Worth taking a last minute shot at raising GRE scores?

[soc13]

Hey everyone,

So, I've posted about this before, but I'm finally hitting my stride of finishing up applications and feeling that panic of 'damn, I feel like my package is pretty solid, except for that GRE score.'  I know this is something a lot of other people experience, too.

So far, I've gotten great responses from professors I'm interested in working with at nearly every place I'm applying, but I just can't shake the feeling that I might not get admitted because of quantitative ability.  There have been a couple that inquired about GRE scores, but most didn't.

However, I know it's real, real, late in the game to be freaking about this.  At this point, with 12/1 and 12/15 deadlines, there's not a huge window to take the exam and get scores to places (assuming the score even went up if I could miraculously become a better mathematician and test-taker in a week).  Should I try anyway?

I'm applying to a range of schools, 1-2 top 10, mostly in the 10-35 range.  I'm only applying to programs that have professors that are an extremely good fit with my research interests. I've got an MPH, 3 years professional research experience (1 nonprofit, 2 at a firm), 3.8 GPA.  But... 151Q (45%). [verbal and AW are fine; 164/94% and 5.0/93%].

Thoughts?

[oranges]

If you're done with every other part of your application, I don't see why not. (Unless money is an issue.)

But, if you there's still room to polish your writing sample and/or your Statement of Purpose, you would be better off investing energy into that.

Unless, of course, you're a quant researcher. In which case you should stand to gain more from raising that GRE score. 

[oranges]

*Mistake DP

Edited November 11, 2015 by iemons

[gingin6789]

Are you coming straight from undergrad? Or are you applying with an MA?

How's your research experience? Does your writing sample demonstrate your abilities as a quantitative researcher?  Did you have good grades in stats, social stats, quant methods, etc?  If you have the actual quant experience and/or an MA, that could overshadow the low quant score.

We're pretty much score twins.  I got a 164 (V) and a 152 (Q).  I'm applying as is, but my programs range like 20s to 60s in terms of rank.

[soc13]

Thanks to both of you. Iemons, I think you are right and I'll spend a bit more time on my writing sample versus trying to cram. I am qualitative - mixed methods at best - but definitely not heading in with a quant methods focus in any stretch of the imagination. 

 

 

[Pennywise]

I would not worry about it for the first round of apps, but I personally would consider retaking it in the week after Christmas, and apply to a couple extra programs with deadlines in January or February. They're more flexible about documents than they say they will be. 

The thing about the quant section is that it's the easiest section to study for.  Like did you go through the Kaplan books? If you already prepped a lot and just didn't do well,  then maybe forget about it, since the rest of your app sounds so so strong. But if you didn't really prep, it might be worth going through a prep book or even hiring a tutor. 

 

[Pennywise]

Also, if you study a lot, take it in, say,  January,  and get that Q score up to the higher 150s or so, that would be something you could email to the admissions committee chair as an update to your application. I got into a top 15 soc program off the waitlist in part because I emailed the chair a new paper I had just submitted to a soc journal (which had been a weakness in my app). This whole process can get really messy for those of us who aren't obvious admissions or obvious rejections. 

Having said that,  I hope you're one of the early admissions and that my advice is totally irrelevant!