Do I Need to Retake the GRE?

[emppeng27]

So just got back from the GRE: 660V, 590Q. That is not where I'd like them to be, particularly the Qaunt score, but I'm wondering if it is worth it to drop another $150 on a retake. I didn't study at all for the exam so I'm quite confident I could score higher if I exert a little effort.

Targeting for Security Studies: SAIS, Fletcher, HKS, DU Korbel, SIPA

Me:

Undergrad at Top-20 University

Majors in History (Honors) and Economics

3.85 GPA/ 3.9 for Majors

3 yrs exp as naval officer w/OIF participation

1 year of world travel

Strong LORs

Can my work exp and GPA make up for the subpar GRE scores or should I open the wallet again and buckle down with a study guide? Thanks.

[riz1]

I think a retake would be in your best interests. How long ago did you finish undergrad? That makes a difference as well.

[emppeng27]

Currently four and half years out of undergrad.

[greendiplomat]

So just got back from the GRE: 660V, 590Q. That is not where I'd like them to be, particularly the Qaunt score, but I'm wondering if it is worth it to drop another $150 on a retake. I didn't study at all for the exam so I'm quite confident I could score higher if I exert a little effort.

Targeting for Security Studies: SAIS, Fletcher, HKS, DU Korbel, SIPA

Me:

Undergrad at Top-20 University

Majors in History (Honors) and Economics

3.85 GPA/ 3.9 for Majors

3 yrs exp as naval officer w/OIF participation

1 year of world travel

Strong LORs

Can my work exp and GPA make up for the subpar GRE scores or should I open the wallet again and buckle down with a study guide? Thanks.

If you have a 3.85 from a top-20 university, I don't think that you necessarily *need* to retake the GREs (especially since your scores aren't bad; they're just not great). If, however, you have a bit of time/money on your hands, you may as well, since it seems like you could improve your scores by quite a bit. I would more strongly advise retaking it, though, if you don't have much quantitative coursework (in order to 'prove' your abilities in that area).

Edited November 17, 2009 by greendiplomat

[Current Korbel Student]

If you have a 3.85 from a top-20 university, I don't think that you necessarily *need* to retake the GREs (especially since your scores aren't bad; they're just not great). If, however, you have a bit of time/money on your hands, you may as well, since it seems like you could improve your scores by quite a bit. I would more strongly advise retaking it, though, if you don't have much quantitative coursework (in order to 'prove' your abilities in that area).

Your verbal is excellent, your quantitative a bit low but I was in the exact same situation you're in when I applied last year and my scores got me into both Korbel and Fletcher. Retaking the test or not is really a personal decision but to be quite honest the schools to which you're applying all value verbal and writing over quantitative. And your GPA and verbal would qualify you immediately for a $15,000 scholarship at Korbel if you were admitted.

[MPAIndia2010]

Can someone advice me how good/bad is a score of 3.5 AWA. My Q - 700, V-680. Undergrad GPA :- 7.17/9 , Masters 3.02/4 I am from India.

Targeting HKS, WWS, GSPP-Berkeley, SIPA

Edited November 18, 2009 by MPAIndia2010

[riz1]

To MPAIndia2010: Create a new topic for yourself. This will ensure maximum visibility and increase your chances of getting solid feedback and advice.

To emppeng27: To the great observations made by others, I would add the caveat that there is no set admissions formula, and the strength of your candidacy will be determined relative to your applicant pool. I think that, were you applying with the exact same credentials five years ago, you may not have had to worry as much about your GRE scores. But with last year's uptick in the number AND quality of applications received at public policy / IR schools (in no small part due to the Obama effect), all applicants to this year's admissions cycle should bring their A-game. In your case, that means that if you have the time to re-take the GRE, do it. There might be another applicant with your exact same credentials, but with a higher GRE score. If all else holds constant, the one with the higher score might edge you out. Don't settle for second-best, and always give everything your all, if it's within your means.

[emppeng27]

Great stuff everyone. I definitely think I will be retaking the GRE in mid-Dec.

Also, can quant course work offset to some degree a lower quant GRE score? I had calculus through differential equations plus stastics plus econometrics. But the last time I've used that stuff was in college and hence the big reason for my low gre quant score.

[carpecc]

I just took the GRE and got a pretty high quant score. I got a 730 and brought it up from my 550 at my first practice test in Sept. A couple of things I did:

• 
  
  
• Drilled multiplication and division tables through 15. Sounds a little silly, but it helped me get faster and, more importantly, more accurate and confident at all the little calculations you have to do.
  
• Memorized most of the roots that lead to 256, again, just made all those calculations really quick. It's nice when you see 3^3 and instantly know it's 27 or 2^6 and know it's 64 etc.
  
• Worked on my trouble spots according to practice tests (for me it was permutations and combinations).
  
• Memorized all the ratios and angles associated with all those special triangles.
  
• Reviewed my notes and math tutorial (I used P.Review cracking the GRE or something) the night before.
  
• Flew to another country and got 2.5 hours of sleep the night before the test (not advisable, my concentration started falling apart in the verbal section, killed my score there).
  

Still waiting for my writing assessment. When I get it I'll post my score and story in another post for everyone's entertainment.