Essays available to schools?

[ShadowCat]

Hello All,

 

I first took the GRE in 2012 and am planning on re-taking it this August. I read on the ETS website that for tests taken after July 1, 2014 the essay responses will be available to designated score recipients. I don't know about you, but that bit of information completely changes the way I will approach the analytical writing section this time around. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I remember when I took it previously, one of the questions was politically charged - will admissions committees reading these essays see them merely as essay exercises, or as glimpses into our personalities and positions? 

 

Last time I took the test I ended up arguing a position that was not what I personally believed because I thought it would be easier to defend using the preferred GRE essay format. Should I avoid that tactic this time around? 

 

And to anyone who knows about how institutions receive scores: the ETS website mentions a "portal" through which the essays can be accessed by institutions. Is this the same way that institutions receive scores, or is this an extra step that admissions committees would have to go through? Do admissions committees really read these essays?

 

Here is the link to the ETS page: http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/scores/?WT.ac=grehome_grescores_150213

 

Here is the relevant text from the ETS page:

 

 

In late 2014, ETS will make test-taker photos and essay responses on the Analytical Writing section available to designated score recipients as part of an institutional portal that we are launching. Photos and Analytical Writing essay responses of all individuals who report their scores to institutions on or after July 1, 2014, will be included in the portal when it is launched. In the portal, the photo and essay responses from each revised General Test administration you select from your five-year reportable history will be made available as part of your score record to the institutions you designated to receive your scores on or after July 1, 2014.

 

[MathCat]

I can't imagine most adcomms would care enough to look up the essays, except in certain circumstances or fields. I could imagine some might look if there appears to be fraud, for example a very different level of English proficiency indicated in the AW score vs. SOP or communications they've had, but I know a lot of fields really don't care that much about the AW section except as a possible indicator of English proficiency. I wouldn't worry too much about it - write the essay that you feel will get you the best score. I doubt they'll read it!

[svent]

Test-taker photos?

[MathCat]

Test-taker photos?

When I wrote the GRE (computer-based, not sure if they do it for the paper test centres), they took my photo with a webcam before I started. It's part of ensuring there isn't fraud. I guess now schools can look and make sure the person who wrote the test is actually the person they've met, if there's doubt after admission or something.

[svent]

That's pretty creepy if it occurs during the application process. I don't remember if they even took my photo at the prometric center.

[GREMasterEMPOWERRichC]

Hi ShadowCat,

 

Grad School Admissions Officers really don't have time to read the GRE essays of every applicant who they are considering for an invitation to attend School. However, as MathCat noted, there are those applicants who might attempt to 'game' the system a bit - they will hire a 'service' to write their application essays/personal statements/etc. and THAT is fraudulent activity. Grad Schools CAN access an applicant's GRE Essays to use as a basis for comparison (to confirm that the person who wrote the GRE Essays is the same person who wrote the application essays), but it's not likely that this happens too often (and it's highly unlikely that your views on an Argument or Issue Essay would be used against you, so you shouldn't be concerned about it).

 

GRE Masters aren't born, they're made,

Rich

[ShadowCat]

Thanks MathCat and Rich - that makes me feel a little less paranoid! 

[TakeruK]

If I recall correctly, test taker photos were only required for some testing centers when I took the GRE. But now, I think it's standard procedure. I think it's a little weird, since the graduate school reviewing your application is not going to be able to use these photos as proof of anything, since most US schools do not require you to submit a photo with your application (maybe for programs with interviews, they can verify your identity in this way). But I know ETS does administer a lot of other tests and maybe they found it was easiest if they used the same protocol throughout all of their tests.

 

I think my General GRE testing experience was the highest amount of security I had ever had to submit to, even more than entering foreign countries, and even the United States!

 

I also think it's weird/hilarious how little security there exists at the GRE Subject Test sessions compared to the General GRE!

[MathCat]

If I recall correctly, test taker photos were only required for some testing centers when I took the GRE. But now, I think it's standard procedure. I think it's a little weird, since the graduate school reviewing your application is not going to be able to use these photos as proof of anything, since most US schools do not require you to submit a photo with your application (maybe for programs with interviews, they can verify your identity in this way). But I know ETS does administer a lot of other tests and maybe they found it was easiest if they used the same protocol throughout all of their tests.

 

I think my General GRE testing experience was the highest amount of security I had ever had to submit to, even more than entering foreign countries, and even the United States!

 

I also think it's weird/hilarious how little security there exists at the GRE Subject Test sessions compared to the General GRE!

One thing is that the graduate schools could notice you don't match your picture if there is reason to look after you've enrolled. Maybe it's just ETS wanting it for their own purposes, I'm not sure.

 

The level of security at the Prometric test centres is kind of ridiculous. At that point it was the highest security experience of my life as well. I've since been the lucky randomly selected recipient of the full TSA experience, and despite it being more intense, the TSA agents' professionalism actually made that more pleasant than the GRE experience.... And yes, the contrast with the nearly nonexistent security at the subject tests is bizarre.