GRE: Digital Download...is ETS screwing us over more than we thought?

[shortstack51]

So, as I was obsessively checking over my application materials, I noticed that one of the schools I applied to listed, "GRE: received official scores, digital download." Has anyone else seen this? I have to assume that this means that GRE score reports aren't sent in hardcopy, or at least not all of the time. It took over a week for one of my GRE reports to make it to a school I applied to. Others, less than two days. And all for $25 a pop. If they don't even need to print them, why do we still get charged? Well, I suppose the obvious answer is that ETS is a for-profit testing company that will charge as much as it wants because you're forced to take their tests.

 

Is this something that everyone knew already and I'm just late to the party?

[driftlake]

My understanding based on conversations with ETS is that each school/program dictates whether a digital copy is acceptable or if a hard copy must be sent. As for the price, I can't comment. But I am curious, as one would expect that a digital download would cost less to send.

Edited February 12, 2014 by driftlake

[peachypie]

Yeah i knew that they typically send it in an electronic or disk form and they scores are on there.  I knew that it wasn't being given via hardcopy.  its just the nature of the beast,got to deal with it i guess.

[davidipse]

I don't understand why schools won't accept unofficial copies of the GRE score report (which you can download through your ETS online account), and then ask for an official score report if you're accepted—like how some schools process transcripts. Is there some legal contract between ETS and the universities?

Edited February 12, 2014 by davidipse

[jazzyd]

"Is ETS screwing us over more than we thought?"

 

Yes... the answer is always, "yes".

[Graditude]

"Is ETS screwing us over more than we thought?"

 

Yes... the answer is always, "yes".

 

My heart almost stopped when I got a DGS email after the deadline saying they never got my GRE scores. I was able to send the screen shot of the confirmed order from ETS a few weeks before the deadline, and I uploaded a scan of my unofficial score report, so it was all right -- but what did I pay them for?

[driftlake]

My heart almost stopped when I got a DGS email after the deadline saying they never got my GRE scores. I was able to send the screen shot of the confirmed order from ETS a few weeks before the deadline, and I uploaded a scan of my unofficial score report, so it was all right -- but what did I pay them for?

 This happened to me too! Glad I'm not the only one, and I'm glad you got it resolved. I imagine it might sound to a graduate program a little like "the dog ate my homework," you know?

Edited February 12, 2014 by driftlake

[shortstack51]

Yes, that happened to me as well! Thankfully the program said they would review my application anyway.

[WendyWonderland]

So, as I was obsessively checking over my application materials, I noticed that one of the schools I applied to listed, "GRE: received official scores, digital download." Has anyone else seen this? I have to assume that this means that GRE score reports aren't sent in hardcopy, or at least not all of the time. It took over a week for one of my GRE reports to make it to a school I applied to. Others, less than two days. And all for $25 a pop. If they don't even need to print them, why do we still get charged? Well, I suppose the obvious answer is that ETS is a for-profit testing company that will charge as much as it wants because you're forced to take their tests.

Is this something that everyone knew already and I'm just late to the party?

Here is my story, ETS charged me TWICE!

The first time I paid for 8 schools through Internet, they took the money but they did NOT send out the results!

Then I called, they said I should send it per phone and they would give me back the money for the first time. Guess what, they did NOT!

I checked my results page, they sent my results immediately after my phone call and then after some while, they sent my results again, so every school received 2 times my results.... That's was 200 dollars waste!!!!! grrrrrr!