Can a great PGRE make up for otherwise mediocre stats?

[creepypasta13]

I've heard mixed opinions regarding the importance of the PGRE. I heard from some that the PGRE has no relevance at all, as some profs on the admissions committee don't even LOOK at it. However, I've of course heard from others that its very important

I've heard plenty of people with great stats but a poor PGRE, but not really the other way around. Which is, would having a great PGRE score make up for an otherwise mediocre application? For example, getting an PGRE 850+, with otherwise mediocre stats such as 3.6 gpa, avg LORs, avg general GRE, no publications, top 5 state school?

 

[Vanadium 50]

A high GRE score will help.

The idea that you can "make up for" some other area of the application makes it sound like there is some sort of point system. That's not the case. The committee looks at the applications and discusses them.

 

[TMFKAN64]

A high GRE score will help, but there is no way that your performance on a 3 hour test can make up for your performance in a 4 year undergraduate program.

(Generally speaking... I wouldn't call 3.6 terrible by any means, it's just not top of the class.)

 

[creepypasta13]

Since I was hoping to get admitted by the top 10 schools, I'm sure a 3.6 doesn't look great, so that's why I hoped a great PGRE could make up for that

 

[fss]

Top 10 school applicants will have good PGREs as well as strong GPAs.

 

[physics girl phd]

A high GRE score will help.

The idea that you can "make up for" some other area of the application makes it sound like there is some sort of point system. That's not the case. The committee looks at the applications and discusses them.

When I was on a committee, we actually DID have a point system formula (which I couldn't divulge the "formula" now even if I wanted to, seeing as this was about 5 years ago). Three committee members reviewed each application and also put in a readers' scores that were factored into the formula. After people were "ranked" by the system, we started at the top looking at providing support, etc. The process therefore went quickly until we started to look at the cutoff point (where some small adjustments to the ranking were very occasionally made depending on research area, etc.)... but generally a firm cutoff was set.

That being said... even for schools with point-system per-say, the systems will vary by school, so a precise answer to "can I get in" can never be made... especially since it also definitely depends on who else applies to that school that year.

That also being said, I generally agree that to be admitted to a top ten school you need to have a great application in all areas. You generally can't "make up" for deficiencies in the application when you're talking about these programs.