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- Apr 23, 2006
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I applied to 10 programs and got accepted at only one. My GRE combined scores were 1270 (710V/560Q). My Q score was low because I have been out of school for many years and hadn't taken an algebra or geometry course in over 20 years. In two of the schools I applied to I made it to the interview stage and was wait listed, but someone ahead of me accepted the offer. In both cases I was told that the main reason the other applicant was chosen over me was that they had GRE scores of 1500 and since we were relatively equal in all other areas, the GRE score was the "only common metric" they could use to distinguish between those of us who were the top contenders. There were other schools I applied to that wouldn't even consider applicants for the interviews if their GRE scores were less than 1400. Then, there was yet another school I was rejected from where their average for GRE scores was 1200 -- lower than mine and I wasn't even invited to interview there. Go figure. Some schools definitely count GRE scores more than others. It's definitely worth taking the GRE again if your scores are lower than you would like because as I learned this year, it can very well become the deciding factor in admission, even when you get down to the interviews.