tskinner Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 I just got back from my GRE test and got the following score. The percentiles are taken from Wikipedia...I won't get the actual numbers until later: V: 600 (85%) Q: 780 (90%) I am pretty sure I'll get a 6.0 on the AWA (I did when I took the GMAT, and I know that my essays were good). My other stats are: Concurrent Degrees: BA International Affairs and Commerce BS Applied Economics GPA: 3.6 (with a strong upward trend ) Study Abroad in Japan for a Semester Nothing less than an A in all of my ECON courses. Will have taken all three calculus courses offered (I've gotten an A in calc 1 and probably will in calc 2 too) My school is a small private known pretty well in IR (University of the Pacific: School of Int'l Studies) but isn't the most prestigious institution. My advisors are telling me to apply to the top programs (Berkeley, Stanford, Harvard, Yale, UCSD, UCLA). They think I can get in, but now I'm worried about my Verbal score. Should I cram and take the GRE again, or is my time better spent focusing on my SOP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cogneuroforfun Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 Focus on your SOP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cckrspnl56 Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Can you get in what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natofone Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 I wouldn't worry about it. The math is the most important part and you did great on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readeatsleep Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 really? math is more important than verbal? i kind of doubt it. maybe if you are going into quantitative analysis, but i think verbal is at least equally important. ...or am i wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Higgins Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Both GRE scores matter, but the cutoff (at a top 10 ish department) for using the GRE to weed out applications is higher for math (700ish) than for verbal (600ish) So the OP is above the bar on both fronts, and a higher math score can - in most places - make up for a lower verbal score more easily than vice versa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natofone Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 The math is definitely more important than the verbal almost everywhere. I talked with a few profs at my MA institution (good theory/qualitative place - weak quant) and they all said that when they are on adcoms, the math is really what they're looking at when it comes to the GRE. You met the minimum cutoff and your verbal score isn't low enough to raise any flags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tskinner Posted October 8, 2009 Author Share Posted October 8, 2009 Thanks for all the advice! Sorry I didn't post that I was looking for programs in International and Comparative Politics with a focus on conflict and security. I'll be working on my SOP this weekend, and I'll probably share it here for some more feedback! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polisciphd Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Your scores are solid, focus energy on other parts of your application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziz Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 really? math is more important than verbal? i kind of doubt it. maybe if you are going into quantitative analysis, but i think verbal is at least equally important. ...or am i wrong? I'm hoping that maybe us theorists are exempt! :S Mine was far from terrible (720) but it's also not a tip top score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Higgins Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Ziz, a 720 is quite a solid score. And it is less of an issue at the non-US schools you list. I wouldn't lose sleep over the GREs if I were you. I'm hoping that maybe us theorists are exempt! :S Mine was far from terrible (720) but it's also not a tip top score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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