GRE Scores for PhD/ThD

[RD_Paul]

Hi all,

 

I'm applying to doctoral programs (Duke ThD/PhD, Notre Dame, Baylor, UVA, and Emory), and I'm wondering about my GRE scores, whether they're high enough as to not hurt my chances. 

 

My scores are 163 V, 156 Q, and 4.5 Writing. I feel good about the verbal (92nd percentile, I think), and Ok about the quantitative. But the writing seems like it certainly won't help me. I hated taking it, so I'm hoping that these are good enough. 

Anyway, what do you all think about these scores and their potential for hurting/helping my application? 

[Kuriakos]

Those seem perfectly adequate to me. I think my quant was a little lower than that and it didnt hurt me. I have heard that you should try to get at least a 5 on the Writing, but I doubt that .5 will matter much if the rest of your app is good.

[Kuriakos]

P.S. If you have questions about Baylor, feel free to PM me.

[sacklunch]

Those are fine. Keep em and move on to more important aspects of your application.

[marXian]

I agree. The writing is a hair low, but I don't think it will break your application, especially if your actual writing sample is stellar.

[RD_Paul]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I think I will take it and move on. Gladly.

[doobiebrothers]

GRE's don't make or break you, and your scores are fine. Good luck!

[mdiv2014]

agree w/ doobie. i heard long sitting chair of Harvard Divinity School ThD adcom say that GRE scores are way down on the list of what they look at.....

[newenglandshawn]

agree w/ doobie. i heard long sitting chair of Harvard Divinity School ThD adcom say that GRE scores are way down on the list of what they look at.....

 

There are many different factors in the whole process, of course, and one's GRE score is not either going to "make" or "break" one's acceptance, but in interacting with Stephen Chapman from Duke a lot recently, he definitely underscored the importance of the GRE. He said that in order for one to be highly competitive, he/she should get better than a 166 V and 155 Q. Of course, getting above this doesn't guarantee acceptance, nor does getting below it guarantee a rejection. But if one has lower scores than this, he/she will really need to shine in other areas of the application.

[theophany]

There are many different factors in the whole process, of course, and one's GRE score is not either going to "make" or "break" one's acceptance, but in interacting with Stephen Chapman from Duke a lot recently, he definitely underscored the importance of the GRE. He said that in order for one to be highly competitive, he/she should get better than a 166 V and 155 Q. Of course, getting above this doesn't guarantee acceptance, nor does getting below it guarantee a rejection. But if one has lower scores than this, he/she will really need to shine in other areas of the application.

 

That seems obscenely high. During my application process, I was told by everyone to shoot for 160+ V and not to bomb the Q or W.

Edited September 20, 2014 by theophany

[Greenwood16]

From what I've read all that matters is V: 16_ and Q:15_. 

[newenglandshawn]

I hear what you guys are saying! I'm just passing along what Chapman says as it relates to Duke (and, by extension, what he seemed to think about other Top Tier programs). This is exactly what he wrote:

 

"To be fully competitive in our applicant pool, you will likely need to score above those marks [166 v 155 Q] or come as close as possible to them. These are not official cut-offs, just expressions of my own sense about how the admissions process has tended to work in the past."

 

By the way, theophany, are you at Harvard? If so, were your scores in the 166/155 neighborhood? 

 

For what it's worth, I'm below those scores on both accounts - so we'll see! He told me that, given this reality, other parts of my application will need to be very good.

Edited September 20, 2014 by newenglandshawn