Which GRE scores to report?

[lantedodo]

Hello all. I took the GRE twice, once three weeks ago and then today:

167v/161q/4.5
170v/156q/??

I'm thinking the first one, or send both maybe (some programs say they consider the highest from each section). 

SIDE NOTE: When I took it 3 weeks ago, I was on about 3 hours of sleep and little food (had to rush to the testing center). It was horrible. I was totally out of it and could barely function. So I figured I'd take it again and fairly easily beat that score. Today I took it again and felt fine. Verbal score went up, math went down. Interestingly, the entire test felt harder this time. For example, both verbal sections felt like they could have been experimental sections (the first verbal section in particular felt really hard -- advanced vocab from beginning to end; a very long and technical science-oriented passage). Weird stuff.

[Duns Eith]

What are the percentiles of each?

The combined score for the former is 328, whereas the latter is 326. That's prima facie reason to go with the former, but the verbal on your second is rockin'!

That's a tough one.

[lantedodo]

Hi Turretin, thanks for the feedback!

Percentiles are:

167v (98%) / 161q (79%) / 4.5 (82%)
170v (99%) / 156q (63%) / AW??

I feel like the 1 percentile difference in verbal shouldn't make much difference, but then again the 170 looks good. I'll probably send both sets. 

 

[lantedodo]

Just in case anyone has any advice on which score to post should I have to choose one (I'll list both when possible), here are my full scores:

167v (98%) / 161q (79%) / 4.5 (82%)
170v (99%) / 156q (63%) / 5.0 (93%)

Also... I applied to MIT with the 167v score set. Should I send along the 170v as well?

If it helps to give a sense of my interests: my writing sample is on social epistemology/group belief.

 

[Duns Eith]

Sorry I never got back to you!

I think the second set just looks better over all, but I think there's a few things to consider:

1) GRE scores are typically not that important. Your scores are so similar that it might not matter, especially given how much weight is given to the GRE.

2) You may want to contact MIT and ask them how important they are, and whether you should send them the other set. They may be able to tell you frankly what they would benefit from in assessing your application.

3) Since you want to do social epistemology, I am tempted to say that you might not be into formal epistemology and mathy-stuff. Is that true? If you are, send the higher quant. If you are not, then send the higher verbal.

4) I was scanning other forums here and I noticed that we should really, really calm the frick down about the GRE. In other disciplines applicants can be accepted with a 40 percentile in verbal and quant. To me, this just tells me that a graduate college (or grad admissions) can't seriously regard as advantageous an applicant with 170v over another with 167v for our discipline, when Communication Disorders allows for a 148v.

Edited January 5, 2017 by Turretin

[goldenstardust11]

Yeah, if it helps, mine were 167v 155q and 5.5aw and I just merrily sent those along without another thought, so I genuinely think either of your sets would be absolutely fine. You likely (or at least, I certainly hope) won't raise an eyebrow with either set as you're well in range for who tends to be admitted. If I were you, unless I was going for a math/logic focused area of interest, I would either submit the latter set or both, since I've heard that verbal counts a bit more for philosophy depts. But as @Turretin I think we're splitting hairs over something with very little impact  

Nice scores either way, good work!

Edited January 5, 2017 by goldenstardust11

[DesertLandscaper]

6 hours ago, lantedodo said:

Just in case anyone has any advice on which score to post should I have to choose one (I'll list both when possible), here are my full scores:

167v (98%) / 161q (79%) / 4.5 (82%)
170v (99%) / 156q (63%) / 5.0 (93%)

Also... I applied to MIT with the 167v score set. Should I send along the 170v as well?

If it helps to give a sense of my interests: my writing sample is on social epistemology/group belief.

 

I would send only the first score of "167v (98%) / 161q (79%) / 4.5 (82%)" for the following reasons:

1. The difference between 98 and 99% in verbal is insignificant.
2. The difference between 63 and 79% in quant is significant.
3. Nobody cares about writing, and both of your scores are fine.

Also some professors do privilege quant over verbal, thinking that math tells more about abstract reasoning. Either score would be more than sufficient for a getting into a top ten, but it's very clear to me that the first score is the only one that should be sent given the option to withhold.

[goldenstardust11]

^^all good points. Looking at percentiles, I agree with @DesertLandscaper

[lantedodo]

Thanks all for the input, very helpful!