Are my GRE scores sufficient for top CS Grad schools?

[Skorpius]

cSo just to go ahead and get it out of the way, I took the GRE yesterday (I am currently in my summer after freshman year in college)- I'm shooting for applying for the top 10 CS Grad schools.

159 V (= 590 old scale = 80th percentile)
163 Q (= 780 old scale= 88th percentile)

 

[dat_nerd]

It's hard to say whether a GRE score is "good enough" for a top 10 school. How are your LORs, SOP, and research experience? Those are more likely to get you into a top school than a GRE score. That being said, I think your scores are fine for a top ten school, though some may be expecting a quantitative score over the 90th percentile.

[Skorpius]

Basically, I'm going to start a research position in bioinformatics/computational physics in the Fall and from there, I will see how I progress in the year that I'm there. My question, really, is if I do end up applying (most likely will) will the difference between a 780 and 800 be a deciding factor?

 

In other words- when a department has an average of 785 Quantitative, is it because the people who admitted happened to have that score, or was the score a big deciding factor for the student?

 

I still have 3 years to retake this exam, I'd just rather be done with it and I don't know if the cost of retaking it for an 800 (Which I'd been scoring around in practice tests) be worth it...especially ince 780 is considered average/borderline

 

I was reading some posts in other places that said that in economics, anything less than 800 was a reject- I'm just worried that this may be the same thing with CS, even though research is much more important.

 

By the way, Welcome to Georgia Tech! That's where I go

Edited June 17, 2013 by Skorpius

[Arcanen]

It's certainly possible to get in with those scores. That said, people with such scores get in despite those scores because they may excel in areas that are much more important (research experience, letters of rec etc). Because you have so much time before applications are due, and because there is now no disadvantage to to taking the GRE more than once (because of ScoreSelect), you should take the GRE again. Your current scores, while not disastrous, would not be considered strong by top 10 CS programs. I suspect they would be significantly below the average successful applicant, and probably somewhat below the average applicant. Considering you're looking at programs with 5% admissions rates, you'd be silly to put yourself at such a disadvantage at this early stage when you have plenty of opportunity to fix it.

Edited June 17, 2013 by Arcanen

[Skorpius]

Ironically, the main reason I was so averse to the idea of retaking it was because my Verbal score was flukey  (in a good way), though the sacrifice came with the Quant score- I was aimed for a 153 V/ 166 Q originally from the practice tests I took...but that...didn't happen.  I also felt really strong about my essays. Would it be wise, when I retake, that I send both sets of scores in- so they can see my Verbal "potential" and Essay "potential" while still getting the 800 they want to see?

 

My verbal score is quite above the average (570) for these programs, so I don't really have to worry about that. I feel really really good about my essays as well.

 

Also, when would you recommend that I retake it? Would summer 2014 (Summer after sophomore year) be a bit early?

Edited June 18, 2013 by Skorpius

[Arcanen]

It's computer science. No one gives a hoot about your verbal score. Try again for better a better quant score. You also don't know how you'll do in the verbal and essay sections when you take them again. You shouldn't even be thinking about sending "both scores" at this point, because you only have one set. You may do just as well or better in all sections the next time you take it.

 

As for when you should take it, summer 2014 is way too late, not early. Considering your year, you're taking the GRE early (not that this really means anything, since the GRE doesn't really test anything beyond a high school level). But since you've undoubtedly been studying already, you should be planning on studying some more and taking it again in the next month or two so you don't "lose" the study you've already done.

[Skorpius]

Average GRE Quant Score for Masters in CS at Harvard- 163

Average GRE Verbal Score for Masters in CS at Harvard- 160

 

How am I significantly below average?

 

[dat_nerd]

http://www.cs.washington.edu/prospective_students/grad/application#prerequisites

 

I've found that an average score for a top 10 school will be at least 90th percentile Quant and 85th percentile Verbal. A strong score is at least 90th percentile in both categories. Harvard isn't a top 10 CS school, so their scores might not be the scores you'd want to compare with.

[doclover]

posted elsewhere

Edited June 22, 2013 by doclover

[Skorpius]

Update- I received a 5.0/6 for my essays