Retake GREs?

[isabetta]

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Hey everyone,

I'm having a hard time trying to figure out if I should retake the GREs. I received a 1490 (verbal: 710, quant: 780). I was really happy with my scores until I received a 4.5 in writing. I'm pretty disappointed with these scores. Should I retake the GRES? Will the 4.5 hurt my chances of getting into a top program? I'm really not sure on what to do right now.

 

[thewesternsky]

Congrats on your scores; those are really great. No one cares about analytic writing... Don't bother re-taking.

 

[krisrox]

Hey everyone,

I'm having a hard time trying to figure out if I should retake the GREs. I received a 1490 (verbal: 710, quant: 780). I was really happy with my scores until I received a 4.5 in writing. I'm pretty disappointed with these scores. Should I retake the GRES? Will the 4.5 hurt my chances of getting into a top program? I'm really not sure on what to do right now.

...... show me your ways! PLEASE!!!

Sorry. GRE freak-out moment. Ignore me.

And no one cares about the analytic writing.

 

[cara susanna]

God, I had a much lower composite score and the same writing score and I didn't retake.

 

[isabetta]

Thanks for the replies. I just don't want the writing score to be the thing that doesn't get me in (or an interview). I will have two of my references emphasizing my writing abilities. I'm currently taking a poll around my lab. 3 have told me to take it again if I can and 3 have told me not to.

Also, krisrox, feel free to send me a message if you want to know what I did. I improved my score from a 1270 (verbal: 580, quant: 690) to a 1490. My basic strategy was attack my weak spots. I memorized as many vocab words as I can and I took a practice test at least once a week. I studied everyday and memorized those vocab words religiously. I focused less on quant, but made sure I did practice problems at least every other day to keep my brain still in the quant framework.

By the way, I took the GREs without studying 3 years ago and received a 5.5. The kaplan AWA method failed me 🙁.

 

[psychgirl77]

Hey everyone,

I'm having a hard time trying to figure out if I should retake the GREs. I received a 1490 (verbal: 710, quant: 780). I was really happy with my scores until I received a 4.5 in writing. I'm pretty disappointed with these scores. Should I retake the GRES? Will the 4.5 hurt my chances of getting into a top program? I'm really not sure on what to do right now.

I wouldn't retake it. If you got lower than a 4, then yes. But they really don't care about it at all.

 

[Quynh2007]

Don't retake

 

[psyed4clinPhD]

I vote for not retaking also. Just ask your letter writers to comment extra on your exceptional writing abilities 😀 Also, your SOP is another opportunity to show them your writing ability.

 

[Chenelsea3]

I have a similar question. I got a 1440 (680 V, 760 Q), but that was after getting a speeding ticket on the way to the test and a parking ticket in the middle of the test (which they made me go out and move my car for!). I feel like I could do better if I took it again without being so stressed, but it's so expensive I am kind of hesitant. Worth it? I am looking to milk the GRE for all it's worth since my undergrad GPA isn't as impressive.

 

[cardamom]

To the OP: I got similar GRE scores and the same writing score, and I got interviews at 6 of the 8 schools I applied to. Don't worry about it at all—instead put that effort into writing a great SoP to demonstrate your writing ability.

 

[isabetta]

Thanks Cardamom. I decided not to retake it 🙂. Thanks everyone for your help!
Chenelsea3, thats a tough one also. I would retake it though if you think you can raise your overall score by a lot. However, if you don't think you can raise it by much, I wouldn't take it again. While I was taking my poll of whether or not to retake, I got some really good advice from current grad students (I'm a research assistant at one of the Ivy Leagues). Basically, if you don't raise your score by much, you're basically giving the admissions committee a more reliable measure of your score.

However, I think a 1440 is still good. If you're worried, study really hard and make sure your get a better score. But I feel ya, I'm so anxious right now about the apps and I definitely don't want to feel like I could have done better (after the app process is over).

 

[Regression]

I don't think adcomms would give a 1500+ more of a look than a 1440. They don't admit you based on your GRE.

 

[deleted176373]

Yep, GRE is basically go - no go... you either pass the hurdle or you don't. Don't waste more effort on it than you need.

Mark

 

[GradStudent87]

I just took it for the third time, about a year after i last took it, pushed my score up to 570 V, 720 Q. Will that verbal be enough to get me through cutoffs at most schools? I really don't want any part of taking this test again. Thanks for any input.