University application and GRE Subject test

[Quantum River]

I am preparing to apply to a graduate school of physics. I have taken the GRE general test and TOEFL. But I have not taken the GRE Subject test. I find nearly all the universities in US require the GRE Subject test. Is there any university that do not require the GRE Subject test? Or I will have to apply next year.

 

[G01]

There are universities that do not require the subject test, but they are not the majority and usually not near the top of the rankings list. I suggest taking the test.

 

[Quantum River]

For near a year, I am so focusing on writing several papers. So I forgot to take the GRE Subject test. On the Internet, I find nearly 20 physics departments, such as the Calfornia universities and Michigan State University, they all require the Subject test score.

Could you tell me which physics departments do not require GRE Subject test? Your help will be greatly appreciated.

If I do not apply this year, I have to wait for one year.

 

[AcidBathSDMF]

I am in the same boat as you. According to my adviser, most programs take those scores with a grain of salt because studies have shown that performance on the subject GRE doesn't correlate with performance in grad school. He told me it's not that big of a deal and I shouldn't let it dictate which schools I apply to. I think the trick is checking with your professors and seeing what their connections are so that you can get a personal relationship with someone at the school you want to go to. I decided I wanted to take a year off for other reasons, but don't let the test dictate what you do.

 

[qualgorithm]

As poor indicators of success as they may be, subject test GRE scores in physics are still taken very seriously by graduate programs, perhaps more seriously than undergraduate grades.

You can start looking up graduate programs and ask if they will consider students without GRE scores, but I doubt you will have much success. Unless you want to have very limited choices for a place where you will be studying for about the next six years (for a PhD), I would recommend waiting. Graduate school is a long commitment not to be undertaken lightly.