strange GRE scores

Graduate School
1

<p>Hi all, this is my first time posting here. I am applying to top Ph.D programs in Architectural History. I have a 4.0 in both of my concentrations (History and Architectural History) and a 3.85 overall. I attend an Ivy League university. I have TA'd in my subject for the past two years and I have been having meetings with professors at the various schools to which I am applying. I had been prepping for the GRE for the past few months.</p>

<p>On every practice test I have taken, my verbal has been consistently better than my math score: that disparity is reflective of my abilities. I was usually scoring in the mid-700s on verbal and the mid 600s on math which put me in about the 99th percentile and the 70-something percentile respectively.</p>

<p>But, I took the test for real yesterday and got a 740 math and a 640 verbal. These scores are absolutely baffling to me. What bothers me the most is that these scores are NOT reflective of my abilities at all. I worry about the programs to which I am applying assuming that I am not proficient verbally and I am wondering if I should retake the test. </p>

<p>I would appreciate any advice that you have. I know that some schools consider GREs only as an afterthought and that they are often not a determinant of one's acceptance. Still, if this would in any way hurt my chances, I would prefer to retake. Please advise me!</p>

2

<p>Many schools take an average of your GREs if you've taken them more than once. But a 740q 640v is a respectable score that may not warrant a retake. Just look at the averages of the people who enroll in program/department that you're applying to to get a better idea of supposed "cutoffs".</p>

3

<p>A 640 is in the 90% percentile for verbal; a 740 is in the 79% for quant. This still says you're better with language than mathematics, so I wouldn't worry.</p>

<p>In the practice tests, you generally don't have an AI selecting the next question to ask based on your previous answers. Maybe the AI was too good in this case; it selected easier questions in quant. than you were used to and harder ones in verbal.</p>

4

<p>Your scores are fine. Just apply to the graduate programs.</p>