Poor GRE Scores...should I explain to admissions?

[MeredithH]

GRE Scores: Quant-161 (86th percentile), Verbal-163 (93rd percentile)

I am applying for a PhD in Economics and trying to go to some top programs. However, shortly before the beginning of this semester and taking the GRE, I was drugged, sexually assaulted, and hospitalized by a random stranger at a bar. I tried to take the GRE anyways, but needless to say this event has affected my ability to concentrate and my general motivation. Sitting through a 4 hour and 30 minutes test under normal circumstances is no easy task. My quant scores is not horrible, but it is below the 90th percentile, which is what I needed. I am unsure of whether or not to explain my situation to graduate schools, perhaps it will just make me look weak and like I am trying to pull some sympathy card. Opinions? Suggestions?

[LispectorBrownVieira]

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[LateAntique]

GRE Scores: Quant-161 (86th percentile), Verbal-163 (93rd percentile)

I am applying for a PhD in Economics and trying to go to some top programs. However, shortly before the beginning of this semester and taking the GRE, I was drugged, sexually assaulted, and hospitalized by a random stranger at a bar. I tried to take the GRE anyways, but needless to say this event has affected my ability to concentrate and my general motivation. Sitting through a 4 hour and 30 minutes test under normal circumstances is no easy task. My quant scores is not horrible, but it is below the 90th percentile, which is what I needed. I am unsure of whether or not to explain my situation to graduate schools, perhaps it will just make me look weak and like I am trying to pull some sympathy card. Opinions? Suggestions?

You do not need to even mention your scores. 1) Being barely below 90% is hardly worth mentioning. 2) Even if your scores were actually "poor", you wouldn't want to mention them. Admissions committees will see the scores and they will be what they will be. Your statement of purpose is about explaining how great you are, not highlighting things you think are not so great. Your scores are fine.

[Kitkat]

I would say that if the rest of the application that you are submitting is good, then it is not something that you have to worry about too much. You did not score that much lower then what you were looking for. If you have a good GPA, and did well in the math courses you took to be an econ major, that should balance it out. In other words, only explain if you feel comfortable doing so, and in that case do not spend much time on it. It should be more of an explanation of a one time issue, that should not affect your ability to succeed in grad school. After all you had a normal stress response to a bad situation, and you tried to your best in that case, and I have to say very well in that case.

[Norman G]

Really Meredith? Those are not bad scores.

[Rachel B]

Your scores aren't bad by any means. But if you're really not that confident in them why not just take the test again? It's one thing to explain why your scores aren't in the 99 percentile, it's another thing to prove that you can actually score higher.

Edited December 4, 2011 by Rachel B