General GRE Scores and Their Effect.

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the significance of General GRE scores, particularly the quantitative section, in the context of graduate school admissions. Participants explore whether these scores serve primarily as thresholds for acceptance or if higher scores are necessary for competitive applications, especially for physical science and engineering programs.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses surprise at the difficulty of the GRE's adaptive questions, resulting in a lower than expected score and questions whether retaking the test is worthwhile.
  • Another participant suggests that an 800 score on the quantitative section may not significantly distinguish candidates, noting that some schools prioritize GPA over GRE scores.
  • A different participant mentions that the GRE is often seen as a mere requirement with departments having a threshold score, implying that undergraduate performance is more critical.
  • Information is shared about average GRE scores from specific institutions, indicating that top grades and recommendations may outweigh GRE scores in admissions decisions.
  • One participant inquires about the relevance of GRE scores for external fellowships, suggesting that this could influence their decision to retake the test.
  • Another participant confirms that the NSF fellowship required General GRE scores, indicating some fellowships may consider these scores important.
  • A participant shares their experience of being accepted into selective graduate schools with a 730 quantitative score, suggesting that scores above 700 are generally acceptable.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the General GRE scores may function more as thresholds rather than definitive measures of a candidate's potential. However, there are competing views regarding the importance of higher scores and their impact on admissions and fellowship opportunities.

Contextual Notes

Some participants reference specific institutions and their average GRE scores, but there is no consensus on the overall significance of GRE scores across all programs. The discussion reflects a variety of perspectives on the role of GRE scores in graduate admissions.

G01
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OK.

So I recently took the computerized general GRE. In my practice tests, I was scoring between 790 and 800 on the quantitative section. It seems that I was taken by surprise by the computer's adaptive questions, because some were more difficult than I expected.

I ended up with a 730 quantitative on the real thing.

I plan on taking the test again, since I am positive that now that I know the true difficulty of the math problems, I can adequately prepare myself for certain types of problems I know I often get wrong. I should be able to end up with a >=780 with not much of a problem.

Now, my question is, am I spending too much time on this? Is this score more of a threshold and less of a scale? i.e. Do schools only care if your above a certain cutoff, like 700 or will the difference between a 730 and a 780/800 matter in regards to schools or assistantships?
 
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From what I understand, getting an 800 on the quantitative does not distinguish you from the pack since 800's are more common on the GRE than SAT. I guess your decision to retake it depends on what school you want to go to since some emphasize GRE less than GPA. These schools are just looking to see that your GRE is not too low, I would say less than a 700. By the way according to ETS the average GRE score for engineers is ~730 and for physical sciences a 690.

I'm no expert and I'm also applying to grad school so I'm curious what other people have to say.
 
I took mine today, and yes, the computer system through me off as well. From what I heard, GRE will not help you get into a good grad school, it is merely a requirement and departments will have a threshold. I'm sure your entire undergraduate performance outweighs 3 hours worth of vocabulary and arithmetic problems.
 
I checked out a bunch of top graduate school websites to see if they had average GRE scores. CalTech was the only one with average general GRE. The physics department at CalTech says average scores for successful applicants are Verbal 600, Quantitative 780, Analytic 760, Physics Subject 880. CalTech also mentions "Top grades and excellent recommendations often take precedence over less than stellar GRE scores." Chicago only shared the average Physics score which was 829.

http://www.pma.caltech.edu/GSR/faqapplnt.html

I'm sure some other schools have this information, though I didn't come across it on the 5 or so other sites I checked. I hear that if you ask the person in charge of admissions for the department they may be able to give you the scores.
 
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Thanks for the responses everyone. I am pleased to hear that the General is used more as a threshold at most places (or even just as a formality). I may retake it still, but I am not too sure about it.

Do any external fellowships for physical science grad students use the General scores for anything? If so, I may retake it.

ekrim said:
I'm sure your entire undergraduate performance outweighs 3 hours worth of vocabulary and arithmetic problems.

I would hope!:smile:
 
I'm pretty sure the NSF wanted my General GRE scores for their graduate research fellowship.
 
I got a 730 quantitative on the general GRE and got into almost every grad school to which I applied, these were all the most selective schools.

I also applied for the NSF fellowship but didn't get it, I doubt my GRE scores had much to do with this though.

I'm pretty sure that the general GRE scores don't really matter much. It's probably just a cutoff at 700 after which is hurts to get below that.
 

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