I'm not sure if my GRE scores are good enough for these schools

[Just Jeff]

Hey, everyone.

 

So, I'm an English MA student at Cornell, and these are the PhD programs I am applying to:

 

- NYU

- Columbia

- Cornell

- CUNY

- UPenn

- Princeton

- Rutgers

- Stony Brook

- Temple

- George Washington

 

 

These are my GRE scores:

 

VERBAL: 154

QUANT: 144

ANALYTICAL: 5.0

 

 

Are my schools too far-fetched? I just can't seem to find any "easy" safety schools near my area. I want to stay near New York where my family and husband's family is.

[danieleWrites]

First: there is no such thing as a "safety" school. Just because everyone else agrees that some schools are lower in the hierarchy doesn't mean that these schools agree. They want the best scholars they can get, too. The number of people who got rejected by their "safety" schools equal the number of people who got rejected by their preferred school. A lot of people apply to the so-called mid-tier and low-tier programs, so it's not like you're competing for one of ten spots with three other people. You're competing with dozens.

 

Second, the schools should either list a minimum GRE they will consider, or if none, they're more interested in your writing sample. Most schools care more about your writing sample and SOP than the GRE. The Quant is pointless for English (seriously, pointless). The analytical only tells them if you suck rocks at basic essay writing (did you pass comp 1? If yes, then you got a decent grade on the analytical). And would you want to go to a program that cared more about your GRE score than writing sample? 'Cause the GRE only tests someone's ability to pass the GRE.

 

Third, you should apply to programs based on what you want to study. Location is a factor (I looked at no schools north of the Mason-Dixon line that weren't above 2500 ft above sea level), but if you can't show them how they're relevant to your interests and your research plans, you're not getting in. You're not going to get past the first round. Forget your GRE score and focus on the writing you're submitting and getting the best LOR out of your recommending professors. That means getting them the info they need to know to write that letter.

Edited November 17, 2013 by danieleWrites

[BunnyWantsaPhD]

You'll hear from many people on this forum that there's no such thing as an "easy" or "safety" school because you either fit with the program or you don't. So first and foremost, make sure that you fit with the department and make a strong claim for why/how in your SOP. 

 

As far as the scores go, most of the department websites will tell you how the scores factor in. Columbia for example says that the average applicant to their program has a score in the 95th percentile. I'm applying there too so I called and talked to the department and asked how much it was a factor and the reply was "we expect if you've gone to an American college that you should be able to obtain these higher scores, especially if you have an MA." Obviously at a place like Columbia, which is #4 in the US for English, they're going to care about numbers. Other programs, like SUNY Buffalo have a whole entire paragraph about how they are not number driven---BUT, then they state at the end that you must still have a combined GRE score of 313 to get funding (so not to get accepted, but to get an extra fellowship amount of 6000 a year in addition to the 13,000 that you get once you get accepted). So, even schools that claim to be not number driven will still make decisions on them. 

 

After careful research and talking to people on this forum, it seems like the general consensus is that you should have at least a 160 in verbal--most places care less about the quant score. The past couple times I've taken the GRE in the past few years, I've continually scored a 158, and I just didn't feel like it was good enough. I want to be able to apply to a school and know that my GRE scores aren't the factor for keeping me out. So, I just re-took it yesterday and focused on not feeling anxious--my test anxiety is what has made me fail in the past (or at least that was my theory). Yesterday when I took it I got a 162 on the verbal. And, I feel really good about it because I hope that it won't be keeping me out. I'm not trying to brag here; what I'm saying is that you want to make each part of your application strong. And, if you're hoping to get into such top ranked schools, you'll probably want to re-take it. Maybe it's worth taking a year off? I know that seems like a huge deal, and it is, but it could also be really great and help you get to where you want to be. 

 

Also, one more thing--some of these "lower schools" (depending on what you consider to be lower) still consider the GRE too. For example, I applied to a place that was ranked #63 and I got in but I didn't get funding. I talked to the DGS and he said it was basically because of my GRE scores (with so many great applications they had to make a decision somehow). So, I think it's a bad idea to think that GRE scores don't matter at all or that your other materials can make up for them. All of these programs are competitive; scores matter. 

 

(oops, I submitted my response at the same time as the above person so hence the repetitiveness!)

Edited November 17, 2013 by BunnyWantsaPhD

[makingmoves]

BunnyWantsa,

 

I posted this after I took the GRE: 

 

You said you focused on "not being anxious" and did much better. Can you tell me how you did that? My anxiety definitely got the best of me when I consider how much better I did on average during the practice tests.

[BunnyWantsaPhD]

I just actually replied to that post! 

[Seeking]

English has one of the largest number of applicants within the Humanities and hence, Verbal score may become relevant as a filtering out mechanism.

 

All the same, if you can demonstrate exceptional literary skills, you may be able to overcome the low Verbal score on the GRE. You need to make sure that your writing sample and personal statement are distinctive.

 

Columbia website says that typically, their successful applicants have their GRE scores in the 95th percentile. However, it also says that other parts of the application matter more than the test scores.

 

Since now it's too late to re-take the GRE, I would say make the rest of your application as best as you can and apply. You never know which way it will go.

[BunnyWantsaPhD]

Columbia website says that typically, their successful applicants have their GRE scores in the 95th percentile. However, it also says that other parts of the application matter more than the test scores.

 

Right, that's what their website says, but I talked to the department and they said that that basically means "you should have these scores too." Of course they have to be diplomatic about it on their webpage. It seems to me that the schools that list the average scores put more emphasis on them. A lot of other schools say things like "we do not list average scores because we do not consider it a significant  factor." Columbia basically says, "we get 600 applications a year. Most of the people who get in have these scores. Thus you should have these scores." 

 

I think it's good to be realistic--places that are in the top 10 especially, but hell, even the top 50, are competitive and number driven.