General GRE: Verbal 590, Quant 770 - Will it Hurt My Chances?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around concerns regarding GRE scores, specifically the impact of a 770 quantitative score and a 590 verbal score on graduate school applications for physics, particularly in condensed matter theory. Participants share their perspectives on the significance of these scores in the context of admissions.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern that a 770 quantitative score may hurt their chances of acceptance, believing that physics or math majors should achieve an 800.
  • Another participant suggests that a 770 is a good score, questioning the validity of the concern.
  • Some participants note that while 770 is good compared to the overall test-taker pool, it may not be as impressive when compared to scores from physics and math majors.
  • There is a suggestion that admissions officers are aware that test scores can vary significantly due to mistakes or test versions.
  • One participant advises focusing more on the Physics Subject GRE, stating that it is considered more important by many graduate programs.
  • Another participant mentions that a significant percentage of math and physics students achieve perfect scores on the quantitative section, implying that a 770 is still respectable.
  • A participant shares their own experience of scoring 720 on the math section but still gaining admission to graduate school, suggesting that the score may not be as critical as feared.
  • One participant reflects on their extensive preparation for the GRE, expressing frustration at not achieving a higher score despite their efforts.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants exhibit a mix of opinions regarding the significance of the GRE scores. While some believe that a 770 is a strong score, others argue it may not be sufficient for physics and math majors. There is no consensus on the impact of these scores on admissions chances.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference varying standards and expectations for GRE scores among different programs, indicating that perceptions of what constitutes a "good" score may depend on specific contexts and institutions.

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General GRE---argh!

So I'm an aspiring condensed matter theorist who will be applying to grad programs in the fall. I took my General GRE today and got

Verbal: 590
Quant: 770

I was pretty miffed about the quant score, I got bogged down on a problem and used too much time and then had to guess on the last two because I had no time left. So I didn't get the 800 that I thought I was capable of. This might seem silly, but do you think the 770 might hurt my chances of being accepted as a theory student? It seems to me that any physics or math major should be able to score an 800 so I'm a little worried. :cry:
 
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I'm not familiar with the GRE and that sort of stuff, but isn't a 770 pretty good?
 
It's good compared to the overall test taker pool, but I don't think it's so good when compared to physics and math majors. I was reading the old threads on

www.physicsgre.com

and almost everyone there got an 800.
 
At what level are those tests?
 
hell everybody makes mistakes I wouldn't worry abou it, you could take two different versions of the same test 1 after the other and have the scores differ by 50 points at least, and I'm sure the grad school admisions oficers know that.
 
CPL.Luke said:
hell everybody makes mistakes I wouldn't worry abou it, you could take two different versions of the same test 1 after the other and have the scores differ by 50 points at least, and I'm sure the grad school admisions oficers know that.

Agreed. Everyone makes mistakes. And 770 is a very good score.
 
i wouldn't worry about what other people say on a GRE forum. theyre either lying or trying to convince the world that theyre the greatest physicist of all time
 
Thanks everyone, I think I knew deep down that it won't matter much, but I guess I was desperately looking for reassurance.
 
I would put more thought into the Physics Subject GRE. I think most physics graduate programs consider that far more important.
 
  • #10
G01 said:
I would put more thought into the Physics Subject GRE. I think most physics graduate programs consider that far more important.

+1

that's what I've heard. a 770 is in the ballpark from what I've seen on gradschoolshopper.com. (e.g., uc santa barbara's quantitative avg is around 780.)

the verbal and writing scores also seem to be more highly considered than quantitative, anyway.
 
  • #11
If I remember the statistic correctly, something like 20% of math and/or physics students receive a perfect score on the quantitative part of the general GRE. I wouldn't be too worried about it.
 
  • #12
unit_circle said:
So I'm an aspiring condensed matter theorist who will be applying to grad programs in the fall. I took my General GRE today and got

Verbal: 590
Quant: 770

I was pretty miffed about the quant score, I got bogged down on a problem and used too much time and then had to guess on the last two because I had no time left. So I didn't get the 800 that I thought I was capable of. This might seem silly, but do you think the 770 might hurt my chances of being accepted as a theory student? It seems to me that any physics or math major should be able to score an 800 so I'm a little worried. :cry:

In college I majored in physics and math, and I only got a 720 on the math section of the general GRE. I got into grad school in physics, so if I were you I really wouldn't worry about it.
 
  • #13
Now that I have had a day to relax I've calmed down about it. It was just frustrating because I practiced for this test a lot, i.e. I worked all 7 tests in the ETS GRE book, read the Princeton Review book and took 4 tests that came with that, AND did the 2 tests on ETS CDROM, only to get the same score I was getting at the beginning of summer.


G01: That's very good advice about the subject test, I've been studying off and on since the summer of 2006, and now the general is out of the way I'm going to kick into high gear. My rematch with ETS is in October, and I'm coming back with a vengence.
 

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