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Schine · 05-03-2008, 10:54 PM

Hi, guys

I have taken GRE two years ago. My scores were:verbal 600, math 790. However, some people told me to take the GMAT even I already had GRE. I browsed some Finance Ph.D programs which indicate that either is OK or GRE is required. How do you think? If GRE is OK, are my scores enough?

doubtful · 05-04-2008, 02:52 AM

I got in 4 schools with just the GRE which was not even perfect...

desimba · 05-04-2008, 03:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schine

Hi, guys

I have taken GRE two years ago. My scores were:verbal 600, math 790. However, some people told me to take the GMAT even I already had GRE. I browsed some Finance Ph.D programs which indicate that either is OK or GRE is required. How do you think? If GRE is OK, are my scores enough?

Yes if you are applying to PhD programs in Finance which are usually indifferent between GRE and GMAT or prefer GRE, you need not take GMAT. And yes 790 is a great score and should you not get into a program, it clearly won't be on account of your GRE scores.

30261 · 05-05-2008, 06:53 AM

i also got through with just GRE (730+800+4.5)

Schine · 05-05-2008, 11:07 AM

That's really high. Where do you want to apply? Do you think i need to retake GRE?

Quote:

Originally Posted by 30261

i also got through with just GRE (730+800+4.5)

30261 · 05-06-2008, 07:21 AM

i am not sure if we need that kind of score...doubtful and desimba above seem to know better...
i applied to 6 of the top 10 programs (ranked by no. of publications in last 15 years) and got through just one...but again this may not have anything to do with gre scores...and your scores may be good enuf.
what i feel about a retake is that if you honestly think you can perform better with a resonable amount of effort...it is surely worth a try...for e.g. if ur verbal was screwed because of RC and vocab was pretty much ok...then practise RC a little harder and take gre again...
ppl say verbal score may not be that important for finance, but then, gre math hardly serves to differentiate between ppl and therefore, i think, adcom may not be all that ignorant of our verbal scores. and again why let any loose ends in the application?
bottomline: take a mock gre, analyse ur performance, estimate ur score keeping in mind the time u can spend on practising, if this score is 50-60 points higher, then go for it

desimba · 05-08-2008, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 30261

ppl say verbal score may not be that important for finance, but then, gre math hardly serves to differentiate between ppl and

Ppl say verbal score is not important because it is not important for getting into a PhD program in Finance (duh!) Take a look at the economics forum. One of the first threads on that forum is the profile of numerous candidates who have got into Econ PhD programs and you can see that the performance on the verbal section of the GRE has close-to-zero correlation with where somebody got in. I remember from memory the profile of someone who got into more selective places than anybody else I can think of including Stanford GSB Economic Analysis & Policy and Harvard Business School's Business Economics (which by the way is also their Finance program) and he had a verbal score in the 300s. What I think your comment misses is that there are lots of ways for applicants to distinguish themselves to admissions committees such as recommendation letters/ SOPs/ publications, etc. and I am pretty sure that at the places in the top 10, successful applicants would be strong on all of those dimensions.

Ipsofacto · 05-09-2008, 07:52 PM

I think the general consensus is a high Quant and Analytic Writing GRE is enough. You should not have any problem with a 790. Your Verbal of 600 is good too. 4.5 for writing maybe a little bit off the standard 5.0, but I don't think it'll be prohibitive to your overall profile. Some schools publish their class' GRE scores, maybe you can look around and check?

I did not apply for Finance PhD, but also got admitted to a top 10 business school with only GRE.

Schine · 05-10-2008, 11:42 AM

I really appreciate all of your replies. I want to apply for some Finance Ph.D program in 2009. I have contacted some people who told me that the competition is fierce. UIUC only admitted 6 out of 250 applicants and OSU admitted 4 last year. I am really worried about my background.
Under: Biology, non-us university
GPA: 3.7/4.0 (2nd in my department)
Grad: Ag.Econ, some university ranks 80 in the United States
GPA: 4.0/4.0
I took Microeconomics, Finance Management, Corporate Finance, Econometrics, Decision Making, Linear Programming, Managerial Economics, Marketing in the past two semesters. I plan to take some Ph.D level finance/econ courses such as Seminar in Finance, Math and Economics, Time Series Econometrics and Asset Pricing in the next two semesters before graduation.
SOP: I could write a good one
Recommendations: I will get someone who knows me well and will highly recommend me. However, they are not well-known.
Research: it contains some finance elements, but not real finance. Most of the time, I use simulation and linear or non linear programming. I hope something could be published before I graduate.
Due to not so strong background, I really want to improve my profile before November. I guess the reasonable and achievable options would be to do more research and get a higher GRE/GMAT score. Guys, do you have any suggestion for me? Thanks.

asianeconomist · 05-12-2008, 05:08 PM

Actually GRE scores are used as a primary cut-off, not as a differentiator as someone suggested.

05-03-2008, 10:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
Schine Eager! Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 58	Is GMAT necessary if GRE is available? Hi, guys I have taken GRE two years ago. My scores were:verbal 600, math 790. However, some people told me to take the GMAT even I already had GRE. I browsed some Finance Ph.D programs which indicate that either is OK or GRE is required. How do you think? If GRE is OK, are my scores enough?

05-10-2008, 11:42 AM	#9 (permalink)
Schine Eager! Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 58	I really appreciate all of your replies. I want to apply for some Finance Ph.D program in 2009. I have contacted some people who told me that the competition is fierce. UIUC only admitted 6 out of 250 applicants and OSU admitted 4 last year. I am really worried about my background. Under: Biology, non-us university GPA: 3.7/4.0 (2nd in my department) Grad: Ag.Econ, some university ranks 80 in the United States GPA: 4.0/4.0 I took Microeconomics, Finance Management, Corporate Finance, Econometrics, Decision Making, Linear Programming, Managerial Economics, Marketing in the past two semesters. I plan to take some Ph.D level finance/econ courses such as Seminar in Finance, Math and Economics, Time Series Econometrics and Asset Pricing in the next two semesters before graduation. SOP: I could write a good one Recommendations: I will get someone who knows me well and will highly recommend me. However, they are not well-known. Research: it contains some finance elements, but not real finance. Most of the time, I use simulation and linear or non linear programming. I hope something could be published before I graduate. Due to not so strong background, I really want to improve my profile before November. I guess the reasonable and achievable options would be to do more research and get a higher GRE/GMAT score. Guys, do you have any suggestion for me? Thanks. Last edited by Schine : 05-12-2008 at 06:38 PM. Reason: correction

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05-04-2008, 02:52 AM	#2 (permalink)
doubtful Within my grasp! Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 406	I got in 4 schools with just the GRE which was not even perfect...

05-05-2008, 06:53 AM	#4 (permalink)
30261 Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 5	i also got through with just GRE (730+800+4.5)

05-06-2008, 07:21 AM	#6 (permalink)
30261 Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 5	i am not sure if we need that kind of score...doubtful and desimba above seem to know better... i applied to 6 of the top 10 programs (ranked by no. of publications in last 15 years) and got through just one...but again this may not have anything to do with gre scores...and your scores may be good enuf. what i feel about a retake is that if you honestly think you can perform better with a resonable amount of effort...it is surely worth a try...for e.g. if ur verbal was screwed because of RC and vocab was pretty much ok...then practise RC a little harder and take gre again... ppl say verbal score may not be that important for finance, but then, gre math hardly serves to differentiate between ppl and therefore, i think, adcom may not be all that ignorant of our verbal scores. and again why let any loose ends in the application? bottomline: take a mock gre, analyse ur performance, estimate ur score keeping in mind the time u can spend on practising, if this score is 50-60 points higher, then go for it

05-09-2008, 07:52 PM	#8 (permalink)
Ipsofacto Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 14	I think the general consensus is a high Quant and Analytic Writing GRE is enough. You should not have any problem with a 790. Your Verbal of 600 is good too. 4.5 for writing maybe a little bit off the standard 5.0, but I don't think it'll be prohibitive to your overall profile. Some schools publish their class' GRE scores, maybe you can look around and check? I did not apply for Finance PhD, but also got admitted to a top 10 business school with only GRE.

05-12-2008, 05:08 PM	#10 (permalink)
asianeconomist TestMagic Guru-in-Training Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 507	Actually GRE scores are used as a primary cut-off, not as a differentiator as someone suggested.

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