Failed Quantitative Section / Computer Science Master

[mikoloki]

Hello,

 

I took the GRE yesterday and made a very stupid mistake on the second quant section: I skipped three questions, got stuck on the very last one and basically forgot about the three I still had to answer. In the end I had to guess more or less. My final score is still not really bad with 162, but it's not exceptional either. The Verbal turned out really well with 168 though.

 

Does this significantly reduce my chances of admission to a top Computer Science program? I was planning to go to Columbia.

Or can I make it up with the high verbal score and a high GPA (I haven't converted it yet, but it should be 3.8 or 3.9).

 

I know this is a very tentative question, but maybe some of you can offer some insight into that matter.

 

Thanks,

 

Miko

Edited January 20, 2015 by mikoloki

[btsulliv]

Those scores are probably fine (especially with your high GPA), but if you think you can do better then retaking may be a reasonable option. The first time I took the GRE I got a 170V and 164Q, but I still decided to take it again because (1) quant is more important than verbal in my field (Engineering), (2) I needed to mitigate a poor undergraduate GPA, and (3) I made a serious goof on quant akin to your own the first time I took it. The second time around I was lucky enough to score 167V and 170Q, so for me it was absolutely worth it to take the exam a second time. If you have enough time before your deadlines and an identifiable reason to think you can do better, I think you should cram hard with a math workbook and take it again to improve your chances.

Edited January 21, 2015 by btsulliv