General Admissions & OTCAS How heavily do most schools weigh the GRE?

[msuotwannabe]

Hi everyone! I still have two years before I apply but I am already considering focusing on schools that don't require the GRE. I am horrible at math and I am afraid that if I can't score high enough, it will hinder my chances of admission. However, I understand that not taking the GRE greatly diminishes the number of schools I will be able to apply to. I also know that the answer to this question likely varies from school to school, but any general advice would help a lot. Am I stressing out too much or should I really just skip out on the GRE?

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[peachessccc3]

Hi everyone! I still have two years before I apply but I am already considering focusing on schools that don't require the GRE. I am horrible at math and I am afraid that if I can't score high enough, it will hinder my chances of admission. However, I understand that not taking the GRE greatly diminishes the number of schools I will be able to apply to. I also know that the answer to this question likely varies from school to school, but any general advice would help a lot. Am I stressing out too much or should I really just skip out on the GRE?

The math section is not real math. Honestly, you can be terrible at math and probably still do well on the GRE. I am going to Lewis University in the fall, and they showed us the average GRE score, which was a 297 I believe combined score. Take the GRE. Even with a not so great score you can get into schools. North Central College accepted my friend who had a combined GRE score of 270. Just make sure you do lots of shadowing hours, and keep that GPA up. You can do it!

 

[KnightOT]

It truly depends on the school- some weigh the GRE more heavily than others. I agree with what was said above. The test isn’t real math, which as someone who isn’t good at regular math, I found even more difficult. I ended my GRE with a 284 combined score and 4.0 AW writing score. I’m applying to some programs that don’t require GRE and some that do ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ either way it’s worth a shot. Just research what’s important to each school and even try calling them to ask. I’ve seen multiple schools post percentages of how much they weigh each part of your app.

 

[deleted939094]

Simply to avoid the "what if?" potential, I think you should go ahead and take the GRE. No OT schools I researched expect genius-level scores, and you may surprise yourself with how well you do. It seems like a combined score of 300 and an AWA score of 4+ put you well in the running for many schools. If you bomb it, then you can think about applying to no-GRE schools. If you've got a solid GPA and a passion for OT, you WILL find your way into it one way or another!

 

[OT2BE2017]

Hi everyone! I still have two years before I apply but I am already considering focusing on schools that don't require the GRE. I am horrible at math and I am afraid that if I can't score high enough, it will hinder my chances of admission. However, I understand that not taking the GRE greatly diminishes the number of schools I will be able to apply to. I also know that the answer to this question likely varies from school to school, but any general advice would help a lot. Am I stressing out too much or should I really just skip out on the GRE?

I would first look up the schools you would like to apply to. Check and see if they 1.) require the GRE and 2.) if they have a minimum score for the GRE. Some schools have total GRE score minimums. Some schools have GRE score minimums for the Verbal section only or Math section only. Also, as @peachessccc3 mentioned, the GRE math is not real math. It is math, but it is not calculus or super complex type of math. It is all "learn-able" math. Once you narrow down the schools you want to apply to, and you realize that they do require the GRE, I would take a practice test, which you can take from the official GRE website and see how well you score on the math section. If you do great, then that is amazing! You should take the GRE! If you do not do so well, then you have 2 options 1.) Take a GRE class 2.) Buy the official GRE book (they also have one for just the math section) and study your butt off! In my opinion, if you can afford it, I would at least try and take the GRE.

If you are really anti-GRE, this will decrease the number of schools you can apply to. In addition, most schools that do not have the GRE are usually interview heavy school. So you must do really really well in your interviews. If you are great at interviewing, then I would look into the schools with that do not require the GRE such as West Coast University or Loma Linda in SoCal. I hope this helps! Good luck!