paradigms

I regret not retaking the exam. Many advised me that an increase in my already strong GRE score would be inconsequential, but in the end, I feel as though I shortchanged myself by not giving myself a chance to increase my score. I'm confident that I would have done better, but I decided against retaking the exam because I spent too much time processing and internalizing others' advice that a retake would be risky, unnecessary, or both. This experience has taught me to trust myself, to approach challenges with great alacrity and above all else, to do what I decide is best for me. I'm no longer a fan of giving or receiving advice because I think that in the end, the best decisions are ones we make after asking ourselves what it is that we want to do and then acting accordingly.

You don't need to worry about forgetting the names of the universities that you selected that your score be reported to because once you receive your official score report in the mail, it'll list the universities on it.

Hi everyone. I realize that I'm posting about retaking the GRE after a strong showing (760 Q, 590 V, 5 AWA), but I'm still agonizing over whether to retake it or not because I think I'm capable of slightly better. My main concern at this point, however, is risk: do any of you believe that retaking the GRE is NOT a risk-free activity in that a possible lower score on the retake could be frowned upon by admission committees and adversely affect my application? I'm applying for some MA in Economics programs and MPP (Public Policy) programs and may use my GRE scores for MBA applications a few years down the road. Most programs that I'm applying to say that they'll accept either the highest total score or highest score from each section, but I still wonder if a score decrease would factor into their admission or funding decisions. Some of my friends have suggested that if I were to retake the GRE I'd have nothing to lose, whereas others have expressed concern that an underwhelming score on the retake could devalue my scores from my first GRE and therefore have negative consequences on my applications. I don't know what to think or how to proceed. What do you think? If anyone has personal experience with either retaking the GRE or electing to not take it again after already scoring well on one's first exam, please let me know why you decided the way you did. Also, I'd be interested to know if anyone has regretted retaking the GRE (in the hopes of raising one's score slightly) after taking it once and scoring well. Thanks.