What do I do with these GRE scores? (University of Minnesota)

[bsteinma]

I am about to graduate from an accredited engineering program with a 3.6 cumulative GPA and want to continue my graduate studies at another institution. I have a list of schools that I am going to apply to but want some advice regarding my GRE scores. First off, I already know my GRE scores are lower than they should be so please don't point that out. I have taken the GRE twice and received a 410V/650Q on my first attempt and took it again last week and received a 480V/660Q. Although I studied a lot more for the verbal which is reflected in my increase in score I continued to study for the quantitative as well and I have good math skills but just can't perform on the exam. In practicing I'd typically get a 730-760 on the quantitative but like many of you realize its not exactly the real test. I tried to make my practice as real as possible. I really want to go to the University of Minnesota and their recommended scores are obviously higher than what I received.

The underlying problem is with anxiety and not simply just normal text anxiety that most people have. I was also unable to let go of problems and move on to the next which led to my guessing on the last 5 problems for my first attempt and about the last 8 and not even finishing the exam on my second. Those were precious points lost but now I'm about a month away from the application deadline and don't know what I should do. I can't afford to throw more money away on the test if I don't know whether I'll improve. Am I capable of getting in with these scores if I have strengths everywhere else or should I bite the bullet and take the test again despite the many other stresses and deadlines overwhelming me right now?

Any helpful advice will be appreciated.

Thank You,

bsteinma

[BlueSwedeShoes]

I am about to graduate from an accredited engineering program with a 3.6 cumulative GPA and want to continue my graduate studies at another institution. I have a list of schools that I am going to apply to but want some advice regarding my GRE scores. First off, I already know my GRE scores are lower than they should be so please don't point that out. I have taken the GRE twice and received a 410V/650Q on my first attempt and took it again last week and received a 480V/660Q. Although I studied a lot more for the verbal which is reflected in my increase in score I continued to study for the quantitative as well and I have good math skills but just can't perform on the exam. In practicing I'd typically get a 730-760 on the quantitative but like many of you realize its not exactly the real test. I tried to make my practice as real as possible. I really want to go to the University of Minnesota and their recommended scores are obviously higher than what I received.

The underlying problem is with anxiety and not simply just normal text anxiety that most people have. I was also unable to let go of problems and move on to the next which led to my guessing on the last 5 problems for my first attempt and about the last 8 and not even finishing the exam on my second. Those were precious points lost but now I'm about a month away from the application deadline and don't know what I should do. I can't afford to throw more money away on the test if I don't know whether I'll improve. Am I capable of getting in with these scores if I have strengths everywhere else or should I bite the bullet and take the test again despite the many other stresses and deadlines overwhelming me right now?

Any helpful advice will be appreciated.

Thank You,

bsteinma

Ok, advice from a stranger on the internet who doesn't know anything about that school:

Don't do it again. If you're stressed out already, adding the GRE just means you'll, probably, perform worse all over (with the GRE and all the other things too). I'm not convinced you'll manage to get a better score either, you said you studied harder for the second time and still didn't make it as high as you wanted. Plus, it's expensive.

This forum, and others, are filled with examples of people with low GRE scores being accepted to all sorts of programs, high and low, engineering or social sciences. GRE is just one factor of many. Some claim it's super important because you won't get funded without it, other says that's not true and the "anecdotal evidence"-level normally shoot through the roof somewhere around that point.

In sum, don't do it, focus on the other parts of your application and don't fret over you GRE scores. You'll do fine with what you got.

(and if you don't, you can blame the stranger on the Internet who told you otherwise)

[DrFaustus666]

You could call the admissions office, tell them your dilemma and ask their advice.

I don't think your verbal scores matter as much as your quantitative, and your Q was close to the national median for Engineering majors (704 if memory serves right).

[Tam]

I'm not sure retaking the GRE will help. It seems that you underperformed (both times) on the Q section relative to what you know, and it seems that you did study and practice, so that test just isn't kind to you.

If you can mention this to the professors who are writing your letters of recommendation, maybe one of them can mention that it's not an accurate assessment of your abilities. I think your chances will be good if the other elements of your application are good, assuming you are not applying to top schools. (Top schools get so many applications that there is no reason to take someone who is very good with a mediocre GRE score when they could just take someone who is very good with a very good GRE score.)