Has anyone ever bombed the GRE and still get admission to SIPA?

[newdisplayname]

I totally made up my mind about not being admitted but it would be interesting to read other experiences...

[Revolution]

Every year people get into top programs with subpar scores, but they make up for it in other ways. Hard to say without more information. I mean it's worth applying if you think you have something to offer and can write a strong application.

[lost_0101]

I totally made up my mind about not being admitted but it would be interesting to read other experiences...

I'll let you know in a few months - I waited until the last minute thinking I would be fine with the GRE and bombed in truly epic fashion.

*didn't apply for SIPA though

[fenderpete]

I've been told by our admissions director that GRE scores are only a small part of the puzzle. I believe him.

[Crescendo]

I got sick during the GREs and totally bombed the verbal part. I had to go use the bathroom to vomit and when I came back the test already started. Needless to say I scored below a 500 on the verbal but I scored above 700 on the math so it cancelled out. And yes, I got into SIPA.

[ridofme]

To second what Revolution said, I think it depends on the other parts of your application, as well as what you mean by "bombed". (Some people on these forums seem to consider anything under the 90th percentile unacceptable). If you have great grades/work experience/personal statement/letters of rec., etc, and a mediocre GRE score, then evidence from these forums suggest you stand a decent chance of being admitted. If the rest of your application is mediocre, or you have truly terrible scores in all 3 sections, then that's a different story of course. Posting more info would help forumites make more useful evaluations.

[cptdelorean]

how about on the opposite side of the spectrum, ridofme (or anyone)?

can GRE scores actually push you over the edge? how good do they even have to be?

 

i feel like the answer to that question answers the question of just how important they are

[ridofme]

I write with absolutely no authority on the subject, but I'll chime in with some thoughts.

 

I imagine that if your grades are subpar, a GRE score can serve as evidence of your 'potential', especially if you're a few years out of undergrad. Top scores lend credibility to an argument that poor college performance was based on immaturity rather than the inability to grasp course materials. So it would seem to me that good GRE scores would be more important if you have bad grades than if you have a 3.97 Econ major from Yale. Also, I doubt that these schools are immune to how a great GRE score would help pull up the average for an entering class, making their program seem more competitive and desirable. To that end, I have been told by more than one admissions officer that scores and GPA can affect funding.

 

On the other hand, pretty much every school I've spoken with, or whose FAQ section I've read, seems to emphasize what fenderpete said, that "GRE scores are only a small part of the puzzle", and that they are much more interested in the whole package, including soft factors, as opposed to how you did on one four-hour test.

[cptdelorean]

That seems about right. Especially the part about how a high GRE can help boost up average scores (see: every single law school)

And, I always take what adcoms and websites say with a grain of salt. While it is true that they probably look at this holistically, there are definitely some things that matter more and they just don't say it

[Revolution]

I write with absolutely no authority on the subject, but I'll chime in with some thoughts.

 

I imagine that if your grades are subpar, a GRE score can serve as evidence of your 'potential', especially if you're a few years out of undergrad. Top scores lend credibility to an argument that poor college performance was based on immaturity rather than the inability to grasp course materials. So it would seem to me that good GRE scores would be more important if you have bad grades than if you have a 3.97 Econ major from Yale. Also, I doubt that these schools are immune to how a great GRE score would help pull up the average for an entering class, making their program seem more competitive and desirable. To that end, I have been told by more than one admissions officer that scores and GPA can affect funding.

 

On the other hand, pretty much every school I've spoken with, or whose FAQ section I've read, seems to emphasize what fenderpete said, that "GRE scores are only a small part of the puzzle", and that they are much more interested in the whole package, including soft factors, as opposed to how you did on one four-hour test.

 

I think policy programs care a lot about GRE quant, especially HKS and SAIS, due to the nature of their programs.  Don't think it's the decisive factor in admissions, but for students with lower gpa or lack of quant coursework, a 90%+ GRE quant score can go a long way.  And it could affect funding on the margins, but for a program such as HKS MPA2, I'm pretty sure work experience trumps all.

[UpTipp!]

I have to agree with the comments ridofme made above. The problem that most applicants seem to have when they worry about a low GRE score is based on a misconception about how the GRE is used in the appolication process. The reason it is counted as a "small part of the puzzle" is because out of all the materials included in an application your GRE scores can tell the reviewer very little about you as a potential applicant. All it can do it give a general snapshot of your basic apptitudes and reasoning skills, meaning are you generally good at math, or language, writing, or any combination thereof. The test itself is strcutured to do exactly that and only that. Scores can only truly be interpreted in light of the rest of your application. That being said reviewers are human beings and understand that there are often extenuating circumstances that inhibit high test scores. But again that is why a low GRE score can easily be outweighed by a high GPA or a great personal statement, because a GPA represents your entire body of work over an extended period of time, rather than a completely atypical and irregular environment, and a personal statement gives a reviewer a direct insight into who you really are. The key thing to remember is if you have a low GRE score and are concerened about it, to the point you feel the need to address it, do so in a personal statement or addendum. If not don't sweat it, make the rest of your application shine and a dim bulb like that will be outshone in comparison.

[soaps]

I think policy programs care a lot about GRE quant, especially HKS and SAIS, due to the nature of their programs.  Don't think it's the decisive factor in admissions, but for students with lower gpa or lack of quant coursework, a 90%+ GRE quant score can go a long way.  And it could affect funding on the margins, but for a program such as HKS MPA2, I'm pretty sure work experience trumps all.

 

The problem with this is that no one is remotely consistent about which schools they say are more quant heavy than others with the exception of SAIS. I've heard the exact opposite about the MPP at HKS (not really quant heavy), I've seen HKS listed as one of the least quantitatively rigorous, I've heard that GTown is incredibly quant heavy and cares about high quant GRE, and I've heard the opposite of that as well. Same goes for SIPA, and SIPA is the only school I've applied to that requires a quantitative resume. I don't get where people get their info, but no one has ever been consistent on this, and I've been perusing forums for years now.

Edited February 5, 2013 by soapwater

[CBRrr]

I have to agree with the comments ridofme made above. The problem that most applicants seem to have when they worry about a low GRE score is based on a misconception about how the GRE is used in the appolication process. The reason it is counted as a "small part of the puzzle" is because out of all the materials included in an application your GRE scores can tell the reviewer very little about you as a potential applicant. All it can do it give a general snapshot of your basic apptitudes and reasoning skills, meaning are you generally good at math, or language, writing, or any combination thereof. The test itself is strcutured to do exactly that and only that. Scores can only truly be interpreted in light of the rest of your application. That being said reviewers are human beings and understand that there are often extenuating circumstances that inhibit high test scores. But again that is why a low GRE score can easily be outweighed by a high GPA or a great personal statement, because a GPA represents your entire body of work over an extended period of time, rather than a completely atypical and irregular environment, and a personal statement gives a reviewer a direct insight into who you really are. The key thing to remember is if you have a low GRE score and are concerened about it, to the point you feel the need to address it, do so in a personal statement or addendum. If not don't sweat it, make the rest of your application shine and a dim bulb like that will be outshone in comparison.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxels9BoVU1qff8too1_r1_400.gif

This should be the go to response to all questions regarding a subpar GRE score.