<p>Background: I transferred from a community college (4.0 GPA after 2 years) to a top 10 engineering program. I earned a 3.4 GPA during my first year at the new school and will be graduating in the Spring. I have 3 strong letters of recommendation from research mentors (over 3 years of research experience - no publications but several poster presentations and research awards).</p>
<p>My GRE scores were 163 verbal (91%), 160 quant (78%), and 5 writing (93%). </p>
<p>I am applying to top 10 programs in bioengineering and want to start graduate school next fall, should I retake the GRE to raise my quant score? Do I even have a shot?</p>
<p>My son is a BioE major and looking at top 10 Biomedical Engineering Ph.d. program. He was advised to have a quant of 95% or above. Of course, GRE scores are only one component of your application, so being strong in other areas may help.</p>
<p>Not sure if that is a hard and fast cut off, but that is what he is being advised.</p>
<p>I would definitely see if you can take the test again and try to get that Q score up as much as you can, then see what happens.</p>
<p>How confident are you that you can score higher?</p>
<p>You will find a varying emphasis on GRE scores from engineering schools and professor to professor within each school. So it depends on which schools in the top 10 you are shooting for. Having said that, your Q score is a bit low for any school within the top 10. Whether that’ll have a substantial effect on your application is not something we or they can tell you.
I can tell you that private engineering schools tend to have a higher average on the GRE.
I can tell you that Princeton engineering 'applicant’s average 158V 164Q, but it’s admitted students are 161V&165Q. These are the highest scores you’ll find among engineering schools.
Caltech’s is probably a bit higher. But public top engineering schools tend to not have as high averages. I don’t think either of these schools have bioengineering though. </p>
<p>Perhaps, contact profs at potential schools and see what their opinion is or they have specific reqs on GRE scores.</p>