MA in IR GRE Cut-off?

[The Mark]

Is there a GRE score below which, no matter how good the rest of your application is, admissions can't over look it? I really bombed the quant section (like, genuinely), and did pretty mediocre on verbal. I was wondering if anyone can offer any anecdotal evidence of getting into SAIS/SFS/Fletcher/ESIA/SIS with abysmal scores.

 

Most website FAQ sections say there is no minimum score, but I'm sure that's the PR answer they have to give. Of course, I intend to retake but not in time to be considered for this cycle. 

[macpri]

I say it doesn't hurt to try anyway. The programs these days are looking beyond GRE scores and considering other experiences. My GRE scores weren't all that great but I got into Fletcher already.

[cptdelorean]

how bad did you bomb it?

 

do you have any math/stat classes you took and did well in?

[Azrou]

This is entirely program dependent...most places don't state a cutoff, not because of PR, but because if they set it at e.g. 155 it would automatically discourage an excellent candidate with a 154 from applying.  But some do enforce a cutoff just to reduce the amount of applications to a more manageable level.  The only way to be sure is to contact admissions officers at the places you are interested in and see what they say.  Just by showing continued interest you might actually sway them to take a second look at your app, if it had gotten binned.

[The Mark]

cptdelorean: Pretty bad. 17th percentile on quant, 69th percentile on verbal. No real math courses except for a couple "liberal arts math" classes, but I have courses in micro, macro, and int'l econ. There actually is a legitimate reason I did that badly, but not necessarily a good reason. I took the GRE cold. No studying at all. 

 

It's a shame because I think the rest of my application is compelling. I hate the fact that a four hour test can invalidate 15 years of personal, professional, and academic achievement. But I'm also a realist. I understand that things work a certain way and I'm not special, so there's nothing more I can do now but hope that the process truly is holistic. 

Edited January 24, 2013 by The Mark

[bfoo]

Hi The Mark, I speak with zero expertise in this matter whatsoever, but did you use the additional information section of your application to explain your GRE scores? If you did well enough in your econs classes at undergrad, it might give the admissions committees reason to believe that your GRE score was just a fluke also.

[The Mark]

I did not give any explanation. I got A's in both principles courses and a B in the int'l econ course (which should have been a B+, but the professor was the only one I had in four years that didn't use the plus/minus system. This I felt like explaining, but I didn't want to come off as nit-picky) They have my transcripts, so they'll see the grades. 

[mnboy]

Hi,

 

I hate to be a bit of a downer but I think for at least a couple of those schools - SAIS in particular - a 17% quant score will probably exclude you from admission.

 

I speak as a fellow applicant for this cycle, so I have no admissions experience on which to base this, but with no explanation given as to why you did so poorly on the test they will just look at it as if you lack the ability to complete the quantitative component of their program. At SAIS, this is a big thing from my understanding. I didn't do good on the quant section either - when I took it, it was at the 69th percentile, now it's something close to 50th - and I'm still a bit concerned. With no other explanation available, they can really only go on what they see.

[The Mark]

I understand what you're saying, mnboy, but I guess I would counter with this: To say that I lack the quantitative background to handle the SAIS curriculum is only partly true. SAIS admits people without either of the principles prerequisites on the condition that they fulfill them before matriculation. Like I mentioned before, not only do I have both principles courses already with an A., I also have an upper level course in international economics with a B that covered trade theory/policy and monetary theory/policy—which means I've already been exposed to the material, in quite some depth, that constitutes two of the four required courses for the econ concentration at SAIS. If that doesn't prove I can handle the econ, I don't know what does.

 

As for the math, from what I understand, the professors actually teach the math that's necessary for the econ courses as it's needed. These are international relations programs with a focus on economics—not the other way around—so I would imagine a lot of students at these schools have similar academic backgrounds to me: liberal arts degrees without a whole lot of math, if any, and who want to use graduate school to develop the hard skills, like quantitative analysis, that will make them more marketable to employers. 

 

They take the highest section from each test, so I'm sure you'll be fine with your 69th percentile in quant. At the very least, you can take comfort in knowing I won't be in competition with you in that department. Best of luck!

[intlrlns]

I think most people have made valid points but remember that the application pool also matters. They may ask you to take additional classes before enrolling if your bad experience with quant is offset by work experience and they see an aptitude for math. I know of people who didn't have experience with any econ/math courses in undergrad but worked really hard to get decent GRE scores and got into SAIS. It is definitely quant heavy for a number of classes and they really take pride in that. I didn't do very well on the GREs either (69th percentile but good enough for SAIS median) only because I'm terrible at standardized testing... but I have significant quant experience. I think it will come down to your competition and there's no point speculating now. Just hope for the best, good luck