{"id":262,"date":"2019-09-03T16:32:33","date_gmt":"2019-09-03T21:32:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=262"},"modified":"2020-09-11T20:40:55","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:40:55","slug":"gre-score-need-to-get","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/gre\/gre-score-need-to-get\/","title":{"rendered":"What score do I need to get on the GRE?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The GRE scores you&#8217;ll need for your graduate school application depend on two factors: the requirements of the school(s) you\u2019re applying to and the overall strength of your application.<br \/>\nWhen you take the GRE, you will get three scores:<br \/>\n<div class='avia-data-table-wrap avia_responsive_table'><table  class='avia-table avia-data-table avia-table-1  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_heading  avia-builder-el-first  avia_pricing_default '  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Table\" ><tbody><tr class='avia-heading-row'><th class=''>Section<\/th><th class=''>Score<\/th><\/tr><tr class=''><td class=''>Quantitative<\/td><td class=''>130\u2013170<\/td><\/tr><tr class=''><td class=''>Verbal <\/td><td class=''>130\u2013170<\/td><\/tr><tr class=''><td class=''>Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA)<\/td><td class=''> 1\u20136<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><style type='text\/css'>.avia-table-1 td:nth-of-type(1):before { content: 'Section'; } .avia-table-1 td:nth-of-type(2):before { content: 'Score'; } <\/style><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Note: to see how these scores translate into percentiles (a percentile tells you how a score compares to the scores of all other test takers), see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ets.org\/gre\/revised_general\/scores\/understand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the testmaker\u2019s table<\/a>.]<\/span><br \/>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_table  el_before_av_iconlist  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >How Competitive Is the Program?<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\nSome graduate schools are highly competitive, with most successful applicants having GRE scores above the 85th percentile. Other programs are less competitive. Some programs in some fields don\u2019t even require GRE scores. To determine the GRE score you need to have a good chance at acceptance, first research the requirements of the program(s) you\u2019ll apply to.<br \/>\n[Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/grad-school-insider\/2015\/06\/02\/whats-good-gre-score\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">What&#8217;s a good GRE score, anyway?<\/a>]<br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many programs provide this information on their website. Sometimes it is easy to find, and sometimes it is somewhat buried. If you have trouble finding this information, try searching for \u201c[school\/program name] class profile\u201d or \u201c[school\/program name] GRE scores\u201d. If the information is not available at the website, you can call the admissions contact and request it.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here are some things to look for:<\/span><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-icon-list-container   avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_hr '><ul class='avia-icon-list avia-icon-list-left av-iconlist-big avia_animate_when_almost_visible avia-iconlist-animate'>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue868' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Some schools have a \"hard cutoff\"<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>Some schools have a <i>hard cutoff<\/i>, such as \u201cTo be considered for admission, applicants must have combined GRE Verbal and Quantitative scores of at least 300 and an AWA score of at least a 3.5.\u201d Keep in mind that meeting the minimum requirement does not guarantee admission. If the school receives a number of applications from people with higher scores, then the school may fill the class with these more competitive applicants. Also, if both you and another applicant just meet the threshold, and the other applicant has a higher GPA or better recommendations or stronger work experience, then the committee will probably prefer that applicant to you.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue81b' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Some schools have a \"soft cutoff\"<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>Some schools have a <i>soft cutoff<\/i>, such as \u201cCompetitive applicants usually have GRE scores above the 50th percentile.\u201d Again, higher scores will be more competitive and can offset any weaknesses in your application, such as a lower GPA. A score below the indicated threshold does not rule out your chance of acceptance, but the rest of your application will have to make a compelling case.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue8b1' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Some schools provide mean scores<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>A school may provide the\u00a0mean\u00a0or\u00a0median\u00a0GRE scores of a recent class or of recently accepted applicants. The mean is the average score. The median is the middle score when all the scores are put in order. Assuming that other parts of your application are reasonably strong, then if your GRE scores are at the mean or median for this program, the admissions committee will probably consider you a good fit and accept you. Keep in mind that many accepted candidates score below the mean\/median, so while a lower GRE score reduces your chance of acceptance, the overall strength of your application may well persuade the admissions committee to accept you. Likewise, a score above the mean\/median does not guarantee acceptance if other parts of your application are weak.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue8c6' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Some schools provide more helpful statistics<\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>The most helpful information to get about a school is the\u00a0interquartile range. For example, a school may say, \u201cThe middle 75% of our most recent class scored in a range of 155\u2013160 on Verbal and 158\u2013165 on Quantitative.\u201d This means that a small proportion of the class scored above these ranges and a small proportion scored below them, but a score in these ranges will position you competitively with applicants the school accepts. The usual caveat applies: scoring within or even above the interquartile range does not guarantee acceptance, since admission is based on all aspects of your application.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><br \/>\n<div   class='hr hr-short hr-center   avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_iconlist  el_before_av_testimonials '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<div   data-autoplay='1'  data-interval='5'  data-animation='fade'  data-hoverpause='1'  class='avia-testimonial-wrapper avia-grid-testimonials avia-grid-1-testimonials avia_animate_when_almost_visible   '>\n<section class ='avia-testimonial-row'><div class='avia-testimonial av_one_full flex_column no_margin avia-testimonial-row-1 avia-first-testimonialavia-last-testimonial' ><div class='avia-testimonial_inner'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia-testimonial-image'  itemprop=\"image\"  ><\/div><div class='avia-testimonial-content '  ><div class='avia-testimonial-markup-entry-content'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>As a very general rule of thumb, most schools care a great deal about the Quantitative and Verbal scores and are only concerned about the AWA score if it is below a 4.0, indicating a potential deficiency in your writing ability. However, this varies widely. In fields that focus on writing, such English literature, journalism, and communications, programs may pay much more attention to your AWA score. In contrast, some science programs care very little about your AWA score. Furthermore, programs differ in how much they emphasize the Verbal and Quantitative scores, with some caring equally about both and others caring more about one than the other.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class='avia-testimonial-meta'><div class='avia-testimonial-arrow-wrap'><div class='avia-arrow'><\/div><\/div><div class='avia-testimonial-meta-mini'  itemprop=\"author\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" ><strong  class='avia-testimonial-name'    itemprop=\"name\" >Paula Fleming<\/strong><span  class='avia-testimonial-subtitle '    itemprop=\"jobTitle\" >Kaplan GRE Instructor<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<\/div><br \/>\n<div   class='hr hr-short hr-center   avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_testimonials  el_before_av_heading '><span class='hr-inner ' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_hr  el_before_av_sidebar  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >How Strong Is Your Application?<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Almost all graduate schools consider your application holistically to determine whether you are a good fit for their program. They want to accept individuals who are capable of doing graduate-level academic work and who are highly motivated to complete a degree program. Thus, they are interested in your demonstrated academic aptitude and your passion for the subject or career field. Having said that, most schools weight the GRE score heavily as an indicator of whether you will be a successful graduate student.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The following are components of your application schools may consider: <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/grad-school-insider\/2015\/06\/02\/whats-good-gre-score\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">GRE score<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Undergraduate GPA<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">GPA in graduate work you may have completed<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Relevant work or volunteer experience<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Personal statement<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/gre\/graduate-school\/graduate-school-recommendations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Recommendations<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Portfolio (fields such as fine arts or architecture)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To find out how much weight a particular program gives to these various components, reach out to the admissions contact.<\/span><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-builder-widget-area clearfix  avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_heading  avia-builder-el-last '><div id=\"text-70\" class=\"widget clearfix widget_text\">\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><p><span data-sumome-listbuilder-embed-id=\"a78fe19e226d385662749ccaadcdccd7ecdcab651c77e3b874bfcb76a80605a7\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><div id=\"text-71\" class=\"widget clearfix widget_text\">\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><p><span data-sumome-listbuilder-embed-id=\"185e834399a9fdd414ded52f3f51a4735f464b8c612f006f44ffba835a649b4f\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The GRE scores you&#8217;ll need for your graduate school application depend on two factors: the requirements of the school(s) you\u2019re applying to and the overall strength of your application. When you take the GRE, you will get three scores: [Note: to see how these scores translate into percentiles (a percentile tells you how a score [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28977,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[68],"tags":[330,323],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=262"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34441,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262\/revisions\/34441"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}