Worth Taking New GRE?

[Sisyphus09]

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I took the old GRE in 2008 and scored a 1280: 670V(93%) 610Q(37%), 6.0 AW(99%). At that time I was content with this score. I got several interviews at competitive PhD programs but no acceptances.

This year I am applying again and I have an excellent research match at my top school, which is also a top-notch counseling program. The website states that competitive candidates typically have GRE scores "above the 50th percentile."

While my overall score passes that threshold, my Q score was at the 37th percentile when I took the test. A conversion chart suggested that my Q is equivalent to a 149 on the new test, which is at the 49th percentile.

I am concerned about the time and money involved in another round of insensitive studying. I believe that my application is strong in most other dimensions. Would you recommend retaking the new test at this point?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

This might seem obvious, but are the scores still good? I know the typical guideline given is 5 years, so yours might be brushing up against that, especially if you took the exam circa September or October. Thus, if the application deadlines are in, say, late December, I'm not sure if your scores wills till be good by then (you'll want to check with each individual program). That could make the decision whether or not to re-take much more straightforward.

With a combined 1280, I'd probably lean toward not re-taking unless I felt fairly confident that I could raise my quant score (based on how adequately I'd prepared for the previous test, and how much better I truthfully believed I could prepare this time).

1280 may not win many "highest GRE in the department" awards, but it likely shouldn't significantly affect your application's standing at anything but the most top-tier programs.

 

[Sisyphus09]

Thanks for your reply and input. Your thinking is consistent with my suspicions and my biases (I really am not eager to take the test again)

I know the typical guideline given is 5 years, so yours might be brushing up against that, especially if you took the exam circa September or October.

That's a great point. I took it on November 8th, so I am hoping that as long as I send the scores out before that date, that everything will be ok.

 

[fallen625]

I would carefully check the guidelines for all your programs. I have encountered a couple programs that required GREs that were taken two years ago.

 

[Sisyphus09]

Basically I just don't want to get into a situation where my Q score scuttles an otherwise strong application. As I mentioned, I have a great match at my top choice school, so my hope is that other factors will trump the GRE. I would re-take if I had to, but I am skeptical that I could put in the effort to raise the score significantly.

 

[icomeheresometimes]

If it changes your mind at all, I did much better on the new GRE's quant because you can skip questions. I went from a 640Q on the old GRE in 2010 to a 161 (which is equivalent to a 770) on the new GRE in 2012. There might have been other factors involved, but I maintain that being able to skip questions on it was huge for me--I really need to move on when I get stuck on a math question.

I understand your reluctance, though. It's time and annoying amounts of $$. Does the school's site show the mean/median GRE-Q for the incoming classes of the past few years?

 

[PsySeeker]

While my overall score passes that threshold, my Q score was at the 37th percentile when I took the test. A conversion chart suggested that my Q is equivalent to a 149 on the new test, which is at the 49th percentile.

!!!!! You are looking at the older defunct concordance table! Your score translates to the 39th (close to the 35th) percentile. This is probably not good. No where near the 50th. I would definitely retake.

 

[Sisyphus09]

Does the school's site show the mean/median GRE-Q for the incoming classes of the past few years?

The Insider's Guide reports a mean of 693 for Quant. On the website they state that last year's applicants had an average quant at the 77th percentile. I interpret means with a grain of salt, of course, but I think I would be at the low end of the quant scores for this program regardless. Whether the rest of my application can overshadow that, who knows?

 

[AcronymAllergy]

I want to say that I made a 640Q on the old scale, and it didn't stop me from getting into a program. I still cleared 1300 (thanks to verbal), so that likely helped, but I think the importance of the quant score can sometimes be overblown. That being said, raising it certainly won't hurt your chances.

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

I want to say that I made a 640Q on the old scale, and it didn't stop me from getting into a program. I still cleared 1300 (thanks to verbal), so that likely helped, but I think the importance of the quant score can sometimes be overblown. That being said, raising it certainly won't hurt your chances.

This. You don't have to have perfect GRE scores to get in places, just apply wisely.

 

[EmotRegulation]

Remember that the norms on the old and the new test are not the same; the concordance tables don't really explain the issues. The old GRE quant section had a relatively low ceiling, so applicants to math-heavy programs (engineering, physics, math) were getting 800s, pushing the percentile rankings down. A 610 quant is a respectable score. Raising it won't hurt, but honestly, most faculty I know are still fuzzy on how interpret the new GRE, so I don't know if retaking it is truly worthwhile. That writing score of a 6 stands out to me as a strength more than the quant score stands out as a weakness. Personally I'd put your time toward working on your statement and not bother with retaking the GRE.

 

[Sisyphus09]

I appreciate the feedback from you all. In general, I agree with the majority that my score is adequate to get in somewhere. Hopefully it will not count against me at my dream program. Considering that my scores are not too far below their average, my reading on this forum suggests that good research match with the POI, research experience, and other aspects of the application will be weighted more heavily in the final analysis.