GRE Scores are Horrible, App Deadline is Soon. Please Help!

[cy213]

Hi,

 

I am in a pickle and would like advice. The first time I took my GRE test, I received a score of 148 for Verbal, 154 for Quantitative, and a 4 for AWA--this was in August. The second time I took my GRE test, which was yesterday (11/4), I received a 149 in Verbal, and a 155 in Quantitative. Between my first and second GRE tests, I have been studying at least 2-3 hours every day (I have a full-time job), but apparently, that didn't help. I have only improved by one point per section, and this is not enough for the grad schools I want to apply to (one of them being UC Berkeley and several other prestigious schools) for Public Policy.  My first deadline is on December 5th. Since it's right around the corner, I don't know if I should retake my GRE. Also, my GPA for undergrad was a 2.5 so I was hoping that my GRE scores would kick ass, but it doesn't. Although I already sent my most recent scores to four schools, should I retake my GREs one more time later this month? I am kind of panicking. Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

Here's a list of schools I am applying to for a Masters in Public Policy: UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UCI, University of Chicago, Georgetown University, George Washington University, American University, and University of Maryland - College Park. 

 

Do I even have a chance with these schools with my scores? 

 

P.S. If anyone is going to recommend me Magoosh as a study prep, I already know about it. I just found out about Magoosh literally three days ago. I wish I found out about it sooner!!

Edited November 6, 2013 by cy213

[gk210]

I'd say depending on when the rest of your apps are due, look into retaking them again soon, seeing as though you're applying to some very, very competitive schools. I know some apps have different deadlines that come in different waves. (My first wave are due in December as well, then 4 in January, 2 in February, 1 in March.) You can't take the GRE too soon after an attempt, I know you have to wait 3-4 weeks. If you have later deadlines for different schools, by all means, take it again.

 

if it's any consolation, my supervisor at this company I currently work for got into UCI with only a 150 on the Verbal (she got her Masters in mass communication). Who knows, she probably had a kickass recommendation, plus I could imagine had a pretty good GPA (3.7-4.0 range), along with kickass personal statements. So who knows...maybe some schools don't have such a heavy emphasis on GPA or GRE, depending on what exactly you're trying for as a Masters degree. 

 

 And if you found out about Magoosh so recently, keep using it. I'm using it right now myself, as an ex-Kaplan user. 

[Crucial BBQ]

Eh, for what it is worth, your GRE scores reflect your GPA; middle-of-the-road.  That doesn't mean you are SOL, mind you, just that no one on the admissions committees will be surprised.  If you can afford it, apply to all schools ASAP; you never know.  I am bit older than the typical user in this forum, it seems, and I have known a good number of people who either have already went through grad school, or are currently in.  Three of them were ex's, and they all scored low on the GRE (although two had high GPAs--one a 4.0--and a good amount of research/internship experience that was directly relevant to the course of study in their respective grad programs.  One, however, was almost denied into the #1 program for....public health policy...because her quant score was too low.  She managed to convince them to give her a chance through a phone interview and ended up going there). You might be surprised at just how many people with middle-of-the-road scores/numbers get into grad school, even top programs.  

 

Keep in mind that grad school and grad school admissions are not like undergrad; numbers and fluffy ECs no body really cares about. 

[esimanon]

I am in a similar situation. I scored a terrible 143 Q and 150 V, 4 on my writing sample. :/ I don't have the time or money to take the test again. I am applying for my MSW at UC Berkeley... I have a 3.5 GPA, research experience, field study, volunteer experience and work experience. I've also been in contact with a faculty member and sat-in on one of her classes. Do you think I have a chance of getting accepted? 

[Crucial BBQ]

I am in a similar situation. I scored a terrible 143 Q and 150 V, 4 on my writing sample. :/ I don't have the time or money to take the test again. I am applying for my MSW at UC Berkeley... I have a 3.5 GPA, research experience, field study, volunteer experience and work experience. I've also been in contact with a faculty member and sat-in on one of her classes. Do you think I have a chance of getting accepted? 

It is almost impossible to chance graduate school admissions since the process is so different than for undergrad. You have a lot going for you here based on what you wrote,  including being in contact with a faculty member. That is a huge plus that many "perfect-numbers" applicants fail to accomplish. 

 

I do not know if you have a chance, but if I were in your shoes, I would go for it. 

[esimanon]

It is almost impossible to chance graduate school admissions since the process is so different than for undergrad. You have a lot going for you here based on what you wrote,  including being in contact with a faculty member. That is a huge plus that many "perfect-numbers" applicants fail to accomplish. 

 

I do not know if you have a chance, but if I were in your shoes, I would go for it. 

Thank you for your opinion, I appreciate it!

[gk210]

Honestly speaking, it's really tough being able to judge these questions "do I have a chance to get in with X gpa with XXX GRE scores" because apps are like shooting in the dark. We really don't know, unless we have an adcomm board member come in and explain the exact process in which they pick applicants.

 

I say this because after speaking to a graduate programs director a few months ago from the school I'm trying to get my MA at (which, coincidentally, is the same university I went to for my undergrad), she let me in on a little shocking secret: she told me that they actually accepted a handful of students this past year who didn't even have a 3.0 GPA, nor even broke 160 on the GRE, despite the fact that the university's grad program boasts accepting only on average, "11/140 applicants per school year for the graduate program."

 

Of course, it's dependent on the field people are going for. I myself only had about a 3.3 GPA and I'm really banking on at least breaking 160 on the V part of the GREs next Monday. I too really feel like my chances are feeble, and I don't really have thousands of dollars at my disposable to apply to schools only to get rejected, but what the hell, what have we got to lose? Right? At least some prominent writing samples/rec letters/POS's/an excellent curriculum vitae displaying lots of experience in the field can't possibly do anything but help our chances, because lucky for us, the application itself isn't only an emphasis on a GRE score. 

[cy213]

I'd say depending on when the rest of your apps are due, look into retaking them again soon, seeing as though you're applying to some very, very competitive schools. I know some apps have different deadlines that come in different waves. (My first wave are due in December as well, then 4 in January, 2 in February, 1 in March.) You can't take the GRE too soon after an attempt, I know you have to wait 3-4 weeks. If you have later deadlines for different schools, by all means, take it again.

 

if it's any consolation, my supervisor at this company I currently work for got into UCI with only a 150 on the Verbal (she got her Masters in mass communication). Who knows, she probably had a kickass recommendation, plus I could imagine had a pretty good GPA (3.7-4.0 range), along with kickass personal statements. So who knows...maybe some schools don't have such a heavy emphasis on GPA or GRE, depending on what exactly you're trying for as a Masters degree. 

 

 And if you found out about Magoosh so recently, keep using it. I'm using it right now myself, as an ex-Kaplan user. 

 

Thanks for your advice gk210! I think realistically speaking, I don't think I can significantly improve my GRE scores for the UC Berkeley deadline (which is on December 5th) within 3-4 weeks, but for the other schools that I am applying to whose deadlines are in January and February, I am going to consider re-taking the GREs. As much as I don't want to, I think you're right. Especially since I am applying to very competitive schools, I really need to shine. It is obvious that my GPA will not give me that shine, so it has to be from my GRE scores, personal statements, and recommendation letters. I do have some internship and research experience in environmental economics, which ties in well with the Public Policy programs I am looking into. My professor who helped me with my independent research is also writing me a recommendation letter, so I have at least *some* cushion, but I am not betting on getting in with such low GRE scores and a low GPA.

 

I, too, was a Kaplan user. I did all five of their practice tests, and my score ranges were kind of inconsistent, so it was hard for me to see where I really was... not until I took the Power Prep II practice tests. It looks like Magoosh and Manhattan have the most positive feedback as GRE prep tools. Does anyone have experience in using Manhattan? If so, would you recommend that AND Magoosh together?

Edited November 6, 2013 by cy213

[cy213]

Honestly speaking, it's really tough being able to judge these questions "do I have a chance to get in with X gpa with XXX GRE scores" because apps are like shooting in the dark. We really don't know, unless we have an adcomm board member come in and explain the exact process in which they pick applicants.

 

I say this because after speaking to a graduate programs director a few months ago from the school I'm trying to get my MA at (which, coincidentally, is the same university I went to for my undergrad), she let me in on a little shocking secret: she told me that they actually accepted a handful of students this past year who didn't even have a 3.0 GPA, nor even broke 160 on the GRE, despite the fact that the university's grad program boasts accepting only on average, "11/140 applicants per school year for the graduate program."

 

Of course, it's dependent on the field people are going for. I myself only had about a 3.3 GPA and I'm really banking on at least breaking 160 on the V part of the GREs next Monday. I too really feel like my chances are feeble, and I don't really have thousands of dollars at my disposable to apply to schools only to get rejected, but what the hell, what have we got to lose? Right? At least some prominent writing samples/rec letters/POS's/an excellent curriculum vitae displaying lots of experience in the field can't possibly do anything but help our chances, because lucky for us, the application itself isn't only an emphasis on a GRE score. 

 

 

Eh, for what it is worth, your GRE scores reflect your GPA; middle-of-the-road.  That doesn't mean you are SOL, mind you, just that no one on the admissions committees will be surprised.  If you can afford it, apply to all schools ASAP; you never know.  I am bit older than the typical user in this forum, it seems, and I have known a good number of people who either have already went through grad school, or are currently in.  Three of them were ex's, and they all scored low on the GRE (although two had high GPAs--one a 4.0--and a good amount of research/internship experience that was directly relevant to the course of study in their respective grad programs.  One, however, was almost denied into the #1 program for....public health policy...because her quant score was too low.  She managed to convince them to give her a chance through a phone interview and ended up going there). You might be surprised at just how many people with middle-of-the-road scores/numbers get into grad school, even top programs.  

 

Keep in mind that grad school and grad school admissions are not like undergrad; numbers and fluffy ECs no body really cares about. 

 

Yeah, I'm definitely still applying to all the schools I listed above. All I am losing is money, but obviously getting acceptances to these schools > money hands down. I know GREs and GPA isn't everything, but admissions definitely look at these two. Regardless, you reminded me that some people who have very low GPAs and GRE scores do get into great schools, so thank you for making me hopeful again!

[gk210]

Thanks for your advice gk210! I think realistically speaking, I don't think I can significantly improve my GRE scores for the UC Berkeley deadline (which is on December 5th) within 3-4 weeks, but for the other schools that I am applying to whose deadlines are in January and February, I am going to consider re-taking the GREs. As much as I don't want to, I think you're right. Especially since I am applying to very competitive schools, I really need to shine. It is obvious that my GPA will not give me that shine, so it has to be from my GRE scores, personal statements, and recommendation letters. I do have some internship and research experience in environmental economics, which ties in well with the Public Policy programs I am looking into. My professor who helped me with my independent research is also writing me a recommendation letter, so I have at least *some* cushion, but I am not betting on getting in with such low GRE scores and a low GPA.

 

I, too, was a Kaplan user. I did all five of their practice tests, and my score ranges were kind of inconsistent, so it was hard for me to see where I really was... not until I took the Power Prep II practice tests. It looks like Magoosh and Manhattan have the most positive feedback as GRE prep tools. Does anyone have experience in using Manhattan? If so, would you recommend that AND Magoosh together?

 

 

Yeah, I'm definitely still applying to all the schools I listed above. All I am losing is money, but obviously getting acceptances to these schools > money hands down. I know GREs and GPA isn't everything, but admissions definitely look at these two. Regardless, you reminded me that some people who have very low GPAs and GRE scores do get into great schools, so thank you for making me hopeful again!

 

Honestly, I'm about ready to ask Kaplan for my money back. I read everywhere (after doing abysmally my first try on the GREs) from users that test preps like the kaplan, princeton review, and barrons all "dumb down" the GRE. I thought they were joking. What the hell is the point of a prepware course dumbing down something, making it easier on people? What a waste of time.

 

Magoosh, I heard nothing but rave reviews. I also heard that Magoosh actually gives you HARDER questions than what you'll see on the GRE so that when the time comes for the real thing, it'll be like a piece of cake. (almost.) Someone who had a 170 on the Verbal recommended Magoosh to me, and told me they only needed to use it for a few weeks. They told me the same thing...that Kaplan dumbs everything down. I still couldn't believe it, so I decided to try out a verbal set practice test from Kaplan, and one from Magoosh. I got about 95% of my questions correct on Kaplan, and about 50% correct from Magoosh. I could even tell just from the questions themselves how much easier Kaplan was...surely enough when I took the actual exam, I felt like the exam was 10x harder than the Kaplan practices. I'm probably going to call them this week to ask for my money back. Luckily I feel like I'm doing a lot better since I started Magoosh. I'm a pretty recent user of it myself, but I've been told from the system that judging from my practice questions, I'm estimating from a 157-162 range, which is definite what I'm shooting for. Hopefully Magoosh will work the same for you. 

 

As far as using Manhattan, I'm really not sure; I haven't tried it, but I did read rave reviews about using both preps simultaneously, and that lots of people saw some outstanding improvement. If you can afford paying for another prepware, by all means! And let me know how you like it! 

Edited November 6, 2013 by gk210

[cy213]

Update: There is an open slot I can register if I were to take the GREs again: November 25th. However, that is a week before my December 5th application is due. I forgot to mention that I have two other December deadlines, one on the 15th and the other on the 31st. Considering that I am very familiar with the format already, that I would only have 2.5 weeks to study for the next GREs (if I were to take it this month again), and I would only have a week to complete my application, I don't think I would drastically improve my scores (5 points minimum per section) in two weeks. Thanks for the hopefulness, but I'm starting to lean more towards a no, it's not even feasible for me to squeeze in another test, even for my January and February deadlines. I would still have to work on my SOPs and the rest of the applications anyway. I'm just going to try to write a super kick ass SOP and see where it goes from there.

 

I have already asked Magoosh for my refund back, since they have a 7-day refund policy. 

 

I mean, my scores aren't THAT horrendous, right? =\

[gk210]

Update: There is an open slot I can register if I were to take the GREs again: November 25th. However, that is a week before my December 5th application is due. I forgot to mention that I have two other December deadlines, one on the 15th and the other on the 31st. Considering that I am very familiar with the format already, that I would only have 2.5 weeks to study for the next GREs (if I were to take it this month again), and I would only have a week to complete my application, I don't think I would drastically improve my scores (5 points minimum per section) in two weeks. Thanks for the hopefulness, but I'm starting to lean more towards a no, it's not even feasible for me to squeeze in another test, even for my January and February deadlines. I would still have to work on my SOPs and the rest of the applications anyway. I'm just going to try to write a super kick ass SOP and see where it goes from there.

 

I have already asked Magoosh for my refund back, since they have a 7-day refund policy. 

 

I mean, my scores aren't THAT horrendous, right? =\

Hey if that's where you'd like to put all your eggs, by all means! like i said there are some rare cases where an SOP would stand out more than any GRE score. best of luck to you! some schools just use that as an easier way of weeding out those who can't make a certain cut but if you want to spend most of your effort in showcasing your academia and discipline in a different way, go for it! thats probably a smarter thing to do. good luck!

[gungun1010]

ur undergrad gpa is 2.5 and u r applying to Berkeley.. with all due respect, 170v/170q won't help you..

[azer89]

Applying to CS at MIT, UC Berkeley, Stanford, CMU, U Washington, Harvard, U Maryland, and UC Santa Barbara.

 

• Got V:148 Q:159 AWA will be available next 15 days. I admit that my English isn't good and only studied GRE around 4-5 months, bad in reading, was trapped successfully on quantitative section
• LOR from 2 researchers from "inner circle" of research area I'm interested (if you know what I mean)
• Still working on SOP
• 1 ACM paper (top ten conference in CS) and 1 US Patent application
• GPA 3.9

 

I just don't care... I'm applying this year !!!

Edited November 11, 2013 by azer89

[cy213]

Yes, I know my GPA and my GRE scores are horrible, but I'm still applying anyway. What have I got to lose anyway? If I don't get in this year, I can always apply next year. I really did wish that my GPA and GRE scores were higher, but what can I do now anyway?

 

And good for you azer! I'm not an adcom or anything, but your stats are not bad... definitely better than mine. Good luck!

[lafi05]

My GRE was Bad,My GPA was Bad,I do not have any International publications (journal), 

 

I just have experience as teaching and research assistant for 2 years, 1 year as profesional workers and some experiences for attending International as oral presenter for some research.

 

and most peoples all around me think I am wasting my time for applying graduate school in US...I AM ALONE...huhuhu

 

I am depressed...

 

But this Posting make me better thank you

[alewis25]

Could anyone give an update of their results after they applied? I know a few years went by, but I just came across this post?

 

Thanks in advance  

[amara0714]

Help! 

I am terrified that applying for Fall 2017 will be a waste of money. I spent 400 trying to get a better score on the GRE's.

1st attempt: 139 verbal, 142 quant, 4 analytical writing

2nd attempt: 145 verbal, 141 quant, 3.5 analytical writing

I graduated with a bachelors in psychology and my GPA is 3.35. 

I am applying to: Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Minnesota State University, University of Maryland, Hofstra University, Hartford University, and George Mason University. 

Do I have a shot of getting in or will I be throwing away 300+ dollars on apps for no reason? I am terrified that schools will look at my GRE score and throw me in the decline pile. The application deadline is next month. What should I do? Should I send both GRE test scores? Please help...I'm desperate! :/

 

 

 

[ashny]

On 11/12/2013 at 5:16 AM, lafi05 said:

My GRE was Bad,My GPA was Bad,I do not have any International publications (journal), 

 

I just have experience as teaching and research assistant for 2 years, 1 year as profesional workers and some experiences for attending International as oral presenter for some research.

 

and most peoples all around me think I am wasting my time for applying graduate school in US...I AM ALONE...huhuhu

 

I am depressed...

 

But this Posting make me better thank you

If you are in Indonesia, then why not apply to other countries that don't require the GRE as an admissions criteria for grad school? Of course you can still apply to USA if that's where you want to study, but could you have back up options in another country?

Edited January 23, 2017 by ashny

[amara0714]

Posting this again...

Help! 

I am terrified that applying for Fall 2017 will be a waste of money. I spent 400 trying to get a better score on the GRE's.

1st attempt: 139 verbal, 142 quant, 4 analytical writing

2nd attempt: 145 verbal, 141 quant, 3.5 analytical writing

I graduated with a bachelors in psychology and my GPA is 3.35. 

I am applying to: Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Minnesota State University, University of Maryland, Hofstra University, Hartford University, and George Mason University. 

Do I have a shot of getting in or will I be throwing away 300+ dollars on apps for no reason? I am terrified that schools will look at my GRE score and throw me in the decline pile. The application deadline is next month. What should I do? Should I send both GRE test scores? Please help...I'm desperate! :/

[HappyLab]

3 minutes ago, amara0714 said:

Posting this again...

Help! 

I am terrified that applying for Fall 2017 will be a waste of money. I spent 400 trying to get a better score on the GRE's.

1st attempt: 139 verbal, 142 quant, 4 analytical writing

2nd attempt: 145 verbal, 141 quant, 3.5 analytical writing

I graduated with a bachelors in psychology and my GPA is 3.35. 

I am applying to: Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Minnesota State University, University of Maryland, Hofstra University, Hartford University, and George Mason University. 

Do I have a shot of getting in or will I be throwing away 300+ dollars on apps for no reason? I am terrified that schools will look at my GRE score and throw me in the decline pile. The application deadline is next month. What should I do? Should I send both GRE test scores? Please help...I'm desperate! :/

I can tell you that it really varies from school to school. I am in the same boat with writing the GRE twice, and still having pretty low quant percentiles, but high analytical writing. Some schools have very strict cutoffs for their applications (ie. above 70th or 80th percentile on every section), while others are more lenient. For example, George Mason said they were looking for scores above the 50th percentile, but that excellence in other areas could make up for lower scores in any areas. 

I know it's tricky when you don't want to waste your money on the applications if your scores are going to be thrown away because of a cutoff... so definitely good to get in touch with the schools to see their views on the GRE, and how they take them into account during the application process. You may find that some require them simply as a "hoop to jump through", while others will require higher scores in order to be competitive.

With sending both scores, I know that some professors also like looking at the progress that you have made in rewriting the test as well, so that's often a good option!

Hopefully I could be of some help! Good luck with your applications

[amara0714]

3 minutes ago, HappyLab said:

I can tell you that it really varies from school to school. I am in the same boat with writing the GRE twice, and still having pretty low quant percentiles, but high analytical writing. Some schools have very strict cutoffs for their applications (ie. above 70th or 80th percentile on every section), while others are more lenient. For example, George Mason said they were looking for scores above the 50th percentile, but that excellence in other areas could make up for lower scores in any areas. 

I know it's tricky when you don't want to waste your money on the applications if your scores are going to be thrown away because of a cutoff... so definitely good to get in touch with the schools to see their views on the GRE, and how they take them into account during the application process. You may find that some require them simply as a "hoop to jump through", while others will require higher scores in order to be competitive.

With sending both scores, I know that some professors also like looking at the progress that you have made in rewriting the test as well, so that's often a good option!

Hopefully I could be of some help! Good luck with your applications

Thank you for replying! I've been anxious all day. I contacted Indiana University and the person wrote back:

Thank you for your interest in our program. Your application will be considered, but it’s unlikely that you would be admitted with GRE scores below the minimum. To give you an idea of the kinds of students that we admit, here are the average stats for admitted students over the past 5 years:

 

GPA – 3.63

Verbal %tile – 77

Quant %tile – 64

Analytical %tile – 59

 

Regarding your transcripts – Yes, we do need transcripts from every college attended.

 

So I guess that means I shouldnt even bother applying to their program? I will continue to contact schools to see if they require a certain percentile or not for admission. 

[Square49]

27 minutes ago, amara0714 said:

Thank you for replying! I've been anxious all day. I contacted Indiana University and the person wrote back:

Thank you for your interest in our program. Your application will be considered, but it’s unlikely that you would be admitted with GRE scores below the minimum. To give you an idea of the kinds of students that we admit, here are the average stats for admitted students over the past 5 years:

 

GPA – 3.63

Verbal %tile – 77

Quant %tile – 64

Analytical %tile – 59

 

Regarding your transcripts – Yes, we do need transcripts from every college attended.

 

So I guess that means I shouldnt even bother applying to their program? I will continue to contact schools to see if they require a certain percentile or not for admission. 

To just be brutally honest, those scores are pretty bad. If you are trying to get into programs like Indiana, you should retake the GRE. You may be able to get into some less revered programs, but it may not be worth it depending on your major. 

[Square49]

4 minutes ago, Square49 said:

To just be brutally honest, those scores are pretty bad. If you are trying to get into programs like Indiana, you should retake the GRE. You may be able to get into some less revered programs, but it may not be worth it depending on your major. 

I just saw you're a psychology major. I am fairly certain that obtaining gainful employment is pretty difficult in psychology unless you attend a respected program. With that said, you should retake the GRE or just not bother applying. If you decide to retake it, study and study smart. The two things I would recommend is memorizing vocab words using Manhattan flash cards and going through the quantitative reasoning study guide on the ETS website. You may want to consider taking a class as well, as I imagine that would be the most effective way to study for the reading comprehension potions of the exam. 

[Black Beauty]

41 minutes ago, amara0714 said:

I will continue to contact schools to see if they require a certain percentile or not for admission. 

If their average percentiles are not listed on the schools' websites, I think it's a good idea to contact the other schools you're interested in. Do all of your schools require the GREs?

I would have suggested re-taking the GREs but only if you had adequate time to study. With applications due in less than a month, I do not think you have enough time to make a big difference on the scores you currently have.

Consider working for at least a year and studying for the GREs.