Can good grades in quant-heavy classes balance out mediocre quant GRE?

[Elvidi]

I just re-took the GRE and raised my quant score by a disappointing 2 points (149/37th percentile to 151/45th percentile). This is somewhat to well below the average for top programs. Will it help my case that I've gotten an A or A- in macro, micro, stats and science courses (including an introductory physics course)? If so (or also if not, I suppose), is this something I should address in the "additional info" section of applications?

Thanks for the input!

[CakeTea]

Program coordinators look at quant work on your transcript to get full picture. Macro, micro, stats and science courses are relevant. Good grades certainly support your application. If you have a poet background, adcoms may understand that your verbal score is much higher than quant. You have a strong verbal score and GPA. You may need to apply to a mix of reach, target and safety school, check class stats. 

If I remember correctly, LSE doesn't require GRE for MSc Politics course at all. LSE looks more at GPA, apply in the early cycle before Christmas. GWU Global Comm is not very quant heavy. Most modules focus on writing and concepts in Comm. I saw stats for MA Comm at a public research uni and GRE V is in the low 150s. What study guide  did you use for GRE prep and how much study time did you invest. Self study or group? Good luck.

[Elvidi]

@CakeTea, thanks for the advice! I'm not too concerned about GW (average quant is 153), and I'm pretty sure the LSE program doesn't require scores, so I guess my main concern is Fletcher (the average there is minimum 60th percentile). Do you think this is something I should address in the space for additional information on the application?

Also, I did self-study using ETS/PowerPrep and Magoosh. I was scoring o.k. on practice tests but I think I just spooked a bit on test day 

[CakeTea]

I understand that exam anxiety happens. Yes, you should be fine for GWU and LSE. Fletcher is the stretch as your application asks the adcom to blink on your GRE Q. Basically you need to convince them that you can handle the quant course work. You can offset to some degree your GRE Q with high GPA, quant courses and quantitative at work if applicable. Show in your SoP that you have done quant work and performed well. If you look at the Fletcher admitted thread from previous yrs, how many admits with low 150s GRE Q score do you see?

[Elvidi]

Slightly delayed reply, but does anyone have advice for how to demonstrate quant skills in my application? Fletcher has so many aspects (SoP/Anecdote/Additional info/map your future, plus letters of rec), I'm not quite sure where the most useful place to include this would be. I'm not particularly close with any professors with a quant background, although my quant research methods professor is known to write recs for anyone who got a B or above in his class. The other options I would consider would be specifically addressing this in my "additional info" section or subtly mentioning the research paper I wrote for my quantitative research methods class (it was at least somewhat relevant to my research interests). 

Does anyone have thoughts? Thanks!

[shrimps]

One thing I've heard on three separate programs' blogs or videos this week is the idea of "building momentum." Instead of trying to pick the single best place to talk about your quantitative skills, think about how this can be demonstrated throughout your app. All of your grades in previous quant-heavy courses (which sound great!) are already on transcripts and are therefore part of the picture the AdComms will be looking at. If there's a part in any of your statements where it makes sense to mention either your previous research methods course or a specific interest in building those skills, I'd say go for it, but don't spend too much time on it or try to shoehorn it in if it doesn't naturally go with the flow of your statements. The additional optional essay is a great place to address your GRE score directly - lots of people don't test well, so acknowledging the low score while pointing to all your previous positive quant experience outside of the terrifying context of a test center seems like all you need to do.

Also, as far as Fletcher goes, remember that that 60th percentile is just an average! A full half of enrolled students scored lower than that, and in some cases, may have scored much lower. Echoing @CakeTea, AdComms are looking at a holistic picture. An interesting candidate with compelling things to say in their essay who has a low GRE quant score but other positive class experiences on record has much less to worry about than a totally bland candidate with higher test scores.