Should I Retake the General GRE if My PGRE Scores are Average?

[warriorzizi]

Hello,

I'm an ex-teacher (4 years) who got her Physics degree (with minor in Math) in 2010. I have a Masters in Teaching and went straight into teaching high school.
I have since decided I wanted to go back to school for Physics/Astrophysics/Astronomy/Aerospace Engineering (still deciding which exactly I want to do). Most likely for a Masters.
I will get my PGRE scores back in a few weeks and based on my practice exams, I'm confident that I will end up in the 40-50th percentile. My General GRE scores were spread: Verbal - 160 (85th percentile), Quantitative - 157 (68th percentile), Analytical - 4.5 (80th percentile).
I was unhappy with my math score, but happy with the other scores. I'm good at math, but I sometimes need time to noodle on things and the general GRE is not set up for that. I'm afraid that spending another $195 and taking the test again will not help me much. That said, I'm willing to take it again.

My question:
If my PGRE scores come back in the 40-50th percentile range, should I worry about retaking the General GRE? Or let my PGRE scores speak to my ability?
Will the answer to that question be different if I apply to Aerospace Engineering since they don't require the PGRE?

Thanks everyone!

 

[Dr. Courtney]

You won't be going to MIT, and maybe not even to a R1 institution, but there are a lot of mid-tier state schools that would admit you to their Masters programs in Physics, Astrophysics, or Astronomy if your undergrad GPA was over 3.0. It is less likely at schools with Aerospace Engineering programs.

In Louisiana, you would have a much better chance getting into a program at UNO or ULL than LSU, La Tech, or Tulane.