Unofficial GRE cutoffs for University based Psy.D programs

[jph1989]

Hi all, I was just wondering how close to the average GRE of accepted doctoral students is the cutoff for University based Psy.D programs. I recently took the GRE and my score is converted to 1170, 650 in quantitative and 520 in verbal which is around average for some Psy.D programs. However, for some programs like Widener the average is about 1230 for an accepted doctoral student. I tried to call and ask about cutoffs and they gave me some non-response saying, "It's just used as a guideline".

My question is this: If research experience, clinical experience, and GPA are all in order, how far away from the average combined GRE score, and from the average verbal and quantitative scores is it acceptable to be vs taking the exam gain? I understand that GPA and experience play a factor in the question, I'm just wondering how far the "unofficial cutoffs" are from the averages. Thanks in advance for your time.

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[psychRA]

I can only speak to clinical PhD programs, so feel free to disregard. Did you apply this year, or are you applying in the future? If you haven't applied yet, my honest advice would be to retake it with the goal of getting over that 1200 cutoff (or its new equivalent).

Different programs will have different ways of handling this, but some of them do have firm GRE cutoffs, even if they don't make them public. Without divulging my program's name, I can tell you that we had (prior to the new GRE) a cutoff of 1250, and if you were below that, your application was screened out at the first stage of review, before anyone even looked at the rest of your application. I think that most programs are probably a bit more flexible, including PsyD programs, but for the ones that actually use those cutoffs, it would be a shame to waste the time and $ to apply to a program that isn't going to read your application. Since you're so close to that 1200 cutoff, if you have any chance of retaking the test and breaking through that barrier, I say go for it!

 

[arc36322]

I am also wondering about this. Does anyone know it the Rutgers Psy.D. program has an unofficial GRE cutoff score?

 

[sacredrage]

VERY general rule of thumb: score above a 1200.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

VERY general rule of thumb: score above a 1200.

I'd second this; 1200 is the "unofficial" number I've heard mentioned most often as the score to shoot for when taking the GRE. My undergrad advisor actually told me to break 1300, although that might've been 1) so that I would aim higher than necessary rather than just trying to get the "bare minimum," and 2) to compensate for a below-average GPA (3.4-ish).

 

[voyeurofthemind]

Hi all, I was just wondering how close to the average GRE of accepted doctoral students is the cutoff for University based Psy.D programs. I recently took the GRE and my score is converted to 1170, 650 in quantitative and 520 in verbal which is around average for some Psy.D programs. However, for some programs like Widener the average is about 1230 for an accepted doctoral student. I tried to call and ask about cutoffs and they gave me some non-response saying, "It's just used as a guideline".

My question is this: If research experience, clinical experience, and GPA are all in order, how far away from the average combined GRE score, and from the average verbal and quantitative scores is it acceptable to be vs taking the exam gain? I understand that GPA and experience play a factor in the question, I'm just wondering how far the "unofficial cutoffs" are from the averages. Thanks in advance for your time.

My score was right where yours was last year and I applied to several university based PsyD programs. I was accepted to all of them. Obviously there is more at stake than just the GRE score but most likely in that area you should be fine.

 

[clawless23]

Hi all, I was just wondering how close to the average GRE of accepted doctoral students is the cutoff for University based Psy.D programs. I recently took the GRE and my score is converted to 1170, 650 in quantitative and 520 in verbal which is around average for some Psy.D programs. However, for some programs like Widener the average is about 1230 for an accepted doctoral student. I tried to call and ask about cutoffs and they gave me some non-response saying, "It's just used as a guideline".

My question is this: If research experience, clinical experience, and GPA are all in order, how far away from the average combined GRE score, and from the average verbal and quantitative scores is it acceptable to be vs taking the exam gain? I understand that GPA and experience play a factor in the question, I'm just wondering how far the "unofficial cutoffs" are from the averages. Thanks in advance for your time.

I have applied to 4 university based Psy.D. programs, and I'll tell you that my GRE scores were less than immaculate. (41st % in quantitative, 57% in Verbal, 5.5 in writin, which converts to around a 980 on the old test.) All of the programs that I have applied to have asked for at least a 1200, and currently, I have received interview invites for two of them and no rejections... yet.

 

[thepug]

1200 yes, but a 600 verbal is a must for PhD at least.

 

[musiclovepsych]

I have applied to 4 university based Psy.D. programs, and I'll tell you that my GRE scores were less than immaculate. (41st % in quantitative, 57% in Verbal, 5.5 in writin, which converts to around a 980 on the old test.) All of the programs that I have applied to have asked for at least a 1200, and currently, I have received interview invites for two of them and no rejections... yet.

which PsyD programs did you apply to?

 

[irish80122]

1200 yes, but a 600 verbal is a must for PhD at least.

I got into a PhD program with less than 600 verbal (quant was definitely my strength). The problem is that every program is different. My undergraduate program really emphasized GRE scores, but my graduate program uses a 1000 cutoff. Just depends on the program and on the advisor, as some have their own cutoffs that they use.

For the person who said they heard at least 1300, that is what I heard as well. I know many people who got in with less, but I think it is a good number to shoot for.

 

[Ollie123]

>1300 should mean your GRE won't hold you back from getting interviews anywhere. >1200 seems fine for most schools, but top research programs generally have cutoffs above that. I had a 1250 and it was a definite weak point that got me cut from many places (but keep in mind I was aiming very high).

I have no idea where the "600 verbal" comes from. I didn't have that and got into a very selective clinical science program. If anything, PhD programs seem to care more about your quant than your verbal.

 

[248712]

Just a word of encouragement...there may be guidelines, but there are not always hard and fast rules. I am a student at a small university based (funded) PsyD program, and I had VERY low (like, barely breaking 1000) GREs. However, I had a 3.8 GPA, several publications, research experience with a major medical school, and several years of community mental health and research internships. I am also a great fit for the program in terms of research interests represented by faculty. I just don't standardize test well, and that was what I told them on the interview.

I may be the exception to the rule, but it does happen. And I like to think I've proven that the GRE is not the end-all-be-all, because I have been a great student, researcher and clinician (and just recently got a very good number of internship interviews for the match). It can be done.