GRE Quant. Scores for English Phd Applicants

[Grunty DaGnome]

So now that applications are going out the door, it's time to reflect on every personal weakness reflected therein. This time around, I scored fairly strong on the GRE verbal, but lower than ever on the GRE quant.

Should I obsess over this? Or should I find something else to obsess over?

[cquin]

Eh, yeah, I wouldn't worry. Advisors from two schools have explicitly told me they don't even look at our math scores (this was said with a little chuckle and a look of, "Uhhh, duh"). I'm not spending a minute of time prepping for the quant. I just want to score really, really highly on verbal this time. The first time I took it, I got a 620 (89th percentile) and that sent me into a manic depressive state for a few weeks.

[Grunty DaGnome]

That was my strategy going in. I spent about 2 days cramming for the math section, just for good form. Usually I come in around 80% in math on these things, but I outdid myself this time with a truly impressive 61%ile. Whoops.

[Also, I used Kaplan flash cards in addition to doing practice exercises and I think it helped quite a bit. I think most of the unusual vocab. on the test was selected from Edgar Allen Poe stories. I only noticed this when I coincidentally read the Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym right after taking the test].

Edited December 1, 2011 by Grunty DaGnome

[Grunty DaGnome]

Well, if you get an 800 on the Quant. you're a stand out in the English field I'd say. There's certainly no way a high Quant. score would hurt you.

[TripWillis]

26th percentile.

[Grunty DaGnome]

Now you're just showin' off!

[rawera]

57th. I study English for a reason.

[Kiseki]

It really depends on the school. Some universities could care less about your math score while others actually do have a cut off. This is my second time applying. I did terrible on the math section and it was only after I was rejected that I found out that one of my schools had a cut off with the quantative section as well as the verbal.

[Grunty DaGnome]

So what was the cutoff?

[0000000000AAA]

I've heard that Upenn makes their first cut based on combined verbal and quant scores. I don't know what the number is, however.

[Jbarks]

26th percentile.

Ha! Me, too!

[TripWillis]

I got 53rd in 2009, which would've been slightly better, but I don't think the low quant percentile is a make it or break it thing.

My piece of shit application overall, on the other hand....

[Grunty DaGnome]

No way, Trip! I hope you get into a Boston school. We need a "dirty realist" up here.

[wreckofthehope]

I got in the 22nd (now lowered to 19th, thanks to this year's test takers) and I got accepted. Maybe it factored in at some of the top 10 places or the public schools I applied to (?), I don't know, I don't believe it made much of an impact on the strength of my application overall.

Edited December 2, 2011 by wreckofthehope

[0000000000AAA]

The only argument I'd make is this: Yes, maybe it doesn't help, but it might hurt. And it's 11th grade math--with a little studying you can pretty much ace it. With a little diligence I got a 770. Will it help me anywhere? Likely not. But might the 500ish I could have gotten hurt me? Well, probably not, but maybe. Why run the risk?

Edited December 2, 2011 by WellSpring

[Grunty DaGnome]

Because every hour spent studying for the math GRE is an hour spent not editing a writing sample.

[Kiseki]

In answer to Double Shot - 550.

[LivePoetry123]

For schools that have cutoffs, what about if you've taken the GRE multiple times? Do they take your highest score for each section, or do they combine and average all your scores? anyone know?

[poeteer]

I would also love to know which school had the math cut-off, since I only managed a 510. Terrible.

[Kiseki]

That was the University of Nevada-Reno.

[TripWillis]

For schools that have cutoffs, fuck those schools.

Why don't they just put it on their admissions page instead of the vague, "Oh, we don't have a cutoff, but generally successful applicants have at least a blah blah blah." Stop it. Just put the minimum up and save me the application fee, jerks. Jesus.

[lolopixie]

For schools that have cutoffs, what about if you've taken the GRE multiple times? Do they take your highest score for each section, or do they combine and average all your scores? anyone know?

I just finished taking a GRE prep course, and the instructor told us that the schools take the highest scores from each section (if you've taken it multiple times). Or course, these need to be within the period in which the school will accept scores (2 years, 3 years, 5 years...depends on school). So, yea if you rocked math 3 years ago and the school says they want the scores from the last 5 years, then they will see that math score and use that.

[LivePoetry123]

very late response, but thanks so much lolopixie for the reply! that is very comforting. I miraculously got an ok math score on my first try, but the second try, well, didn't work out so well.

So think look more hopeful now, but I totally agree with you tripwillis: fuck those schools. The fact that they would have a minimum gre score says a lot about their priorities, and those aren't priorities that I can get behind. Especially if they are shifty about the whole thing and don't explicitly say they have a minimum. We're probably better off somewhere else.