Please help! Omitting taking GRE

[kmizter]

I am applying to UCL (London, England) I have taken the GRE, but would prefer not to report my scores, since they are not a mandatory requirement for the application. Even if you 'check' the box that says "taken GRE" they ask for your unofficial scores and no official score report. Is it considered fraudulent to check 'no' when in fact you have written the GRE? Note: there is a declaration at the end of the application that states that if you haven't filled it out completely honestly your application can be terminated. 

 

Any advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

[gellert]

Yes, it is fraudulent.

[TakeMyCoffeeBlack]

There's no way to skip uploading the scores? Why don't you e-mail the program and ask if there's a way you can exclude them?

[kmizter]

There's no way to skip uploading the scores? Why don't you e-mail the program and ask if there's a way you can exclude them?

 

 

Only if you leave the box unchecked! But you're right, I should probably just do that. Thank you. 

[NoSleepTilBreuckelen]

I agree with the previous poster. I think f you get permission from someone in the program/admissions it'd be okay and you could sign the honesty statement with peace of mind.

[TakeruK]

For the programs where I did not wish to report GRE scores, I just did not check the box (even though I did take the test).

 

I don't think this is fraudulent or unethical. My reasoning is that since the score reporting is optional, if I choose not to report the score then they have no reason to ask me if I took the test. In other words, I interpreted the box "I have taken the GRE" to mean "I have taken the GRE and wish to report my score". With the wording of most honesty statement, I do not think it is fraudulent to not report something irrelevant to the application. In my opinion, the school does not have a right to know whether or not you took the GRE if they don't require your score report.

 

This is just my opinion and if you want the safest possible route, then definitely go with what the above posters said and ask what to do. Or you can leave the box unchecked and add that you did take the GRE and wish to not report the scores in applications that have a box for "any other information?" in the last page.

 

Finally, an anecdote: One school did not require the subject GRE score so I did not check that I took the test (I actually took it twice). However, there was a problem with my General GRE score submission via ETS so they asked if I could scan a copy of my examinee score report for them so that they can make an admission decision while they sort out the score report thing with ETS. The examinee score report lists all the tests you've taken (subject and general) and also the other schools that received your scores! I did not want them to know this information so I printed out the report, covered the sensitive information (other schools, subject GRE scores) with paper and rescanned the thing. I did this in an obvious way and even added a note on the PDF letting them know the nature of the material I blocked out. I still got accepted at the school, and no one ever mentioned or asked about my subject GRE scores at all. 

[silver_lining]

I agree with TakeruK on this. I took the LSAT when I was a sophomore, but I didn't report it to schools (I even answered "no" where it was asked if I took it. I got a 170 so nothing to be ashamed of). I do not feel guilty because I interpreted the question similar to TAKEruK. I also covered up portions of my GRE score report. I guess this may mean I will go to hell, but I will deal with that then. 

Edited December 12, 2013 by luckyducky

[kmizter]

For anyone who is interested in knowing this themselves I emailed the admissions and they actually said it was PERFECTLY FINE to omit my scores, since it is not a formal requirement for any of the programs! Hope this helps.

[TakeruK]

Thanks for updating everyone