Should I send in my second GRE score?

[BioChallenger12]

Hi! I am applying to masters programs in biology. My applications to grad schools are already submitted with my first GRE score. I retook the GRE again and am debating if I should send in my second GRE score. I don't know if grad school admissions superscore from different test dates. Here are the scores. 

1st GRE score - Verbal: 149 (41st percentile), Quantitative: 152 (48th percentile), & AW: 3.5 (38th percentile)

2nd GRE score - Verbal: 146 (29th percentile) Bummer! , Quantitative: 155 (60th percentile) , & AW: 4.5 (80th percentile)

Quick background: Spanish is my first language, so my verbal scores are always going to be low. Happened on both SAT and ACT readings sections. It is almost impossible for me to improve on my verbal section. I do have a very strong research experience, strong personal statement & resume, excellent LORs including one from my PI, and a GPA of ~3.4 from a highly regarded public university (top 20 research university by NSF). Most bio profs told me that GRE is definitely among the least important factors in the applications for bio programs. A lot of people told me that I still have a shot at top grad school programs that I applied to despite my GRE score. Anyways, should I send in the 2nd GRE score? My fear is that admissions will see my verbal score fall significantly on the second test. Thanks!

[Raul gonzalez]

If you don't mind asking you what universities did you apply for ? Only then I can tell you if it is worth to send your 2nd GRE score.

[LIMeqCMB]

16 hours ago, SwimmerBio12 said:

Hi! I am applying to masters programs in biology. My applications to grad schools are already submitted with my first GRE score. I retook the GRE again and am debating if I should send in my second GRE score. I don't know if grad school admissions superscore from different test dates. Here are the scores. 

1st GRE score - Verbal: 149 (41st percentile), Quantitative: 152 (48th percentile), & AW: 3.5 (38th percentile)

2nd GRE score - Verbal: 146 (29th percentile) Bummer! , Quantitative: 155 (60th percentile) , & AW: 4.5 (80th percentile)

Quick background: Spanish is my first language, so my verbal scores are always going to be low. Happened on both SAT and ACT readings sections. It is almost impossible for me to improve on my verbal section. I do have a very strong research experience, strong personal statement & resume, excellent LORs including one from my PI, and a GPA of ~3.4 from a highly regarded public university (top 20 research university by NSF). Most bio profs told me that GRE is definitely among the least important factors in the applications for bio programs. A lot of people told me that I still have a shot at top grad school programs that I applied to despite my GRE score. Anyways, should I send in the 2nd GRE score? My fear is that admissions will see my verbal score fall significantly on the second test. Thanks!

I've heard the same things (I'm chem but still) about the GRE, that it is perhaps the least important factor when you have research experience, strong personal statements, and great LORs. But it can still be worrisome and I'm guilty of fretting over mine too.

Whether you submit these scores depends on the programs to which you are applying. Across the board, the sciences place more emphasis on the quantitative section (at least that is what I've heard from faculty and other students; whether you want to believe this is up to you!). Moreover, because your AW also went up, it shows an improvement in a score that is supposed to reflect how you reason and can present an argument. Both quantitative skills and reasoning are more important, I think, than verbal reasoning. Does your application reflect that Spanish is your first language? (All of my apps asked about language skills.) To me, the jumps from 48th to 60th and 38th to 80th are much more significant than the drop in the verbal. Therefore, I would say that because you have improvement (especially below 50th to above) in the most important or interesting aspects of the GRE, submit!

Also, in hopes of alleviating some stress... I scored low (below 35th percentile) on my GRE subject test for chem, but I still got (unofficially, hurry up official letter!) accepted to Caltech. Evidence that the GREs can't be that important when you have strengths like research and LORs.

Good luck!!

Edited January 11, 2016 by LIMeqCMB

[BioChallenger12]

Hi! I am applying to Notre Dame (MS Biology), Michigan (MS Molecular Bio), Virginia Tech (MS), UT Dallas, UT Health Science Center San Antonio, and several other programs that should be able to go into. Hope this helps! I probably should contact grad schools to see if they super score. That would be nice. Yes, my apps did ask if I know other languages. I already indicated that Spanish was my first language.

[SLPgradstudent]

I think the best way to find out is to contact each school to ask what they look at for GRE scores.  Some schools do look at the highest score from each section, regardless of whether those sections all came from the same testing session.  I don't know that all schools do though, so you want to call or email each program to find out.  However, even if you don't (or can't) get this information from the programs, I would imagine that bio programs generally would be much more interested in the Quant section (and maybe AW) than Verbal.  Because you significantly boosted those scores, I would go ahead and send the new scores to the schools.  I doubt it would hurt your admissions chances, if anything I would expect it to help!  Particularly since your first language is Spanish, not English, I don't think schools will hold the lower verbal score against you.

Best of luck!

[BioChallenger12]

That's what I'll do. I'll contact each school and see what their policy on multiple GRE scores. Most people told me that I should go ahead and send the second scores in since there is tremendous improvement in Q & AW. It was just a bad test day with V. Thanks!

Btw I just received my first grad school acceptance to a MS Biology program! Really excited!  Hopefully more acceptances to come!