UH-epi said:
I am applying to public health schools for epidemiology. I was just curious to know what the minimum acceptable score is for the verbal part of the GRE. I made a 690 on the quantitative section, but my score on the verbal section was terrible (below 500)! My combined was over 1100...Should I retake it, or is it not that big of a deal for admissions committees?
don't make a big deal out of it..its not as bad as you think.
its true that a lot depends upon your entire app, not just your scores.however, remember that the initial weeding-out process in a lot of the "good" places(before the selection committee sits down with those approved) is done by a secretary who usually has a cut-off score below which she will chuck the app,no matter how good it is overall.
also, some programs have a cut off score,which has been the trend for admitted candidates for the past few years.you should find this info on their sites.
now, a good score(entirely subjective) makes it a lot easier to get to the second stage of the selection process.it, however, is not what will make/break your application.i know people with scores like yours get great programs,esp in texas.
moral of the story-think about where you want to go,and how strong your app is overall.if you don't have much research experience etc, then you might want to think about taking the GRE again.if you have a research background, mail the programs and see what they think..just my 2c.