GRE scores not required, listing them on CV?

[mockturtle]

The CV is not a place for GRE scores, that I know. However, with an application in progress to a program that not only doesn't require the GRE, but claims to outright ignore any non-required documents that may be submitted, is there any harm (or value) in listing my scores somewhere on my CV? 

I doubt scores of any magnitude are likely to rock the boat very much for a department that doesn't even care enough to request them, but they're in the 93 - 98% percentiles, and I'm proud of them.

Would it be a feather in my cap, or just tacky?

[svent]

Who cares, just list them. It's not like you're going to have a dozen publications and awards to list if you're just an undergrad. And if you do, you won't have any trouble getting in anyway.

[brown_eyed_girl]

If they don't request scores and don't want additional materials, it seems like submitting them on your CV would at best do nothing and at worst be seen as irritating or unprofessional. I don't see what you have to gain by doing so. Further, if you're just writing in self-reported scores on the CV, who is to say that they're the real scores? (If you absolutely hate the thought of not submitting them, I'd submit official reports, with the knowledge that they'd probably be tossed by the admission committee.) I'd let this program make your admission decision based on the criteria they value - after all, if you did this well on the GRE, hopefully those skills & effort will come across on the rest of your app. And the scores will presumably be submitted to other programs where they will be weighed with the rest of the app. 

[svent]

The CV is a place to list your accomplishments. It's not unprofessional to list your accomplishments. Some people also think you shouldn't list your GPA, or foreign languages you know, or computer skills, or various other things. I say that's completely ridiculous.

[mockturtle]

The two of you have completely summed up my own personal conflict over this question, as it happens 

I'd definitely send in official reports if they didn't explicitly say on their website "Please DO NOT send us any unsolicited documentation". I'm afraid doing so in spite of that message would seem even more irritating and thoughtless than a spare line or two on my CV... As silly as it may be, I would almost hope that they'd see my self-reported scores on my CV and subsequently request an official copy (because they're just soooooo impressed, of course!!). But that's just optimism talking.

[fuzzylogician]

1 hour ago, svent said:

The CV is a place to list your accomplishments. It's not unprofessional to list your accomplishments. Some people also think you shouldn't list your GPA, or foreign languages you know, or computer skills, or various other things. I say that's completely ridiculous.

You are not required to list every accomplishment you've ever had. Sometimes you want to be selective so your best achievements are showcased and easy to find, instead of being drowned out by small/trivial things. My goal is always that each line makes me look stronger and more suited for whatever I'm applying for. Especially as the CV gets longer, some parts will get skimmed, at best. I want each line the reader happens to skim to be an important one. I don't want them to land on things that waste their time, and ignore important lines. 

It also depends on the stage of one's career, what the application is for, and what other documents are submitted with the application. At some (early, in my opinion) point, graduate students shouldn't list their GPA on their CV, unless of course the application asks for it. It's not like listing the GPA is a big misstep, just makes you look a bit out of touch or young. If languages and computer skills aren't relevant for the current application or degree the person is pursuing, they can easily look like padding. So, as a linguist I definitely have a 'languages' section, but most linguists do not have a 'computer skills' section, and that's perfectly fine. But again, if you want to say you are proficient at Word or whatever, go for it. That's probably not what's going to (not) get you the job/grant, because it's most likely just not relevant either way.

 

21 minutes ago, mockturtle said:

The two of you have completely summed up my own personal conflict over this question, as it happens 

I'd definitely send in official reports if they didn't explicitly say on their website "Please DO NOT send us any unsolicited documentation". I'm afraid doing so in spite of that message would seem even more irritating and thoughtless than a spare line or two on my CV... As silly as it may be, I would almost hope that they'd see my self-reported scores on my CV and subsequently request an official copy (because they're just soooooo impressed, of course!!). But that's just optimism talking.

I think the chance that they would see your self-report and ask for an official one is exactly 0. That said, I would probably not include it, but I don't think much will happen if you do. They don't want to see the scores because they apparently don't think they are a good indication of success in their program. Therefore, having a good score is not an indication of anything they care about. If you want to report something they don't care about, you could. They will just go ahead and ignore it. Some might be secretly impressed, others might wonder why you think it matters when they told you it doesn't -- both reactions seem equally likely to me, and both will likely not have a meaningful effect on your admissions chances. 

[svent]

18 minutes ago, fuzzylogician said:

You are not required to list every accomplishment you've ever had. Sometimes you want to be selective so your best achievements are showcased and easy to find, instead of being drowned out by small/trivial things. My goal is always that each line makes me look stronger and more suited for whatever I'm applying for. Especially as the CV gets longer, some parts will get skimmed, at best. I want each line the reader happens to skim to be an important one. I don't want them to land on things that waste their time, and ignore important lines.

Whether the GRE score is among the OP's most impressive accomplishments is not for me to say. But some people find it arrogant to mention exam scores, or any number of other accomplishments, and that's absolutely ridiculous.

[rising_star]

1 hour ago, mockturtle said:

I'd definitely send in official reports if they didn't explicitly say on their website "Please DO NOT send us any unsolicited documentation". 

Given this, why are you trying to slide in your GRE scores? It's pretty clear that this program doesn't want them. Not sending the official score reports but putting the scores on your CV is akin to giving them unsolicited documentation.

[mockturtle]

30 minutes ago, rising_star said:

Given this, why are you trying to slide in your GRE scores? It's pretty clear that this program doesn't want them. Not sending the official score reports but putting the scores on your CV is akin to giving them unsolicited documentation.

It's because adding an extra line on my CV seems a good bit less invasive, and because of the "eh, what's the worst that can happen?" at the back of my mind. I really just wanted a picture of exactly how obnoxious the extra information would be, weighed against the strength of my scores, and when presented in a way that doesn't demand a lot of extra attention in the way that an entire additional document likely would. And it seems like while opinions are at least somewhat split, including them would probably hurt more than it helps.

2 hours ago, fuzzylogician said:

I think the chance that they would see your self-report and ask for an official one is exactly 0. 

Haha, thank you, that's what I needed to hear. It makes me sad to leave out something that's supposed to be so positive, but I'll swallow my pride.

Edited November 15, 2015 by mockturtle