Alright, let's talk about the NS on the GRE

[sacklunch]

A couple fellow students (masters at a top 10) and I have been talking about the more recent ability to not take certain portions of the GRE, giving you the NS (no score). I know that one of them has retaken the GRE verbal/writing and taken a NS for the quant. He previously did well enough on the quant , but wanted to raise his verbal score. So he will obviously be sending in his first score set with all the scores, but a newer score with just the verbal/writing (which is better). I have another friend who is planning on doing the same thing within the next week or so.

 

How do you think this will look to adcoms? I imagine it will vary from department to department, in that some may only see the top scores anyways (compiled from a secretary beforehand without any notification that they ever had an NS, took the GRE multiple times, and so on). But because it is new I haven't had much luck searching online for feedback on this 'strategy.'

 

best

[Seeking]

I'd say STEM and Social Sciences candidates - don't try the NS and try to have a good score on both Quant and Verbal sections. Of course, "good score" varies according to each department and discipline.

 

Humanities candidates - I doubt that they even look at the Quant score, so NS is a good strategy, unless a department mentions that they expect both parts of the GRE. You may always write to the department and ask in advance. 

 

English literature, rhetoric and composition candidates - Try to have high verbal and writing scores and ask in advance if they are expecting the Quant score.

Edited October 26, 2013 by Seeking

[sacklunch]

Right. Well, the people I know doing this already have a quant. score (as I mentioned). So they are sending in two scores: an older complete set with a lower verbal, and a new partial set with higher verbal, writing, and NS on quant. So they still have a quant. score, just not on one of the scores. 

[Seeking]

Yes, the above shows what disciplines require good quant scores and what disciplines don't.

 

Humanities require a higher verbal score and is not much concerned about quant, so NS works there. English is an exception in this group, not because it requires quant scores, but because they often serve as filter in the selection process.

 

STEM and Social Sciences require good quant scores, so NS doesn't work, because even if you are sending improved verbal scores, these programs may want to know how you might have done on the Quant section.

Edited October 27, 2013 by Seeking

[Kirialax]

Has anyone succeeded in getting into top programs without ever doing certain sections of the GRE? From my research (searching the internet, talking to faculty, talking to current students) these things are handled at the department level in my program of choice, and they don't really seem to care much about the GRE in general. I've seen no evidence for a minimum cut-off despite much searching.

[sacklunch]

I don't think it would be wise to submit scores without at least one quant completed. 

 

Again, I am not asking about verbal/quant scores for humanities vs. sciences. This is all fairly obvious for anyone frequenting the board. I was just wondering if anyone had any experience/insight about sending two score sets, one with a complete set along with a verbal/writing/NS-Quant.

 

cheers 

[VioletAyame]

I read from another thread that ETS wouldn't allow you to mix and match your scores (V from one test day and Q from another), so logically if your schools require both scores, I don't think it would look good sending in 2 sets of score, one with a NS, since it would kind of be the same of mix and match. I guess NS would work best for people whose programs only want V or Q score.