GRE (quant) importance

[EnLaPlaya]

Perhaps this is a silly question, but can someone explain me why so much stress during the PhD econ admission process is put on whether the applicants can deal with elementary/high school math? I simply cannot imagine someone who has severe problems with such stuff and still aims for econ PhD; self-selection should work here pretty well and the test, more than an indicator of the applicant´s quantitative abilities, becomes a pain in the @ss. Does it have to do something with the American educational system, for instance? (I´m not from the US, I should say)

[unitroot]

I think there are two reasons.

First, many departments get too many applications. Using GRE, and perhaps GPA cut-off points, helps them to reduce the number of applications they need to evaluate. Once the application gets past the GRE cut off check, there is little or no emphasis on GREs.


Second, some adcoms to some extent believe that the score in the quantitative section of the GRE test is a predictor of performance in the PhD program, and they may use it as a criteria for admissions or financial aid. This might not be true for all departments, but I have heard one professor say that he indeed believes, based on his own analysis of past applications, that the quantitative GRE score indeed has a predictive power for performance in PhD program.

In my opinion, a good GRE score does not necessarily get one into a PHD program. However, a bad score in the quantitative section can certainly outright send the application into the rejected pile. I agree that the quantitative GRE is kind of silly because of its emphasis on high school mathematics. However, this is WHY one should definitely get a good score on it. I don't think getting a good quantitative grade makes the application shine, but a bad grade can certainly make the application look bad.

[breakz]

Let me add that a number of studies show that there's little correlation between GRE quant scores and grad school success. It's more of a "cute math IQ" test than a real measure of skill.

Knowing that, you still need to get a score that won't place you in your target schools' reject piles.

[oldprogrammer]

I agree with unitroot's first point - it's really fast for the AdCom to use that simple score to filter out those applicants who will likely not be able to handle the mathematical rigor of a graduate program. So it's not really a measure of potential success as much as it is a measure of potential failure. I imagine it working as follows: the AdCom looks at a high score as a pass, but a low score as a fail. Those with a passing score, probably around 760 or so, will go into the pile to look at the rest of the application.

When you look at top schools with an average score of 800 (or close to it), I don't believe that's because the AdCom requires an 800. I think it's because the people who get an 800 are the ones who adequately prepared for admission into a top program in all other aspects of their application (LORs, SOP, research experience, etc).

[Antichron]

One of my favorite Testmagic quotes:

Originally Posted by Skipper

... getting a high GRE score is sort of like not having a felony conviction -- it's a necessary condition for getting accepted, but it doesn't really help you that much.