should I take the test again?

[nailbiter]

Hi, I'm an international applicant applying to English Lit programs this fall.

I took the GRE general test and I'm not sure what to make out of my scores. The question is, should I take the test again, or focus on studying for the subject test, writing sample, SOP, etc....? (I'm aiming to apply for Ph.D programs in top universities, ie Columbia. I graduate college this year, but don't have any publications or whatsoever as undergraduates do not get many opportunities at my school)

That said, here are my scores:

Verbal 164 (93%), Quantitative 156 (68%), AW 4.5 (73%)

(just for reference, I scored 118 on the TOEFL)

My math and AW scores worry me- are they too low? Should I retake the test?

Winter break has started a few weeks ago and I still have no idea whether I should take it again or focus on other stuff(I haven't taken the subject test yet, or have a writing sample yet as well).

Kind advice would be much appreciated!

[midnight]

Do the schools you're applying to give much credence to the AW? Columbia doesn't even mention AW scores on its admissions site.

 

And speaking of Columbia, they tell you exactly what to focus on/what kind of numbers they're looking for:

 

APPLYING TO THE SEQUENTIAL M.A./M.PHIL./Ph.D. PROGRAM

 

The department typically receives around 700 applications per year for about 16 places in our sequential program. All admitted students are fully funded (with tuition, fees, and a living stipend, $23,750 for students entering in the fall of 2012). Funding is for 6 years for students who do the full program, or 5 years for students who have received an M.A. in literature elsewhere and who enter directly into the M.Phil. program. International students and U.S. citizens receive the same funding.

 

As we admit fewer than 5% of applicants, all aspects of the application need to be strong. We have no fixed cut-off on grades, but given our numbers, applicants are unlikely to be admitted unless they have an undergraduate GPA of 3.7 or higher (in the U.S. system based on a 4.0 scale), or its equivalent. Our admissions committee is well aware that different countries' grading systems vary widely from the U.S. system, so this remark about grade point averages applies only to students who have done their undergraduate work in the U.S.

 

Similarly, we have no fixed minimum GRE score, but successful applicants trained in the U.S. will almost always have a GRE verbal score in the 95^th percentile or better. International applicants must have a minimum TOEFL score of 600 on the paper test, or 100 on the internet test.

 

Our department does not require the GRE Subject Test in English literature.

 

More important than test scores are the other aspects of the application: the personal statement, writing sample, overall undergraduate record (and prior graduate record, if any), and letters of recommendation. In both the personal statement and the writing sample, our committee looks for a sense of a personal voice and direction, an awareness of relevant scholarly debate, and a good match between the applicant's interests and our faculty resources.

 

--

 

If the other schools you're applying to have similar requirements to Columbia, it sounds like you should be focusing on your SOP, polishing your writing sample, and seeking out any potential opportunities that you can instead of spending time on a GRE retake or even the GRE subject test.

[nailbiter]

Thanks for your response, midnight!

I guess it didn't really occur to me that schools would evaluate the individual sections of the GRE test(stupid, now that I think of it)! Half of the schools I apply to require a subject test, so I will need to take it anyway. But now I realize I should probably do more research on the grad schools I'm planning to apply to, and figure out how much the GRE scores will matter.

I'm quite new to grad school applications and my school's faculty hasn't been great help to make matters worse.

So thanks again!

Edited January 17, 2013 by KristinKim

[Andean Pat]

Hi!!!! I am an international student as well.

 

Let me tell you my experience. I sat for the GRE in early October and did OK, but my AW was a 3.00. Since I am applying for a History PhD, professors advised me to sit for it again. I got myself a private teacher and scored better. I also did well in TOEFL but, as you probably know, they "measure" different things. Since your field is connected to languages, I would first ask professors and then analyse the pros and cons yourself. Take into account that if you redo an exam you must change something of your previous preparation. It is not just doing exercises.

 

I hired an American teacher who helped a lot with logical thinking and thus scored more both in AW (5.00) and verbal (162). Good luck!  

 

Angie

[blakeblake]

Do not worry about your Quant score!  English programs don't care that much about the Quant score, so long as it does not drag down your overall score too much (and yours doesn't).  I'll bet that the 68th percentile is better than a lot of us English folks can muster on the GRE Quant portion!

[stillalivetui]

Congrats on that awesome Quant score. As an English major, you should be proud.

[nailbiter]

Thanks for the nice responses, Andean, blakeblake, and stillalivetui! 

 

I guess I really should be working on my writing sample then. Math has never been my strength and it's a relief to move on from the GRE and Quant material.

[uromastyx]

Those scores should be ok, but it's up to you. It all depends on how YOU think your time is best spent.