(help please!)

[alteregoista]

Hello all,

I am trying to decide if retaking the GRE will help or hurt me. So far I am applying in fall 2009 to

Harvard (sociology and social policy)

Harvard

Columbia

Duke

[rising_star]

I would take it again to see if you can improve the writing score and either the verbal or the quantitative. Right now, your total is right at 1200. I think you should shoot for 1300, if you can. Otherwise, you may not make it in with funding at the top programs.

[Tritonetelephone]

I was very resistant to retaking the GRE, but one of my soc profs (a recent Stanford grad) insisted that, as a rule of thumb, your V and Q score should be at least 600 and your writing score should be at least 5.0, to be considered "good" by prospective programs. I also did not think I had any chance of improving my scores, but I retook it anyway because I needed his recommendation.

I didn't learn any new vocab or even study very hard - all I did was ONLY use the powerprep software to simulate the actual test when practicing. Raised my verbal score by 110 points.

My advice would be to retake it and do your best to control your environment. It made a big difference for me.

[polumetis23]

Don't mean to sound harsh, but given the caliber of the schools you've named, I think those GRE scores are not going to cut it and might even be seen as a liability. Anyone admitted with funding at those places is probably going to have a combined scores of 1400 and upwards. Maybe Duke is a shot; they publish their admission statistics openly, so check those, but 1200 might be even too low for them.

[neutiquamerro]

You have a strong academic background, but your GRE scores are quite low. Last year Berkeley's admittees had average scores of 655 verbal, 700 quantitative; UCLA's were 643 verbal, 712 quantitative; and Northwestern's were 680 verbal, 720 quantitative, and 5.0 writing. I'd expect Columbia, Harvard, and Duke to have similar average scores.

[waisee]

Taking into consideration how GRE scores are usually the first indicator some schools use to keep applicants out, and how a combined score of 1300 and a 5.0 on the analytical are the statistical averages for some top schools, you might want to bump up your GREs a 'lil. This is to ensure that your application does not get tossed aside while your research credentials might be good.

But seeing how it's already mid-January, I'm not sure how retaking the GREs might help if you're aiming for Fall 2009 admissions :?:

[misterpat]

But seeing how it's already mid-January, I'm not sure how retaking the GREs might help if you're aiming for Fall 2009 admissions :?:

A great point. Maybe if this was law school, and there were rolling admissions. But I'd say your GREs are set in stone for this round.

[alteregoista]

thank you for the replies,

I was hoping that my profile was strong enough to forego the the standardized test litmus test, but guess I will have to dust off those Kaplan books and get in the mind-set to retake just in case.

btw, I am applying in the fall of this year, for admission in fall of 2010 so no worries.