Doing worse on the GRE the 2nd time

[BostonLvr]

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I recently took the GRE for a second time and performed worse than on my first attempt. Does anyone know if I'm obligated to send the new and unimproved scores to the vet school? Can I just send the good scores from my first attempt? Anyone else score worse on the GRE after intense studying and taking it a second time?

 

[cyrille104]

Unfortunately, when you request a score report to be sent, ALL of your scores are sent. That includes your most recent attempt 🙁

 

[River5]

It's my understanding that all of your GRE scores get sent together on one sheet to your school. Some schools will just take your best scores and disregard the others and some schools don't. You might just want to check which schools follow that policy and apply to those if they meet any other criteria you have. 🙂

 

[BostonLvr]

River, Is KSU one of the schools that looks at the best scores?

 

[kate_g]

River, Is KSU one of the schools that looks at the best scores?

Yer best bet on that one is to check their website, or their info sheet on VMCAS.

Potential loophole: If you sent your scores to vet schools after the first time you took the GRE, and you didn't specify those schools as your four "included" score reports when you took it the second time, then... If those schools still have your first set of scores you might be able to just ask them to use those and *not* send a new score report that will include your new scores.

But if you're applying to any schools to which you didn't send your scores before you took the test the second time, then yeah, your only choice is for them to see both scores. Or to wait seven years for them both to expire and take the test a third time, then the third scores will be the only one on the report. 🙂

 

[eep29]

For vet schools apps, old GRE's expire once they hit the 7 year mark? If that's the case, that's great!

So if I understand correctly - schools don't look at scores 7+ years old? Or is this dependent upon the school?

 

[jfitzpatri8]

I did much worse the second time, but that was due to a migraine attack that morning. I included that in the "additional" area on VMCAS- a short explanation that I was suffering from a 10+ migraine and was on opioids during the test time.

Not sure if that helps you, but you did just ask for stories of people who got in after doing worse on the second GRE.

Good luck!

Jenn

 

[narg99z]

I emailed some schools regarding taking the GREs multiple times and got responses from 4 of them (might help you, might not)

CSU-All scores are viewed by the committee, but only the top scores are considered when they evaluate your app.

Upenn- "We will take the highest combined V and Q score from the same test date...we do not average nor select the highest score"

Cornell-"You self report the scores you want to use. So we will take the scores you list (I would assume they would be the higher ones). We do not average them!"...not a great answer.

Tufts-"All GRE scores are taken into consideration, with an emphasis on the highest scores."

Hope this helps you somewhat.

 

[BostonLvr]

I did much worse the second time, but that was due to a migraine attack that morning. I included that in the "additional" area on VMCAS- a short explanation that I was suffering from a 10+ migraine and was on opioids during the test time.

Not sure if that helps you, but you did just ask for stories of people who got in after doing worse on the second GRE.

Good luck!

Jenn

I feel your pain. I ended up having to have surgery about a week before my test date and was still on narcotics during the exam. I was debating on whether or not to explain that in the explaination section of the app.

 

[kate_g]

So if I understand correctly - schools don't look at scores 7+ years old? Or is this dependent upon the school?

It's not that they don't... They *can't*. ETS does not include scores older than 7 years (or 5, or 8, or some number like that... It's on their website) on your score report. So although I was satisfied with my GRE score from 1998 when I was graduating college, I had to take it over again to apply to vet school this past year.

Many schools have somewhat more stringent requirements of their own - for instance, most insist that you've taken the "new" GRE that includes the written essays instead of the old "logic puzzle" analytical section, which has been offered for only 4 or 5 years.

 

[chris03333]

I did much worse the second time, but that was due to a migraine attack that morning. I included that in the "additional" area on VMCAS- a short explanation that I was suffering from a 10+ migraine and was on opioids during the test time.

Not sure if that helps you, but you did just ask for stories of people who got in after doing worse on the second GRE.

Good luck!

Jenn

Why in the world would you accept the scores (the end of the test asks you if you want to know your scores or cancel them, and have a no show...)
Did you not realize how the migrane +/- opiods would impact your scores?

Wow that is cool that you were persistant enough to take the test at that time, I would have cancelled😳