Good GRE Score?

[cdo96]

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So... I got my GRE scores back, and I'm trying to understand them, so I guess I'm just curious, what is a "competitive" GRE score? I'm trying to see if I need to retake them- and most of the vet admissions websites are vague about their scores.

 

[Posey]

I was able to find accepted student stats for my target schools. As long as my score was as high as or higher than the average, I felt safe.



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[cdo96]

Yeah... Did you find them here on SDN or did they publish them?


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[rockatiel]

Most schools publish them.

 

[Posey]

I went to the schools' websites.


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[fredandcessna]

I agree - as long as you're at or above average, I feel like you're pretty safe. Of course it depends on the rest of your application as well!

 

[cdo96]

Okay.. I just checked NCSU (my dream school OOS) and it just says "Competitive applicants submit scores that meet or exceed the 50th percentile."

Which doesn't really mean anything because I got a 152 (54%) and 154 (56%) on verbal and quantitative and a 4.5 on analytical (80%).

So verbal and quant are probably still pretty low, right?


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[Osudairy]

Yeah, I was slightly over the average and was just fine. Your writing is good. And your verbal and quantitative seems to be at the average.

 

[Posey]

If the rest of your application is strong, you should be fine. It's more important to have a stellar GRE when something else is too low. Even then, I don't know how much a GRE score can make up for something else.


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[pp9]

Okay.. I just checked NCSU (my dream school OOS) and it just says "Competitive applicants submit scores that meet or exceed the 50th percentile."

Which doesn't really mean anything because I got a 152 and 154 on verbal and quantitative (somewhere in the 54-56%) and a 4.5 on analytical (80%).

So verbal and quant are probably still pretty low, right?


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You want those to be as high as possible (and your Q score is a bit more important), but those aren't terrible. I had a 158V/154Q and got in after my second try (my grades were average). If you do want to retake it, try to do a study book. I would tell someone who got below a 150 in either section to retake it. Just know that your most of fellow applicants will be around the same scores or higher.

I did retake it and got the same scores, but I didn't prep either time. My first attempt was extremely rushed because my family had a last minute thing I was worried about missing...oh well.

 

[cdo96]

Yeah I think I'm going to retake it this summer when I have more time to study. When I scheduled my GRE, my syllabuses had said that it would be an easy week, but really all hell broke loose and I had 3 papers, 2 tests, and a group project. So maybe once I'm not stressed about school, and actually have time to prep, I'll do better!


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[cloverbug]

Those were relatively my GRE scores and I had a 3.62 undergrad GPA. I will say I was rejected from NCSU but I didn't have extensive large animal experience when I applied. I tailored my experience more to what I wanted to do so my bad but on my 3rd cycle I got into the U of I. If your other aspects of your application are good, then don't stress too much about GRE. I took it twice, studied way more for the second, and barely changed my scores and I still got in.

 

[rockatiel]

GRE can certainly make up for places where you're lacking. My prereq GPA was like 3.7 according to my IS (which is actually below average for them 😵) and my GRE score was 300 flat, 148 Q/152 V/4 AW which is super duper average. I was waitlisted IS, where interviews don't make up a huge percentage of the evaluation, but accepted OOS. If GRE is a sore spot, definitely apply strategically. And STUDY!!

 

[cdo96]

GPA is good- in a hard major too. Experience is lacking.. But no vets would hire me during HS, so I'm kinda SOL


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[FeenyFee]

For those who got interviews at schools with low GRE scores (either average or below average), how do you explain this in the interview?

I don't really have a valid reason other than they suck. 😛

 

[Ceens]

For those who got interviews at schools with low GRE scores (either average or below average), how do you explain this in the interview?

I don't really have a valid reason other than they suck. 😛

During my UTK interview, they never even mentioned my grades. At that point they were more interested in me as a person, not me as a student so much. I don't know if this applies to every school, though.


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[Minnerbelle]

The general consensus from the schools I was applying to back in the day was 70th percentile and up would get you in a position where you've checked off that box of "yup you dun fine."


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[rockatiel]

For those who got interviews at schools with low GRE scores (either average or below average), how do you explain this in the interview?

I don't really have a valid reason other than they suck. 😛

My grades or GRE were never mentioned at either of my interviews. I only applied to 2 schools in the US though.