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GRE score for grad school: submit or not?


Ballycan

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Hi there.

 

I am doing applications for some master degree programs, and I am just no idea whether I have to turn in my gre scores.

I have two gre scores,

 

1. V: 155, Q: 167, AWA: 3.5

2. V: 153, Q: 161, AWA: 4.0

 

even though it is master program, but few of them are doctoral stream so I think GRE score will be important. I am worrying the AWA 3.5. On second exam, I got 4.0 on AWA but I just screwed up Quant and verbal. I am math major so the 161 in Quant is indeed critical and may give a bad impression. Should I turn in only first exam or both? I hope I retake the exam but I do not have enough time to meet their deadlines.

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Math major with Q161?

 

I think that turning in a Q161 would be a death sentence - I'd do the 167/155. I'm just an undergrad though that's what everyone else is going to say. Sucks you got a 3.5, don't know how important it is for the schools you're applying to!

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Yes, that was too bad. Well, I just took the second one in the middle of semester when I quite struggled in **** tons of school works. I totally agree. my math major GPA is near 3.95 and the Q161 may be considered as kind of depreciation of my undergrad math performance. But the 3.5 sucks! I have researched accepted applicants' profile and there are rarely who admitted with AWA less than 4.0.
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Could you list the math classes you took? This could be important.. I mean I think it's 99% you go with the higher Q score but maybe the rigor of your math classes COULD influence this decision. It's the last thing to check (other than the list of schools you're applying to).
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Cal I-III, Linear Algebra, Differential Equation(In progress), Intro to probability, Intro to real analysis, Theoretical Stats(though Stats is not a math, lol), Intro to abstract Algebra(In progress), Dynamical System(In progress, grad level), Numerical Analysis, Math for economists,

+ Intermediate econometrics.

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Okay well in my opinion you do not have enough math to post a 161Q score. Maybe others will disagree but you didn't dive very deep into the math department, so I don't think adcoms would write it off as a fluke.

 

Don't get me wrong you have enough math to go to PhD if the other posters on this site are any indication. But I would need to see a year of intro to real, a year of upper level real analysis, a year of modern algebra, maybe some geometry/topology and optimization or complex analysis before I would say "yeah you are clearly extremely well prepared for math, theres no way you got a 161Q from anything other than a crazy fluke".

 

Of course.... lol I still would probably recommend posting the 167Q score. Good luck that's all I got! Also note if you come from an unknown school then the 161Q is even worse since adcoms won't know the rigor of your coursework!

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I wish I could give you a good opinion on that :) Sadly I am an undergraduate student who is applying next year.

 

Hm.. yes I really am not comfortable telling you which math classes you should take to maximize your chances, this is your life and I am just not informed on this topic. Sorry, hopefully someone else will be!

 

I wish I had asked this myself before - in fact

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Hi there.

 

I am doing applications for some master degree programs, and I am just no idea whether I have to turn in my gre scores.

I have two gre scores,

 

1. V: 155, Q: 167, AWA: 3.5

2. V: 153, Q: 161, AWA: 4.0

 

even though it is master program, but few of them are doctoral stream so I think GRE score will be important. I am worrying the AWA 3.5. On second exam, I got 4.0 on AWA but I just screwed up Quant and verbal. I am math major so the 161 in Quant is indeed critical and may give a bad impression. Should I turn in only first exam or both? I hope I retake the exam but I do not have enough time to meet their deadlines.

 

Submit the first one. Especially if you are not a native speaker. 3.5AWA isn't great, but 161Q is a much bigger red flag in economics. Depending on the masters programs you're applying to, it may not matter. That said, choose the first option.

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Send the one that you got the higher Q in, though the AWA score will hurt you possibly. Also, 'watch' does not know what he's talking about in terms of your math preparation. I would ignore his advice.

 

Depending on what rank your school is and what your letters say, you aren't doing too badly. I would apply broadly across top 30.

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Lol, what are some people ITT talking about? Not enough math? LOOOL. What else should he take for MA Econ?

 

OP I am also applying to grad school, so other people opinions might worth more -- my advice would be submit the high Quant GRE one if a significant number of applicants in the programs you are applying to, submit GRE scores. Otherwise submit none of them (especially if you are native speaker).

 

Btw the difference from 161 to 167 is nothing -- could be one night of bad sleep, or an argument with your girlfriend -- many people have similarly distant numbers on distinct attempts

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Send the one that you got the higher Q in, though the AWA score will hurt you possibly. Also, 'watch' does not know what he's talking about in terms of your math preparation. I would ignore his advice.

 

Depending on what rank your school is and what your letters say, you aren't doing too badly. I would apply broadly across top 30.

 

I never told him what maths he should take. It is a fact however that 1 quarter of real analysis and 1 quarter of modern algebra (in progress too) is not going to make anyone think "yeah this person is excellent at math". I'm sorry - it's just the truth, this isn't much math. The other classes including that intro number theory course aren't part of the core pure math curriculum (an upper level number theory series, like combinatorics would be a different story).

 

Again I never told him any advice about his Econ except that a 161Q would be very bad to send over 167Q which doesn't require any expertise to know. I also urged him to take advice from others in the forum and not take my word for anything, and even told him that I'm only an undergraduate.

 

Seriously, how about you read the posts of the people you berate? If you think he has taken a lot of math then you need to stop giving out math advice because you have no clue what you're talking about.

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Never gave him math advice specifically. Never said he has "a lot of math." No idea what you are talking about. I also wasn't berating you, but it's true that you have little idea of what you're talking about. I've been through the admissions process two years ago and I know through my classmates what admissions looks for.

 

relax and stop being so whiny.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Lol, what are some people ITT talking about? Not enough math? LOOOL. What else should he take for MA Econ?

 

OP I am also applying to grad school, so other people opinions might worth more -- my advice would be submit the high Quant GRE one if a significant number of applicants in the programs you are applying to, submit GRE scores. Otherwise submit none of them (especially if you are native speaker).

 

Btw the difference from 161 to 167 is nothing -- could be one night of bad sleep, or an argument with your girlfriend -- many people have similarly distant numbers on distinct attempts

 

This is very important, and I speak from personal experience. Tabulate the number of questions separating quant scores on the higher-end, and you'll find that it's very few. Random variation and how you test itself can significantly impact your score. If you take the test again (or another time), you'll eventually converge on the score you need (given you have a similar math background as OP).

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