Undesirable GRE

[HadrianJones]

Hi all,

I took the GRE today and did not do very well.

Verbal: 670

Math: 490

Obviously the math is the section I'm very concerned about. I realize that the GRE is not a major, decision-deciding factor of the application, but that math score can only hurt me. I'm wondering just how much it could hurt me. I'm thankful that my low score is in math and not verbal, because I know that most history departments consider the verbal part more heavily than they do the math.

If it helps, I'm particularly interested in attending NYU.

Any insight into just how much that math score will hurt my application?

Much thanks.

[cooperstreet]

It'll hurt.

That math score is probably in the bottom third percentile, maybe lower. Thats pretty bad, and will raise a lot of red flags. Just work on improving it.

[StrangeLight]

i got 670 verbal on the GRE (and 690 quant) and NYU rejected me. wasn't invited to their student weekend, wasn't put on a waiting list. it was odd, considering the previous year i had been accepted to and funded for their joint journalism/latin american studies program. research-wise, NYU was one of the best fits for me, too. my GPA was 3.7 major, 4.0 overall. i'd say the things that probably killed my app were my languages (3 years of spanish at the time of applying, but in the middle of my first year of french), and a 670 verbal score might not have been high enough for them either.

the quant definitely is a red flag. 690 Q was only 70th percentile, and while 670 V is good (95th percentile for the year i took the test), it didn't seem to be good enough for NYU. granted, there were likely other things they didn't like about my application, but i don't think 670 V impressed them much.

[misterpat]

It'll hurt.

That math score is probably in the bottom third percentile, maybe lower. Thats pretty bad, and will raise a lot of red flags. Just work on improving it.

Half-true. It will hurt, but it's about 40th percentile, maybe a bit higher if I recall correctly.

i got 670 verbal on the GRE (and 690 quant) and NYU rejected me. wasn't invited to their student weekend, wasn't put on a waiting list. it was odd, considering the previous year i had been accepted to and funded for their joint journalism/latin american studies program. research-wise, NYU was one of the best fits for me, too. my GPA was 3.7 major, 4.0 overall. i'd say the things that probably killed my app were my languages (3 years of spanish at the time of applying, but in the middle of my first year of french), and a 670 verbal score might not have been high enough for them either.

the quant definitely is a red flag. 690 Q was only 70th percentile, and while 670 V is good (95th percentile for the year i took the test), it didn't seem to be good enough for NYU. granted, there were likely other things they didn't like about my application, but i don't think 670 V impressed them much.

Unless you've been explicitly told otherwise, I doubt your GREs did you in, and especially not the Quant section. The Quant percentiles are pretty skewed because of all the Engineers, Stats, Math, etc. folks that take the test. If you get an 800, you're only at 92nd percentile. Though scoring in the 700s is probably a plus, I doubt the folks at NYU History looked down their noses at you because you missed a handful of difficult geometry problems. It just doesn't make much sense since it's totally irrelevant to what you're going to be doing in the program. I would bet that they accepted at least a few people with lower GREs than you.

To the OP: I would re-take if you think you can score substantially higher.

[sankd]

OP never said what they got on the Writing portion, which is more relevant than the Quant. Hm.

[StrangeLight]

Unless you've been explicitly told otherwise, I doubt your GREs did you in, and especially not the Quant section. The Quant percentiles are pretty skewed because of all the Engineers, Stats, Math, etc. folks that take the test. If you get an 800, you're only at 92nd percentile. Though scoring in the 700s is probably a plus, I doubt the folks at NYU History looked down their noses at you because you missed a handful of difficult geometry problems. It just doesn't make much sense since it's totally irrelevant to what you're going to be doing in the program. I would bet that they accepted at least a few people with lower GREs than you.

To the OP: I would re-take if you think you can score substantially higher.

i meant that the OP's quant will be a red flag, not my own. and i'm not saying my GRE score kept me out, but NYU fit my profile better than most schools, so my GRE score wasn't enough to make up some other difference. does that make sense?

[Minnesotan]

OP never said what they got on the Writing portion, which is more relevant than the Quant. Hm.

I don't think anybody even looks at the writing section, unless it's disturbingly low (i.e. <4).

[kfed2020]

I got into top flight English programs this year with scores similar to yours. My Lit GRE scores sucked, as well; and so did those of some of my fellow incoming students. And my grades outside of my major were weak. I had a lot working against me.

Only, not really, because I worked hard to make sure my personal statement and writing sample demonstrated that I was very capable and a great fit for each program. Do what you can to convince the program that you're an intellectual fit and a capable scholar and your GRE scores won't matter quite as much.

They're not going to turn down someone with great potential to be a historian if that person happens to be bad at geometry. Academics aren't exactly well-rounded, themselves.

[misterpat]

I don't think anybody even looks at the writing section, unless it's disturbingly low (i.e. <4).

+1

[jrpk]

Half-true. It will hurt, but it's about 40th percentile, maybe a bit higher if I recall correctly.

To the OP: I would re-take if you think you can score substantially higher.

That's the 25th percentile. It's a red flag. Buy a GRE book, take lots of practice tests. I'm sure you can and will do significantly better on a re-take.