GRE News: ScoreSelect

[Tdearr]

Yesterday, ETS sent out this press release (http://www.prnewswir...-148665505.html) announcing a big change in score reporting for GRE test takers. Starting in July you will no longer be forced to report all of your GRE test scores to schools. Moving forward, test takers who sit for the GRE more than once will be able to choose to send only their best test scores with their applications.

Here is a blog post from my company, Manhattan Prep, covering the specifics of this ETS announcement: http://www.manhattan...w-it-helps-you/

I hope this information helps! If you have any questions, please let me know!

Best,

Taylor

[3point14]

Can schools see how many times you've taken the test? And you can't send separate verbal and quant scores from different test days can you?

[Tdearr]

Schools cannot see how many times you have taken the test. There is no indication of any tests other than the ones you choose to send.

Unfortunately, no, you cannot mix and match quant and verbal scores from different tests; you have to send tests a whole units.

Best,

Taylor

[edgirl]

Taylor, this isn't directly related, but it is indirectly connected. Since you're someone who spends a lot of time thinking abou the GRE: out of curiosity, how much do you think the percentile ranks will move in coming years as the new test becomes, well, no-longer-new? In other words, if my quant score is currently in the 75th/85th/95th percentile, do you foresee big shifts when the new percentiles come out this summer?

[Tdearr]

Hi Edgirl,

It is hard to say. It is unlikely that percentiles would change this year so soon after the release of the scale. But, with a new scale, the percentiles will change over time as more data is collected. You won't probably be seeing big shifts, but maybe shifts of 3-4 percentile points in the next 5 of so years. I don't have any hard evidence, this is just speculation on my part looking at the patterns of score shifts in the last 5 years. Sorry I can't be more concrete, I hope this helps!

Best,

Taylor

[edgirl]

It does help -- if only because it makes me feel better. Thanks!

[Tdearr]

You're very welcome! Happy I could help.

[Eigen]

I can't imagine any schools being happy with this move. For adcom's, it was one of the nice things about the GRE- you got to see all of someone's scores. Now, applicants can cherry-pick their best set. I'm sure this will be brought up in relation to admissions around here (my school) quite soon.

Of course, from the perspective of ETS, this is a way to get more money from people. Seeing all of the past scores was something to weigh when it came to multiple tests (and multiple payments). Now, there's going to be much more incentive for people who felt like their scores were too low to fork over another large sum of money to them.

[nechalo]

I agree with Eigen completely. This is classism in the sense that those who can afford to take the test multiple times will have the opportunity of having higher score. At least before schools could look past that by seeing exactly how many times the test was taken; schools could separate someone who did well on the test once with someone who just kept on testing until they got the same score.

This is only going to lower school's opinion of the GRE. Bad move.

Edited April 26, 2012 by nechalo

[Lox26]

Taylor, many of the top colleges have insisted that applicants send all SAT scores, despite Score Select for that test. Does it stand to reason that many top grad programs will institute a comparable requirement?

[Tdearr]

Hi Lox26,

Sorry for the delayed response. Schools cannot request all of your GRE scores directly from ETS. If schools institute this policy, it is up to the students to comply. While students should certainly be truthful in complying with application rules, it will be tough for schools to be 100% sure of enforcing this policy so it may prevent this requirement from cropping up in the first place. Whether or not schools will ask is just speculation on my part, but ETS has confirmed that they will only submit the scores that students ask them to (although they encourage students to follow the applicaiton rules of any isntitutions).

Best Regards,

Taylor

[secondarydefinitions]

To clarify, this means that a score achieved after July 1, 2012 can be the only score reported even if the other scores came before July 1, 2012?

[Tdearr]

That's mostly correct secondarydefinitions (although they haven't officially said July 1st yet, just at some point in July). But, after that time in July, you can pick and choose which scores to send including any scores earned before July (or you can just hide all scores pre-July and pick new scores).

Best,

Taylor