Should I Retake the GRE Based on My Score?

[Abyss21]

I recently wrote the GRE General Test and received this score:

V: 157 Q: 152 AWA: 5

I'm applying to English Literature programs in top schools (Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, University of Chicago, UPenn, etc.). From what I've seen, my quantitative and writing marks are just fine for English programs, but my verbal reasoning should be 10 points higher (at least 166-167). Realistically, I don't know if studying would increase my verbal reasoning mark significantly enough to make a difference. I'm a very strong candidate in every other respect (I have academic publications, a very high GPA, and a master's degree in English from a Canadian institution). Should I still retake the GRE or do I have a shot of getting into those top schools anyways?

Edited October 23, 2016 by panicobracademy

[Warelin]

The average scores accepted for these schools are in the 166-167 range. However, that means that some people have been accepted with lower scores. We might never know how low since it's a detail very few scores release.

That being said, why these schools? Besides being "top" programs, these schools offer radically different styles and specializations. How do you fit into the program and their culture? Remember that hundreds of students are applying to "top" programs and each of them strong GPAs and strong publications or teaching experiences or presentations. I think Penn has said that they narrow their pool of 600/700+ to 60. From there, they said that it's a tough process since they'd be happy to admit any of the 60 but choices have to be made.

[Abyss21]

21 minutes ago, Warelin said:

That being said, why these schools? Besides being "top" programs, these schools offer radically different styles and specializations. How do you fit into the program and their culture?

Thanks for the reply! I've looked into each of those schools and found professors who I would love to work with based on my research interests. Those schools are all quite different, but each professor whom I'd consider working with has something unique that would be very useful for my future research. So, I'm not just applying to those places because they're "top" schools.

[Warelin]

18 minutes ago, panicobracademy said:

Thanks for the reply! I've looked into each of those schools and found professors who I would love to work with based on my research interests. Those schools are all quite different, but each professor whom I'd consider working with has something unique that would be very useful for my future research. So, I'm not just applying to those places because they're "top" schools.

Part of the problem lies that the "top"  (though some recent placement data would beg to differ) schools have more people in various subtopics which increases their fit to a greater number of applicants.

But there are factors to consider:
Can you stand being far away from home? Can you stand being too close to home? Can you stand a huge metro area? Can you stand a rural area? Can you handle freezing temperatures? Can you handle scorching temperatures? Have you ever been in a zone prone to earthquakes? How important is Public Transportation? How well do you handle an overloaded highway? What are your career objections? Why do you want a PHD degree in English? Are you willing to spend 5-6 years knowing that there is no guarantee even if you were accepted into the best college for you?  Are you comfortable living with Roommates? (Some top colleges offer you only enough that living with a roommate is essential to survive) Are you okay with living in the same season or is the changing of seasons important to you? Do any of the faculty excite you besides the fact that they may be a big name?

On a sidenote: I've interacted with several programs in the top 20/30. The ones who have answered have told me that Verbal scores in the 85th/90th+ percentile would be considered competitive. What competitive means is questionable. It might mean not getting eliminated during the first round, it might mean getting a closer look.

Edited October 23, 2016 by Warelin

[Abyss21]

Yes, those are definitely all very important factors to consider. I initially wanted to apply somewhere warm, considering that I've had to deal with Canadian winters practically all my life. However, Harvard, University of Chicago, and UPenn are also strong considerations. It helps that they're within driving distance from home and that they have professors who have very similar research interests to me (although the California schools do too). Basically, I would have to really weigh out my options depending on which universities accept me. However, for now, I'm still unsure about whether my GRE score is sufficient or whether it'll severely hinder my ability to get into these schools in the first place.

Edit: Alright, so considering the ambiguous meaning of the word "competitive," that might mean that I should attempt to retake the GRE. Thanks for letting me know about that!

Edited October 23, 2016 by panicobracademy

[Warelin]

7 minutes ago, panicobracademy said:

Yes, those are definitely all very important factors to consider. I initially wanted to apply somewhere warm, considering that I've had to deal with Canadian winters practically all my life. However, Harvard, University of Chicago, and UPenn are also strong considerations. It helps that they're within driving distance from home and that they have professors who have very similar research interests to me (although the California schools do too). Basically, I would have to really weigh out my options depending on which universities accept me. However, for now, I'm still unsure about whether my GRE score is sufficient or whether it'll severely hinder my ability to get into these schools in the first place.

Edit: Alright, so considering the ambiguous meaning of the word "competitive," that might mean that I should attempt to retake the GRE. Thanks for letting me know about that!

On the opposite end of the scale, Berkeley has said that they don't really care about gre scores as long as they're decent (which I'm guessing means 75th/80th percentile). To Berkeley and Stanford, the subject lit is more of a formality than anything else.

[Abyss21]

2 minutes ago, Warelin said:

To Berkeley and Stanford, the subject lit is more of a formality than anything else.

And if my subject lit is VERY bad? (not just average)

Edited October 23, 2016 by panicobracademy

[Warelin]

1 minute ago, panicobracademy said:

And if my subject lit is VERY bad? (not just average)

Some students at Berkeley have bragged about how low their subject scores have been. I'm not sure what "low" means to them though. From the data available here, the lowest score I've seen accepted at Berkeley is a 650 on the Lit exam, which I would not consider "low". However, the data here is limited but can provide some useful insight. One Boston-area college told me that competitive applicants score in the 70th percentile, at which I promptly erased them from my list. Another college told me that the average accepted applicant had a GRE subject score in the 82nd percentile. I think I cried because they were my favorite program and I know that it's a score that would be near-impossible for me to achieve.

Harvard says that scores of 650 are desirable, but not required. Considering that Harvard is Harvard, I'm wondering if they've ever admitted anyone below such a score. Another school in the top 40 told me that they weigh the literature exam more heavily for MA students than they do for BA students.

Before applying anywhere, I'd also look at their current graduate students. Some programs claim that they read all applications but accepted students tend to be from very specific top schools. Are these schools deserving of a spot? I think so. But if you're telling me that nobody else from any other school was a better fit than that's when I start raising questions about your programs.

Some schools also tend to lean towards accepting students with a Master's degree. Other programs prefer straight from undergraduate. I know Chicago prefers publications and presentations but they also tend to prefer straight from undergrads. But around 1/4 of their class have a Master's degree from elsewhere.

[Abyss21]

Hmm alright, so it's still pretty difficult to really determine what exactly they mean by a "formality" when it comes to the subject lit GRE. I appreciate the information about Berkeley, Harvard, and Chicago though! These details will definitely help me decide whether I should apply to their English programs (I'm also considering a couple of other programs at those universities too).