Low GRE-Very Anxious..Retake?

[Filmguy80]

I literally just finished my GRE.  I am a film/media studies major just to provide some background.  I got an slightly above average Verbal with a 156 and an abysmal Quantitative of 141.  I know that I will never use math in my field, at least not to the extent of others, so I've been told by my professors that admissions don't care about math.  However, is my Verbal too low?  Do I need to retake the GRE again, I stressed about this test for a month.  I don't know if I can handle three more weeks of it.  I would rather build the rest of my portfolio instead of flipping through GRE test prep books.  Any help would be great, I'm just panicking a little bit.

 

     

[AkashSky]

If you are really hedging on verbal, you should probably be trying to get into the 80'th percentile, which is around 160 i think.  As long as your other stuff is good, your somewhat above average GRE for verbal isn't going to hold you back, but its not actually helping you.

[GREMasterEMPOWERRichC]

Hi Filmguy80,

Based on your post, there are some 'unknowns' that you have to account for:

1) What Schools/Programs do you plan to apply to? Those Programs likely have websites with exactly the type of information that you're looking for.

2) The Professors who are offering you advice... Do they work in admissions (or have some type of intimate knowledge of what an Admissions Committee is looking for)? Or are they just offering a general opinion on your situation?

3) What are the application deadlines for the Programs that you're considering?

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

Rich

[Filmguy80]

Most of the programs say 152 Verbal is their benchmark.  Which I am above.  Some list Quantitative scores, but in communicating with them I can tell there is not a large emphasis put on those scores.  I have not gotten my writing score yet, so I am still unsure what to expect.  Yes, the professors have all worked in grad school admissions and are giving me advice based on experience.  My application deadlines begin in mid-December, so I have time to retake the GRE if I want to do so, so in that way I am not worried about not making my deadlines.

Thanks for the help, I am still unsure whether I will retake, but I do not believe those scores are reflective of my potential as a grad student. 

[GREMasterEMPOWERRichC]

Hi Filmguy80,

If you trust what your Professors have to say about Admissions, then have you considered running your overall application by them and asking for their suggestions? I would suspect that you'd get far more pointed advice by taking that route (compared with asking a group of faceless strangers here).

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

Rich