650 Verbal - History Phd

[lifetimestudent]

Is that high, low, or average for a history phd applicant? I really have no idea.... it would be pretty nice if the GradCafe folks offered a similar database to the applications one where people could enter their GRE scores so we could get some kind of aggregate data on what people who are applying to different fields are getting.

[ristastic]

I'm in a similar position- art history PhD, and I scored a 660 and a 630 on two GREs. I'm told that I should have gotten a 700 to be "very competitive," but also that mid-600s is pretty good also. I guess the main thing to remember is that your GRE scores are fairly low on the list of what's important for a strong application.

I second the database idea! Most of my frustrations with the GRE stem from the fact that no one really knows what adcoms look for, or what the expectations are for them.

[Nytusse]

Is that high, low, or average for a history phd applicant? I really have no idea.... it would be pretty nice if the GradCafe folks offered a similar database to the applications one where people could enter their GRE scores so we could get some kind of aggregate data on what people who are applying to different fields are getting.

The ETS website does maintain a breakdown of scores by discipline, although one must imagine that not everyone who takes the test actually applies, so the applicant average scores are likely higher.