate record is a good indication of your test-taking abilities, you should be able to get at least 600 on each section. How did you study for those 6 months? What were your main weaknesses? The new verbal section is (for me and maybe you, too) much more intuitive. This may leave more time to study quant. If you are unable to diagnose your strengths/weaknesses or to improve on your own, maybe you need a course or tutor. Live online courses are available from the major companies (Princeton Review, Kaplan, etc.) and tend to be more affordable than traditional, brick-and-mortar courses.

Of course you have a chance of being admitted to those programs. But, there are probably many applicants with similar credentials and killer GRE scores. You don't want to put yourself at a disadvantage by not re-taking and achieving the stellar scores I'm sure you're capable of.

[fuzzylogician]

There are two things to consider here. First, some programs use the GRE+GPA as a way of weeding out applications. Cutoffs are likely to be above 900, so your application is in danger of never being read. From your other qualifications it sounds like the GRE is the outlier and you are actually an attractive candidate, but your application may never make it as far as someone's desk. Beside rethinking your study-techniques and retaking the GRE, one thing to do is make contact with potential advisors and get them interested in your application. That way, they'll look for your application once it's in and your chances of getting a fair review increase. The second thing to consider is that some *graduate schools* - i.e., not the particular program but some administrative university-wide office - may have its own minimum requirements and you may get rejected even if your department wants you, if your scores are below those cutoffs. So it may be worth it to inquire about general requirements and whether or not you even have a chance of being accepted with out current score. You may choose to change the schools you apply to, or else you'll have more motivation to retake the test and do better at it this time.

[crater21]

You sound like a really good candidate, and it would be a real pity if the GRE got in the way of your getting into the program of your choice.

Are you having trouble with the material, or is this a case of test anxiety? If you're okay with the material, then it's possible that test nerves are getting to you. The GRE can be pretty stressful. Have you looked into whether you qualify for any of their accommodations (extra time, longer breaks, etc?)

Also, if you decide to keep the scores you have now, maybe it would be a good idea to have one of your references address it in their letter ("These scores do not reflect X's academic potential because of such-and-such reason..." or something like that).

Good luck!