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Without admitting anything (like I just got back from taking it), I was wondering what a "good" score is. I'm going to go to grad school and was wondering if I need to take it again. All the school's at which I've looked say something inane like "the higher the better" for score range. Stupid schools.
But seriously, what's considered good?
Posts: 3932 | Registered: Sep 1999
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In most of the top programs, ‘ball park’ starts at about 1300. This is not a strict cutoff. However, with scores less than 1200, your chances of getting into the top program are minimal
I really don't know, Carrie - since I've never done graduate work. I just got that (above) off of This Site
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(Note: my advice is based on my current status as a professional GRE prep instructor, so take that for what it is or isn't worth)
It really depends on what you need. For one thing, the raw scores themselves aren't as significant as the percentiles, but even more important is what kind of scores the programs to which you are applying want.
For example, my score in math was a 560 (65th percentile), while my score in verbal was 710 (around 95th, I think). For my programs, though, the math score was unimportant, while the verbal score was vital.
Incidentally, of the three scores, I was most proud of the math one, since I hate math and haven't taken a math class since 1990 and still did better than about two-thirds of those taking the test.
As for the writing section, nearly half the test-takers get 5.0 or over, so you should get at least that to be taken seriously by most programs. Also, raw scores in math are generally higher than those in verbal, so a 700 in verbal looks a little better than a 700 in math.
Finally, I'd like to add that the word "verbal" cracks me pretty consistently up because it sounds like "gerbil," which is a very, very funny word.
Posts: 1068 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I agree with Kat on the approximate ranges. But when I took the GREs (a little more than 2 years ago) the Analytical was scored on the same scale as the Math and Verbal, so anything above a 700 was good. But I think they might have been about to phase out the Analytical section altogether in favor of an essay section.
Also, which score matters more obviously depends on your field. I wouldn't get too bent out of shape out the scores either. I think other things like recomendations and research experience matter more. I've never heard of anyone with anything over a 600 being rejected because of their score, as long as they were strong in other areas. On the other hand, if you are weak in another area, a really kick-ass score can put you over the top.
Posts: 96 | Registered: Jun 2001
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By the way, I highly recommend taking practice tests. I took the GRE twice - the first time cold, having never taken a standardized test online. The second time I took it I practiced slightly, and my math score stayed about the same (curses!), but verbal went up 90 points. Totally worth it.
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It definately depends upon what type of program you apply to. The verbal score didn't really factor in as much as the math / analytical did for me. From many of the CS they were expecting at the very least a 700 in math. I know that one of my friends in a different field said her GRE didn't matter at all and what mattered was her portfolio of stuff and her recommendations.
So I guess the real question is what program are you trying to go into. Something in the fine arts or writing might not care as much. Sciences care more. Other stuff can be inbetween.
Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Upon further review (as in I skimmed the American Philological Association's 2003 Guide to Graduate Programs in the Classics in the US and Canada), I think my score's not half-bad. It was a 1410 - 610 Verbal, 800 Math (writing's not back yet; I did just take them today... )
Since I plan on going into Classics, I think my Verbal score should/could be higher, but I really don't want to pass up my 800 - especially since the applications all want your most recent score. Most of the programs I'm looking at say barebones one needs a 1200, so I think I'm alright with my score.
Thanks for the insights!
Posts: 3932 | Registered: Sep 1999
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Yes the analytical section was fun! It was the section they gave me twice too. I think this might make us very strange people Icarus.
Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Check with the school you plan to attend and see what the limits are on GRE scores. Sometimes they vary from program to program. I bombed on my math but blew the verbal part of the test out of the water. In spite of my math, I still scored high enough to get into the grad school program of my choice. I'm sure the fact that my program is a writer's program helped a lot.
The best you can do for yourself is to focus on what you can do with this score and go on. I'll bet you'll be fine.
Posts: 392 | Registered: Aug 2004
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I studied for two solid months for that GRE. I pretty much had to relearn algebra, geometry, and trig. I did about as good as I'll ever do on a math test, so that score definitely didn't disappoint me.
It got me into grad school. Good riddance. Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001
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Incidentally, in the spirit of blatant plugs, the new BYU-run GRE Prep Course starts on Saturday, so if any of you Utah County-area Hatrackers want to see yours truly (and/or improve your GRE score), sign up today!
Posts: 1068 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Oooh! I want to join the fun too! When the computer showed my scores after taking the test, I had to clap my hand over my mouth to keep from squealing. All the practice tests I'd taken had given significantly lower scores, so I didn't believe the computer at first...
Verbal: 780 Math: 730 Writing: 5.5
And I had been very much looking forward to the analytical section... stupid essays aren't as much fun.
Edit to contribute something other than my scores: There are a couple of livejournal communties for grad students and people applying that have a lot of good info. I also remember there being a lot of classics people. You may want to check them out, I think they're 'gradstudents' and 'applyingtograd.' Be warned, however, that there are plenty of obsessive people there and it may only serve to make you obsessive, as well.
Should have been a bit higher on the math, since I was a math major, dammit. And while the Verbal scores do fall in my predicted range (the extreme low end, but still in range), I remain convinced to this day that I mismarked a portion of the test.
I also took the Math one, and got a 590 in that. Eh. Not bad, but I could have been higher, if I had studied more.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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The first time I took it, to get into my master's program, I got 790 math, 760 verbal, 750 analytical. I took it again two years later, thinking about going for a Ph.D. (which I never did) and got a 2400.
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I have long known that I'm not really smart enough to post here at Hatrack. But I just take it a day at a time.
Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001
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Yeah, but by this time I had already made a living for three years teaching people to prepare for this test, so it's kind of like if I had to take an Algebra II test today.
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That's actually almost a funny story, Farmgirl. I came into college planning to be a Math major and actually stayed with it for three semesters, getting through Linear Algebra. I had maybe five classes left in the major before it would have been done. However, I'd started taking Classics courses - it'd been an obsession of mine since Christmas when I was 8. So the plan was to double-major... and honestly, "I'm majoring in Math and Classics" just sounded cool. Then, while registering for the Spring semester of my sophomore year, I looked at the titles of the Math courses and none of them looked interesting. I thought "Who actually wants to take a class called 'Advanced Calculus'?" I realize now that I probably should have stuck with it and doubled, but had I done that, I wouldn't have gone to Greece. So I'm quite alright with passing up math.
It's funny, though, my sister was talking to me through IM the other day, and she was complaining about her high school Calculus and how hard it was and how stupid she felt (FYI: She's most assuredly not stupid - and I'm not just saying that out of sibling loyalty). Anyhow, I told her that Calc wasn't that bad and they can't be doing much more than graphing lines at this point and she came right back with "Well, we're not all math geniuses like you." It's not my fault high school (and most college math I had) was easy. Then again, she probably took my math sympathy with several grains of salt, as she was helping me clean my room when I found my derivative practice... from kindergarten.
No, no, Classics for me. I find the mysteries much more interesting to ponder. And if my checkbook happens to be correctly balanced, so what? Posts: 3932 | Registered: Sep 1999
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So, in preparation for Ph.D. programs I had to take the GRE (again) and the GRE Lit. test. I was relieved (since I teach a GRE prep class) to get an 800 in Verbal this time. Not surprisingly, my math score stayed about the same (hovering around 50th percentile).
And today I finally got my Lit. score (700, 95th percentile). I was very pleased with it, considering I know very little about literary theory and drama after Shakespeare. I was actually very fortunate in the materials chosen for the particular version of the test I took.
Posts: 1068 | Registered: Aug 2000
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If it didn't cost so much money to take, I'd probably take my GRE over again. (I'm pretty sure that my scores are good enough that taking the GRE again won't make or break things, or I'd be willing to spend the extra money.) I got an 800 on verbal, but I didn't do all that well on quantatative analysis section (about a 650) - and what made that especially annoying was that I got a 700 quantatative on the practice test I took, so it was a big and disappointing drop.
Still haven't gotten my writing score back yet.
I wish I knew if the field I'm going into would most likely care more about my math scores or my verbal scores.
Is it true that the math section is easier on the GRE than on the SAT? Because that what I'd heard, and yet I got a 700 on math on my SAT, about fifty points higher than on my GRE....
Posts: 196 | Registered: Jul 2002
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[brag]My brother got a 2400, and *he* didn't even have to teach (or take) a prep class to do it.[/brag]
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I'm really impressed with the > 750 verbal scores. I did okay on verbal, but man on at least one of the questions, I had never seen any of the words before.
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I got in to a grad program without a GRE score. Granted, I already had a Master's, but still.
Posts: 10645 | Registered: Jul 2004
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