ETS, why do you hate me?

[linden]

So, this is part kvetch/part serious question.

I took the GRE early last year, and I sent out the scores to all the schools to which I applied. I received a score report after I sent my scores to the programs, and it informed me that I was in the nth percentile for quantitative. I was not overjoyed with that percentile, but c'est la vie. Several weeks ago, one of the schools to which I applied notified me they were missing my GRE scores. So, I forked over another $20 of my hard-earned money to the robber barons over at ETS. (ETS, if you are reading this, I know it does not cost you $20 to send out my scores!) When I received confirmation of my scores being sent again, I found out that I had dropped to the nth-1 percentile in quantitative. I know, I know. nth to nth-1. What's the big deal? Well, in this moment fraught with insecurity and dread, that one-percentile point dropped has fractured my ego. (Here ends the kvetch.)

Here comes the question part. Are my percentiles going to keep fluctuating? Will I mysteriously drop to nth-10 percentile (gulp!) by the time admissions committees get around to reading my application?

Linden

Who wants it desperately to be March

[aec]

So... I also took it last year and had new reports sent out this year. I could have sworn that my AW %-ile was 89 and when I got the receipt this time it said 90. I live 1500 miles away from my old receipt so I can't check that, but I self-reported 89th on all the apps. I thought maybe I was just crazy?

[ridgey]

I just received my report in the mail a few days ago and there was a note (can't remember if it was on the report itself or one of the gazillion other papers that came with it) to effect that percentiles may be different on future reports. It makes sense I guess - if they're trying to give a standardised measure, then it has to be, well, standard. Otherwise, how would they compare the 86th %ile in Jun 06 to the 84th %ile in Feb 07?

Or, schools could recognise ETS and the GRE for the scam it is, but we all know that won't happen any time soon.

[limeinthecoconut]

It might be because your percentile depends on your fellow test takers. So at the point when you took it, you were at X percentile, but that changed, when you re-reported the missing one? Just a guess on my part. Cheer up! I'm sure it'll all work out fine. Though a big tsk tsk to ETS for messing up!

[frankdux]

indeed. my scores changed as well.

i believe the percentiles are updated every year.

[miratrix]

ETS hates us all and laughs as we fork over large sums of money. At 1%, they don't hate you THAT much though

[adaptations]

So I hadn't even considered that they would update the percentiles. At the very least, I assumed you just kept the percentile that was accurate at the time you took it. When I went and checked, I now see that my 5.0 on writing was initially a 73%, dropped to a 71%, and is now at a 77%. Hmm.

[ridgey]

So I hadn't even considered that they would update the percentiles. At the very least, I assumed you just kept the percentile that was accurate at the time you took it. When I went and checked, I now see that my 5.0 on writing was initially a 73%, dropped to a 71%, and is now at a 77%. Hmm.

You can thank me and my %$#@ing 4.0 aw for that. You're welcome, I aim to please!

[linden]

Well, sad to know the my percentiles can continue to fluctuate downward. (On the other hand, presumably if a bunch of people bomb the test soon, I will be relatively smarter.) But, it's good to hear this is not an anomaly I would to try to work out with ETS.