Just took the GRE: The "should I even bother" thread.

[SocGirl2013]

I know, I know these are very annoying. I am just crushed because I did AWFUL in quant (and the sad thing is, I think it reflects my quant abilities accurately) 149Q/159V.

I don't have enough time to retake + I prepped HARDCORE for Math, used Magoosh, etc so I doubt it'll be very different the second time round. I am applying to Columbia, Cornell, Irvine, NYU, BC, Rutgers, Binghamton and Stony Brook. Which of these should I not even bother with, in all honesty? I could save me some bucks.

 

 

[RandomDood]

I am sorry you feel this way.

I am not sure I feel entirely comfortable telling you that you definitely should not apply to certain programs - there is always a chance, you can never know. But if you want brutal pragmatism - which seems to me is what you are looking for here - I would scratch Columbia, Cornell and NYU off the list. Irvine too perhaps.

Don't let yourself down though; work on making the rest of your application as strong as possible (in particular, work on your personal statement, write as many drafts as you can, I have learned the hard way that it is perhaps the single most important part of an application package). Also, consider applying to a few extra schools in order to compensate for the ones you end up scratching off the list.

 

Good luck!

[iphi]

Is the rest of your application strong? Can you point to high achievement in other stats/math courses? If the answer is yes, I think you should keep these schools on your list. Some schools I've seen ask for you to "explain" a low score or grade. Say, "despite my poor quant score, I have proved that I am capable of higher level statistical/mathematical/whatever work because of my high grade in STATS 400 as evidenced by my transcript from School XYZ".

 

Really don't despiar!

[mybattleship]

I don't think you ought to bother applying to Columbia, NYU, Cornell, or Irvine. If you really want to be in aPhD program net year, take a look around and see what other schools you see that interest you. There are plenty of great programs out there that have a lesser rank, are less competitive, but still offer great educations with excellent placement rates. For example, my partner is in a top 30 anthropology program that places 90% of there graduates in tenure track positions or NGOs. The other 10% took a different path on their own volition. I should also mention that my partner had lower GRE scores than yours.

[SocGirl2013]

Thanks for the honest opinion guys. I think I am definitely getting rid of NYU and Cornell. Columbia I'll just shoot for, just because it's my top choice and I know I won't get in but I'll regret not applying.

A few of you mentioned Irvine. I should explain my situation there. My POI saw my conference presentation and is very interested in having me as an advisee. This was before I bombed the GRE, however, so that must change things. I am not sure about applying there it's a very confusing situation. :/

[Today12345]

You don't have to take my advise, but I respectfully disagree with the people that said that you should not apply to certain schools based on your GRE alone.  If you have other things going for you (publications, presentations, outstanding GPA, strong SOP and LOR), then apply.  Programs do look at applicants holistically and sociology programs would be more concerned about your verbal score, which isn't too bad.

 

In this process, people are going to tell you want they think you should do. Think carefully before taking suggestions.  Good luck!

[RefurbedScientist]

The quant score isn't abysmal. I was in the area of 152 (converted from the old scale) for quant and was accepted at several of the top programs you mention. My verbal was much higher though, which may have compensated somewhat. Are you an international student or first generation college student? 

 

Even if you decide to drop NYU and Columbia, I think you should keep Irvine. It's a very competitive program, but they may get a smaller total number of applicants than the New York schools. Plus if you have the POI connect, then it's always worth a shot. Also, if you can afford to throw away the $80 application fee or whatever it is, there's no harm in applying. 

[jacib]

Look, they're lower.  They're definitely in the low range for top schools.  But they're certainly not out of the range of Irvine.  And maybe not even for NYU, Cornell, and Columbia.  Those three are private universities, which tend to have less stringent university wide requirements (if any) for GRE scores, so if they really want you, they have the option of taking you in, however likely that is.  I'm sure you read FertMigMort's post pinned to the top of the forum--look at what she says about GRE's and her school (I don't remember exactly where she goes, but I think it's a top 25 public school).  My dad is a sociology professor, and when I applied, he checked with some of his colleagues about what scores they looked for.  I posted their responses 590 V - 620Q isn't great, but it's not on the absolute low end.  I agree, it makes Columbia, Cornell, and NYU unlikely, but I don't think impossible if other parts of your application are superlative or you're a particularly excellent match there.

 

Anyway, regardless of all that, for me, it definitely was "Which is worth more: knowing for sure or $100?"  I generally thought knowing for sure was worth the price of trying.  There was at least one school I applied to that I didn't really think I had much of a chance of getting into (poor match).  I applied anyway, and it was probably a waste of money, but it decreased my worries so I think it was well worth my $100 at a stressful time.

[SocInTheCity]

I definitely wouldn't say you "bombed." Look at the results section for Sociology.  Some students are rejected with scores of 165/165 while others get in with 153/157.

 

Fit is key.  Of course, there are going to be cut offs that departments don't post on the web, but in all honesty...they really are looking for a package.

 

Good luck!

[SocGirl2013]

Thank you all so much for the valuable and encouraging advice!

[gilbertrollins]

Those scores likely aren't low enough to exclude you from first-pile competition at any of the universities you mentioned.  It's hard to overstate how bad the GRE results of sociology applicants are.  If you have a strong package otherwise, shoot at as many programs as you can afford.

[SocGirl2013]

^Thank you, that's very encouraging!

 

Also, I got my AWA scores back and does the 5 there (93%) make any positive difference at all (does anyone care about AWA unless they are magnificiently low?) given that I plan on qualitative, historic/comparative research?

[gilbertrollins]

Most of what I heard is that nobody cares about the AWA because they're general audience essays graded by, first a computer, then PhD English students.

[gilbertrollins]

Your verbal is definitely strong enough for the cut, and I really have no idea how sociology programs look at the quant score, but my sense is that sociologists use it as a generalized proxy for analytical reasoning more than anything, considering the low demands of baseline quant training in soc programs.