Any BME MS programs that do not require the GRE?

[violinist21]

I am looking to apply to BME Master's programs. I am a senior at RPI with a very strong GPA (3.98) and a lot of research experience, including 1 publication (maybe 2 by December). But I took the GRE a week ago and did very badly on it = 75% on Quant. and 72% on Qual. which is extremely low for most good BME programs.

I did not study for it and I don't have time to study before the applications are sent in order to increase my score significantly, so I know when schools look at the GRE score I won't get accepted.

My question is are there any BME schools that offer Master's programs but don't require the GRE scores? (I am looking at either M.E or M.S).

My goal is to work in industry preferably as a design engineer.

I have researched this on my own so far but have only come across U of Washington in St. Louis that does not require them.

Are there any others?

[sabdo]

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Relax about the GREs! They are really not that important with respect to the other aspects in your app. Research experience, GPA, SOP and LORs are way more important than the stupid GREs.

Don't believe me? I got into Duke (with scholarship), Penn, Berkeley/UCSF and BU with 74% quant on the GRE. I did get 90% on the verbal but that section doesn't even matter anyways.

My point is: Don't apply avoid applying to the top schools just because you just have an avg quant score. You have to understand what each individual school is looking for. If you're applying to a research based school, what is going to be more representative to them of a good researcher? Your statement of purpose, LORs, and your performance in hardcore science classes or how fast you can do inane arithmetic multiple choice questions? The GRE is just a screening tool. As long as they believe you can make meaningful contribution to their program, they will want you.

Like you, I seriously stressed about my GREs because I had an average quant score when I began applying. At certain points I wondered if it was even worth bothering despite that the rest of my application was strong. Well, I really wish in retrospect I hadn't spent so much time worrying about it because it ended not mattering. It would have saved me a lot of heartache and increased the quality of my life at the time.

Anyways the take home message is: the GRE is BS. If the school believes you are what they are looking for, they are not going to care about an average GRE quant score. I mean, would you?

[violinist21]

Really? That made me feel a lot better.

I personally think the GRE is complete BS because it did not measure ANY of my abilities as a BME. Yet the top schools have specific cutoffs for the scores which makes me think it's not even worth applying. May I ask how/why you decided to pursue M.S vs. PhD?

I am honestly having a really tough time with this decision...

[zreinhar]

Johns Hopkins has an MS in Biotechnology that does not require GRE. However, given the name, they probably compensate for that by hacing very high requirements for WE, Research, Pubs, Recs, etc.

[Radian]

First of all, GRE is not BS ! And yes it measures your ability to adapt and succeed. If one is good at what he's been doing for the past 4-5 years that's not intelegence, that's experience! Give someone a new topic and if he succeed I call him intellegent.

Anyway, you have good credentials and I believe you do care about your education. So why you wanna go to some mediocre school that doesn't require GRE? Why do you want to get a mediocre education? You have best chances with your GPA. If you really don't like GRE, just apply to Canada instead. At least you'll get a high end education from a prestigious university.