Should I re-take the GREs?

[Cornish]

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Hi everyone,

Firstly, I want to thank everyone for helping me with all my questions - this message board is great!

I took the GREs for the first time in early August and got a 1250 (590 Q / 660 V). I'm good in verbal but not great in math, as you can tell. But the 1250 total seems pretty good.

So the question is, should I take it again? I studied hard but was VERY nervous before/during the exam...I went to the bathroom 3 times in the 10 minutes before the exam. I mean, I could barely control my bladder not to be to graphic. All my practice exams were over 1300 so I was upset I didn't hit that mark, but I realllyyy don't want to go through that again.

Any advice?

 

[ShelterGirl]

If you have the time, I'd say do it again. The quantitative score is pretty darn important, and it sounds like you have the capability to do better based on the practice exams - just had a rough day for the real thing.

 

[sofficat]

i totally wouldn't do it again. not only b/c it is not any fun, but 1250 is pretty darn good. why go thru all that again for 50 more points (maybe). poo on the gre.

 

[cubs11]

cornish - what practice exams did you use? the ones on the cd sent from ETS after registering for the test?

 

[abou]

The other problem is that some schools need you to take the exam within a certain window. I think for most schools that time has passed and you would need to wait until next year to apply then.

 

[bakaduin]

I got a 1260 (720 Q, 540V) and asked my advisor (who was on the admissions board in the past) if I should take the test again. He said unless I can vastly improve my score then no. He said 1260 is plenty good and so Id say your 1250 is too!

 

[ri23]

The other problem is that some schools need you to take the exam within a certain window. I think for most schools that time has passed and you would need to wait until next year to apply then.

I disagree with this, for most schools the test just has to be taken by October 1st. I think you mine as well retake it, you don't want to regret not taking it again down the road. Even though 50 points or so may not seem like a lot, for a lot of schools that give you points based on GRE/GPA and then a subjective point that extra point you got from the GRE may really help.

 

[chris03333]

retake it, you don't want to regret not taking it again down the road. Even though 50 points or so may not seem like a lot, for a lot of schools that give you points based on GRE/GPA and then a subjective point that extra point you got from the GRE may really help.

UNLESS you are like me and score worse on the part you were trying to improve (of course my other 2 scores were the exactly the same as try 1 (and this was after busting my @ss for a few months studying for my weak section (verbal)😳

In the end it did not hurt me, but boy did I regret retaking the GRE...

 

[Cornish]

Thanks for all the advice - I feel better about my score but I'm still torn about what to do.

Does the quant matter more than the verbal, or is it the total score that really counts?

I took practice tests from Kaplan and from ETS. I actually thought the practice ETS CD was easier than the real thing...oh well.

Also, I thought the GREs were good for 5 years? I plan on applying next year to schools so I assumed my score will be valid then. Am I wrong?? 😱

 

[Angelo84]

The scores have been valid in the past for five years. The question comes up if ETS is changing the GRE. If you are not applying until next year then I would take the GRE again as long as you think you can improve.

 

[nyanko]

Does the quant matter more than the verbal, or is it the total score that really counts?

I was under the impression that what matters is the percentile. That has to be a pretty low quant percentile..

 

[Spartanvet4cows]

I think they definitely look heavily at percentiles. This results in needing a higher quant score because people generally do better on the math. Someone can have a 730 on the quant and just make the 90th percentile, but a 610 on the verbal is right up there in the 90's. (these weren't my scores, just examples.) As long as your school accepts scores for tests taken as late as October 1, it might be worth it. Despite the fact that your combined score is above the average for admissions, you may want to raise that quant. Your score is good for 5 years I'm pretty sure, but I think what someone was saying is that certain schools don't accept scores after a particular date. Good luck! I know the GRE is a crappy test.

 

[RockStarKDub]

Someone can have a 730 on the quant and just make the 90th percentile, but a 610 on the verbal is right up there in the 90's.

Case in point: my quant 740 was only 82nd percentile, while my verbal 620 was 90th!

 

[hankeroo]

Cornish,

I was in the same boat as you. I was a basket-case before and during the test. Nerves! I too am better at verbal than at math. I took a Princeton Review course and studied a ton last year. I got:
Q: 560 and V: 690 A: 4.5.
I only applied to Tufts, was rejected and they told me that this GRE score was a major component.

This year, got a MATH (not GRE tutor) and took the test again. I got:
Q: 700 and V: 700 A: 5.0
The work (and pain) was all worth it! 👍 The other thing I did was get a Learning Specialist/Personal Coach type of person to help me find strategies to deal with the anxiety.

Hang in there!

 

[abou]

I plan on applying next year to schools so I assumed my score will be valid then. Am I wrong?? 😱

Oh, well since that is the case if you feel you have the energy to take the exam again then go for it. I took it once, got a 1380 and said that is it. I suppose if I wanted to work more at it and take it again I could have gotten over a 1400, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Good luck then.

 

[spikey]

Penn's admissions says they care more about the Q than V, so if applying there, i'd retake to raise that score.

 

[pika8]

I took the gre and scored substantially better the second time i took it. my quantitative score went up a lot--I think the second time you take it, you will be less nervous. Just knowing what to expect helps...
Overall, I don't think it hurts to try to take it again...and you haven't missed the window on a bunch of schools.

 

[ferral]

Keep in mind that ETS is adding 2 new question types starting in November...
So, even if you plan to apply next year, you may want to consider taking it soon before it changes.

What schools do you want to apply to? Some schools put more weight on the GRE than others. Also, for some schools 1250 is solid, whearas others (cornell, tufts etc) the average accepted applicant has a significantly higher GRE.

I am in the same boat: did well on Verbal and not as well on math... planning to apply next year so I'm debating wether or not to retake and when to retake if I do. I got a 1310 total but in terms of math percentile, I didn't do so hot and I would HATE for the GRE to be the one thing that keeps me from getting an acceptance. 😳

 

[philomycus]

poo on the gre.

I concur 😀

My GRE score stinks, but I really didn't think I could score higher enough to make a difference. I just stink at standarized timed tests, where you can't go back to questions. That part stinks like poo...the really bad kind of poo.

 

[rexosaurus]

I concur 😀

My GRE score stinks, but I really didn't think I could score higher enough to make a difference. I just stink at standarized timed tests, where you can't go back to questions. That part stinks like poo...the really bad kind of poo.

like monkey poo

 

[cattykitty]

I think I have the opposite problem as you. I got 790 on Q, and 450 on V the first time I took it, which is not a surprise because I am a lot better at math than at verbal part.

I know I'm definitely going to take it again, it's just I'm not a native speaker, and it's so hard to raise the score. I was never able to pass the 600 mark on the old SAT verbal section. So I know it will be just as hard (or even harder) for me to improve on the GRE. Anyone has any good suggestions on how to improve on the verbal section?

So I guess if you know you can do better than that, why not take it again? I know for sure that UC Davis focus more on Q (~10%) and writing (~10%) than V (~4%).

 

[cyrille104]

Definitely definitely retake it. Most schools care a whole lot more about quantitative.

 

[Catnip]

The GRE weighs differently at different schools. Also, if you are a borderline student without much broad experience, it can definitely make a difference and I wouldn't hesitate to take the test again.

That said, where is it that you plan on applying to and how does the rest of your application look?

 

[rosemma]

I wasn't happy with my first score and figured that part of that was due to anxiety. So I memorized more vocab, worked on reading comprehension, and barely did any math... retook the exam 2 months later. Second time around I did much better. The vocab really helped me with the verbal and the lack of nerves increased my Q. I would say retake it and try to just not stress. As the cheesy saying goes... you miss 100% of the shots you never take. good luck.

 

[david594]

What did you do to learn more vocab? Thats the section that really scares me and I dont know where to start. Reading the dictionary doesnt seem like a practical idea.

 

[rosemma]

There are GRE verbal workbooks to use - I just did practice problems from those. I memorized the 500 most commonly used GRE words from "GRE Exam Vocabulary Flashcards Flip-O-Matic"... just search Amazon.com for "GRE verbal"

 

[sofficat]

I memorized the 500 most commonly used GRE words

now... how is this going to help us be better vets!!!!??!!!! the gre drives me crazy. i think it is great, rosemma, that you were able to do that and do a lot better on the gre, but it infuriates me that you (and all of us!) had to waste our time just to 'do good' on the gre. wouldn't it have done us better to, i don't know, spend those 300 hours learning about...hmm... animals? ah! 😡😡😡😡😡

 

[abou]

now... how is this going to help us be better vets!!!!??!!!! the gre drives me crazy. i think it is great, rosemma, that you were able to do that and do a lot better on the gre, but it infuriates me that you (and all of us!) had to waste our time just to 'do good' on the gre. wouldn't it have done us better to, i don't know, spend those 300 hours learning about...hmm... animals? ah! 😡😡😡😡😡

Yeah... but that would be logical.

 

[rosemma]

Don't get me wrong - if the GRE were a person I would like to sucker punch it right in the back of the head. But we gotta do what we gotta do!