Difference between Q800 and Q790 for admissions?

[daydreamer]

Anyone who honestly thinks that there's a difference between 790 and 800 is way too serious about the whole admissions process. (I definitely agree there's a psychological effect of the "perfect" score, but I'd say this applies more for students/friends/relatives/laymen than for admins who see top scores all the time.)

I would bet it's extremely rare (if not impossible) at the grad school level that two students are so identical that this would be the tie-breaker. That's just admin babble to get applicants out of their hair. Anyway, at that point, I think I'd rather call up Reco writers and ask them another question than go by some arbitrary test score difference. Or just admit them both.

[Freethinker]

Originally Posted by daydreamer

Anyone who honestly thinks that there's a difference between 790 and 800 is way too serious about the whole admissions process. (I definitely agree there's a psychological effect of the "perfect" score, but I'd say this applies more for students/friends/relatives/laymen than for admins who see top scores all the time.)

I agree with this, for adcoms the GRE Quant 800 is not as impressive - at some univs it seems almost a requirement nowadays, but as you said, that's because they see the top scores all the time, so the psychological effect (which they probably had at the beginning) is dulled through repetition. But it would be interesting to see the effect of less common "perfect" scores, such as an 800 GMAT.Unfortunately, this effect is "contaminated" by the fact that a 790 GMAT is extremely impressive too.

[Anand Iyer]

Thanks a lot all for your contributions!!

I definitely agree that 800 in Q means nothing, but let's face it - grad admissions are not fair! Just look at what does your GRE score project about you - I would say it does not say anything much. It could be pure bad luck that you could not get one of the first 5 questions right, or it could be that you don't have the nack for the CBT. But it does not say that you are not fit for grad studies!

Anyway, as many mentioned over here, a perfect score seems to have a psychological effect on the adcom.

[stringyone]

There is no difference. it just means that you made one extra stupid mistake.

I only know 2 math grad students that got an 800Q (most got 790) but ALOT of engineering and econ people with an 800Q. In my book, that speaks volumes.

Originally Posted by Ivo

My professor, a math genius (won several mathl competitions, got his PhD at University of Chicago, worked under Lucas) could not add and multiply numbers or made often gross mistakes. I wonder why is that?

Once you really learn math, simple calculations become trivial. In class, he's focusing on the real material so he doesn't think about the little calculations.

[moo]

Originally Posted by Anand Iyer

It could be pure bad luck that you could not get one of the first 5 questions right, or it could be that you don't have the nack for the CBT.

actually, it's not that cruel. apparently, I screwed up the very second question on the GRE Q, but still walked away with an 800.

[Anand Iyer]

actually, it's not that cruel. apparently, I screwed up the very second question on the GRE Q, but still walked away with an 800.

Try doing the same in the V section

[shoaibakram]

Originally Posted by Freethinker

Yup, it seems an 800 score has a psychological effect, namely, that you "beat the test".

The essence of this idea is that when you got the 800, there is no way to know what would have you gotten if there was the possibility of higher scores - 850, 900, whatever... For obvious reasons, the 790 doesn't have this "no ceiling" effect. This is not my idea, a friend told this to me. What do you think?

Also, never underestimate the aesthetic effect of nice round numbers. We humans are strange creatures.

the 800 guys have percentiles too....isn't tat give an idea of their limits too !