GRE Scores

[Ken5566]

I am planning to apply to some Art History PhD programs in the US. I just took the GRE test today, and got unofficial scores of 154 in verbal and 161 in math. I am worried about my verbal score. It seems pretty average for a Humanities student to get a score of 154. I fear that I may not be able to stand out among other applicants. Should I retake the test in late-sept or early-oct? Or should I just focus on other parts of my application? Also, i don't know if it is related, but English is not my first language. I, however, know 3 ither languages. Can my language ability cover my rather poor verbal result? Thanks!!!! 

[condivi]

Your efforts are better spent writing a really good personal statement and writing sample. Your GRE scores matter the least in the application process, and your verbal score is not so bad so I wouldn't worry so much about it.

[Kamelima]

Hey it is so interesting to hear about this, I´m an international applicant for a Phd in Art history as well, and I will take my GRE at the end of october. I`m pretty terrefied. Was it hard? Where did you take it and where are you from, if you do not mind me asking. Are you appling with a BA or with a MA? And what is you field of interest?

[theartman1193]

I would argue the GRE is more of an "endurance" test, above all.  How long can you stare at a computer screen for to check off tiny boxes?  The programs I applied too didn't seem to care very much about the GRE.  Though, there are a few ivy league institutions that claim they like to see scores above 165 on verbal....

[MaytheSchwartzBeWithYou]

I agree with theartman. :-)  What was your score on the written portion, may I ask? Of the three sections (if ANY of them are useful to an adcomm), I would say that's the most important because it shows your ability to reason, understand information and form a solid thesis statement and argument. I was terrified of the written portion at first, since I'm an anxious test-taker, but if you practice the writing ahead of time it just sort of happens automatically when you have to do it for real.

For anyone who hasn't taken the test, I would highly recommend downloading the list of potential topics from the GRE website and challenging yourself to write a full essay (including a quick pre-writing outline) within the time limit. If you do 2-4 of these a day for a few weeks before the test, you should feel a lot better!

[Joan Callamezzo]

I disagree with theSchwartz. I have heard from extremely reputable sources at multiple schools that the written scores are even less important than the math scores. The GRE's scoring system for the writing portion is extremely formulaic. A bad writer who has read the review books and learns the pattern the scorers are looking for will get a higher score than a superior writer who didn't buy the book and isn't familiar with the formula. It's a pretty clear cut scam to get people to buy the ETS books. 

 

[Ken5566]

Hi guys, 
Sorry for my late reply! To offer an update, I got a 4.0 in AW. I also plan to give another shot at GRE to improve my scores. 

[random_grad]

if you have time and money - sure, try again. but in general nobody seems to care in art history. none of my LoR writers asked about my scores and laughed the matter off. I've read somewhere that they are more strict for verbal scores of non-native speakers, but I guess this applies to the really low scores. is your TOEFL good?

 

[MaytheSchwartzBeWithYou]

I disagree with theSchwartz. I have heard from extremely reputable sources at multiple schools that the written scores are even less important than the math scores. The GRE's scoring system for the writing portion is extremely formulaic. A bad writer who has read the review books and learns the pattern the scorers are looking for will get a higher score than a superior writer who didn't buy the book and isn't familiar with the formula. It's a pretty clear cut scam to get people to buy the ETS books. 

 

Yes, that's why I said "if ANY of them are useful to an adcomm."  :-)

I've personally heard/read specifically that math scores are completely ignored, so - I suppose it depends on your sources.

Either way, the GRE is by far one of the least important components of your application, with few school exceptions. I was simply trying to offer encouragement to the OP and anyone who hasn't taken the test. I also didn't have to buy an ETS book to practice the written part of the exam - you can download the topics directly off the ETS website for free.