<p>I'm wondering on your thoughts of how important GRE scores are when applying to East Asian/Japanese departments. I am applying to a number of schools but my GRE scores are pretty pathetic with a 161 verbal and 145 quantitative. </p>
<p>That said, I have not had a lot of success finding any information regarding the GRE in relation to East Asian studies. It seems to often to lumped in with "English" though I am not sure that is a true reflection of the admissions qualifications. </p>
<p>For what it's worth, I have talked to a couple of the programs I am applying to (both top tier) and they said they don't place much emphasis on the quantitative score (but that may be just be lip service?).</p>
<p>I'm wondering if I should re-take the test or forge on and work on my writing sample (which I think is pretty solid). If I took the test again it would be in 3 weeks and I don't see my math score going up all that much, I haven't really studied math in 10 years and even the. I was dismal. I could improve the verbal score, I do have confidence in that - but I wonder if it will make a big difference. I am teetering along financially and another test would be a hit, but one I'd have to take if necessary.</p>
<p>Any thoughts? Advice? Any other East Asian students/applicants care to share their impression of the GRE?</p>
<p>I am also applying to graduate school. Our verbal scores are similar. You are right, your 145 quantitative isn’t the most impressive, but it also bears very little relevance to what you want to do.</p>
<p>What kinds of programs are you applying for? A lot of departments don’t really care about the GRE past a certain point for admission, but it often influences offers of funding. </p>
<p>Various schools have their statistics available. For masters programs in East Asian Studies, the avg. quant scores are usually somewhere between 157 and 162 or so. </p>
<p>GRE scores are pretty much universally the least important part of your application. I’m not sure, but I get the sense that for humanities fields, they are even less important. On the other hand, although most humanities programs don’t care too much about quantitative, the graduate school itself may have a lower limit beneath which they are reluctant to admit students. Although that doesn’t mean that you absolutely won’t get in, it does mean that the department may have to fight to get you past them, and how much they fight is going to depend on how much they want you (i.e., how attractive a student you are).</p>
<p>I think that you should trust the department. Why would they lie to you? What purpose would that serve? If they say they don’t place much emphasis on the quant score, that’s probably true.</p>
<p>A 145 puts you in the 22nd percentile. If you were in the 40s, I would say don’t worry about it at all, don’t retake. But…that’s kind of low. This one’s really a judgment call on your part.</p>