Getting in without GRE

[Paul ML]

I failed in my last GRE (720 Q) and I’m afraid of failing again next month.
Do you a good economics PhD that doesn’t require it ? I know that in US you must submit it, but I am thinking in Europe as my second option.
Thanks.

[italos]

A guy in the graduate cafe this year said that he got in to Princeton with a 730q on GRE but at the same time he said he was having a letter from Stanley Fisher.Retake the test and come back to us if you still cannot improve it for further discussion
(did you do Barron's?If not do it. It is a must).

[Canuckonomist]

To my knowledge, unless you're from the country of the university you're considering, you usually have to submit a GRE. I know LSE requires it of everyone not UK, and I believe so does Warwick and UCL. That being said, a friend of mine was admitted to UCL on a 670Q (she doesn't take standardized tests well). So, while it may be required in some Euronations, It may not matter a whole lot if the rest of your profile is strong.
Canadian universities require it of internationals.

[italos]

Originally Posted by Canuckonomist

I believe so does Warwick and UCL..

No warwick does not require a GRE at all.UCL requires it from everyone without an econ MSc from MSc

[YoungEconomist]

Originally Posted by Paul ML

I failed in my last GRE (720 Q) and I’m afraid of failing again next month.
Do you a good economics PhD that doesn’t require it ? I know that in US you must submit it, but I am thinking in Europe as my second option.
Thanks.

I don't know anything about non-US PhD programs. However, what rank would you be willing to go in the US? Some lower ranked programs take people with similar GRE scores. Also, what does the rest of your profile look like?

Honestly though, you should just retake it. I was so worried when I first started preparing for the GRE because I was terrible (getting around 500 on practice tests). It's amazing where 3 - 4 weeks of hard studying will get you (I wound up with a 780). The test is very learnable (as long as you're somewhat comfortable with math). You just have to learn all the little tricks and how to correctly manage your time. You really don't have to improve your score that much, as a 760 is way better than a 720 and will really open up a lot of doors (not to mention the doors that will be open with a 800). As has been said many times on this forum, it seems that the QGRE gets your foot in the door, so that adcoms will take the rest of your profile seriously. A low QGRE score makes it difficult to get past the first round of cuts.

[GymShorts]

I wouldn't even bother applying to places that get a large number of applicants, because these schools tend to use the GRE as a filtering mechanism. However, on the other hand, decent smaller programs that get fewer applicants might not need to filter their applications. So they might at least take a look at your application.

That being said, if you prepare some more, you should be able to get a 760, which is acceptable for most schools. If you don't have time to prepare for this application cycle, I would do a 1 year RAship, and use that time to study and retake the GRE.

[Profgif]

You should retake the GRE after a rigorous preparation (at least 4 to even 8 hours per day for 15 to 30 days solving problems in the multitude of practice tests available). Anyway, there are indeed top 100 schools with interesting programs which apparently don't ask for GREs, one of them seems to be the PhD in Business Administration and Quantitative Methods in Carlos III (Spain). If you choose to apply with your current GRE anyway, you should take a look at past profiles and where they applied to, I remember to have seen some applicants with low GREs there.

[EnLaPlaya]

Europe: Barcelona GSE (~ UPF MSc.), UAB, U Carlos III, EUI, Bocconi... just to name a few. Guess you have an access to the internet, so you can easily find some more by yourself. They usually strongly suggest that you provide GRE results but I dare doubt they really play a significant role in the admission process.

[italos]

Originally Posted by EnLaPlaya

Bocconi..

Bocconi requires a GRE unless you do not come from an Italian university!

[EnLaPlaya]

Originally Posted by italos

Bocconi requires a GRE unless you do not come from an Italian university!

"Candidates without the GRE (point 5 above) test results will still be considered in the application pool, but the chances of admission strongly depend on performance in the GRE tests."

ADMISSION CRITERIA - Universita' Bocconi