Scores are too old?

[Put a cat on it]

I'm applying to Lit PhD programs this fall, but my GRE scores will turn the big 5 in February 2015. Are they too old to use to apply? Is the five year rule when you apply or when you are accepted? I tried to see if any old posts would give me an answer, but I couldn't find anything.

 

Thanks muchly for the help.

 

 

 

 

[GeoDUDE!]

You should ask the departments you are applying to, they will know the best.

[Put a cat on it]

You should ask the departments you are applying to, they will know the best.

 

That will definitely be my next step. Here's hoping they all say yes.

[themmases]

My old GRE scores recently disappeared from my ETS account when they turned 5-- it's no longer an option to even send them. It makes sense to me that the scores can't be greater than 5 years old when you apply, anyway-- after you are accepted no one cares about them.

 

I would expect your department to care more about the fact that your scores are from the old GRE rather than the revised GRE, more than they would care whether your scores turn 5 next month or in February. Although there are concordance tables for converting an old score to a new score, they're still not as comparable to current scores which is the point of making people take the GRE in the first place.

 

All that said, if my old scores were really good I would definitely try to use them while I could unless a specific school directed me not to.

[Put a cat on it]

I think my project for today is emailing the schools to see what they say. I reallllllllllllllllly don't want to retake it, especially since I'm already taking the Lit Subject test, but if I have to, so be it.

[Put a cat on it]

Just an FYI to others: the schools I've contacted so far say my scores will be okay since they will still be valid when the applications are due (they expire in February 2015, but the apps are due either in December or January). So I'm just barely squeezing by, but that's fine with me!

[TakeruK]

As the OP discovered, the expiry date is when you are no longer able to send the scores, so as long as you send them before they expire, ETS will provide your school with the report. As others said, although ETS will send scores up to 5 years old, individual schools can have other requirements on score age, or they might not want to accept a score that will be expired during their decision period (which might go as late as March 2015). 

 

Some tips though:

 

1. Some schools will say it's okay to just unofficially report your score and they will only want to see the official ETS score report once you accept their offer. Since your scores will expire, you might want to send the official scores in advance anyways!

 

2. I experienced some problems with ETS score reports for one school where the school did not get the score. They asked me just send them a scanned copy of the test-taker's score report and only resubmit the official score if they accept me and I accept their offer. 

 

3. So, I don't know if you will automatically get a score report when you order them, but if not, make sure you order yourself at least one score report since after your score expire, ETS will no longer keep any record of the score and your copy will be the only one!! I just checked and my April 2009 Physics GRE scores are completely gone...as if they never existed (fine by me!).

[Put a cat on it]

As the OP discovered, the expiry date is when you are no longer able to send the scores, so as long as you send them before they expire, ETS will provide your school with the report. As others said, although ETS will send scores up to 5 years old, individual schools can have other requirements on score age, or they might not want to accept a score that will be expired during their decision period (which might go as late as March 2015). 

 

Some tips though:

 

1. Some schools will say it's okay to just unofficially report your score and they will only want to see the official ETS score report once you accept their offer. Since your scores will expire, you might want to send the official scores in advance anyways!

 

2. I experienced some problems with ETS score reports for one school where the school did not get the score. They asked me just send them a scanned copy of the test-taker's score report and only resubmit the official score if they accept me and I accept their offer. 

 

3. So, I don't know if you will automatically get a score report when you order them, but if not, make sure you order yourself at least one score report since after your score expire, ETS will no longer keep any record of the score and your copy will be the only one!! I just checked and my April 2009 Physics GRE scores are completely gone...as if they never existed (fine by me!).

 

I'm pretty sure I have an official copy of my scores in my files, but I will check because that's a good point. I don't think I realized that the scores aren't just expired but actually disappear off the face of the earth. I know I could just retake the test, but I'm cheap and if my old scores will work I'd rather just use them than not.

[TakeruK]

I'm pretty sure I have an official copy of my scores in my files, but I will check because that's a good point. I don't think I realized that the scores aren't just expired but actually disappear off the face of the earth. I know I could just retake the test, but I'm cheap and if my old scores will work I'd rather just use them than not.

 

Also, why put yourself through that pain again?

[fancypants09]

Bumping this thread...

 

Similar boat as the OP, except the dates are even closer. I took my GREs on December 18, 2009 and did very well. I did apply to a few MA programs for Fall 2010, but decided not to go after being accepted to all programs. This time around, I decided to apply to PhD programs in a different field. I checked the online instructions for all the programs to which I have now applied and every one of them had the generic "scores are valid for five years" language---in other words, none of the other variations mentioned above. Without thinking too much about it at the time of application, I just assumed that the "five years" meant five calendar years, and submitted my scores from the 2009 test. 

 

Of course it is only now with all the deadlines having past that I am thinking about this issue---whether something else was meant by the "five years" in the instructions. From what I have gathered from previous GC postings and the ETS website, the information is as follows: 

 

1. In my situation, the ETS "testing year" is the most generous: My scores would not expire until June 30, 2015. 

2. The next generous is the calendar year interpretation, which was the assumption under which I submitted my scores: Per this interpretation my scores would have been valid until December 31, 2014, long enough to clear the majority of my deadlines. (More on this below)

3. The next generous is the test date interpretation, which would lead to the conclusion that my scores would have been valid until December 17, 2014. Under this interpretation I just squeezed by, quite literally, for my December 15 deadlines---just thanking the stars that I didn't take my GREs any earlier.

 

I did have an application due on January 2, 2015, and unless the schools go by the ETS calendar in determining expiry, I'm afraid that I've lost that one...one of the other departments at that school mentioned that the GSAS would consider all "non-expired" scores, which I think is in reference to the ETS calendar...

 

Worth calling departments to find out?

[fancypants09]

OK, FWIW here are the results from calling ETS and my top choice program: 

 

ETS says that the scores are "good" for five years after your testing year. To clarify, since everyone's lingo is different: Being "good" or "valid" means that ETS still has your scores on file and that you can send an official report of them to the schools of your choice. Being "expired" or "purged" means that your scores are no longer on the ETS database and that you can't send an official report to the schools from ETS. 

 

So, in my case ETS said that my scores would be "good" until June 30 2015; afterwards, my scores would be "purged," or "expired." 

 

I called my top choice program, which had very vague language on their admissions website about the scores being valid for five years only. The lady who answered my call basically answered my question with, "whatever ETS said." Of course she said something to the effect of, isn't it too late for you to be asking this question but seriously people is it too much to ask for you to confirm or deny a simple question?