High GRE Low GPA

<p>For the GRE I got 170 Q/ 159 V 3.5 AW, however my gpa is only a 3.4. I'm interested in applying to master's programs in either math or statistics. I go to a top 15 undergraduate university. Would the low gpa and AW score keep me out of top master's programs or are these stats competitive enough</p>

<p>Admission standards for Masters where it is expected that you self-fund are a bit lower than for funded programs. If you have strong letters of reference, then it helps as well. However, at the most selective programs, it is often the case that they have so many applicants that the chances are reduces. You just have to try for a couple of the highly ranked ones and also apply to at least one program that is less selective but where you would feel comfortable going.</p>

<p>What if you had the opposite, high GPA but low GRE ?</p>

<p>The same applied for the most selective programs. However for programs which look at all the students, a strong GPA and letters of reference are more important than the GRE. The GRE really does not tell one anything about how well a student might do in research. Personally, when I look at a graduate applicant, i look for their grades first.</p>