<p>Thanks tx2000! I really appreciate the info!</p>
<p>Obviously retaking the exam is my only solution, but does anyone know if admissions looks down on multiple scores? They say they only take the top score, but they have to notice the other scores, right?</p>
<p>They will see all the scores, as they are all sent in the same report. However, it is not unusual for people to take the GRE twice. Just be sure that you have prepped enough to raise your score significantly. Otherwise, your previous score will simply reinforce your second low score.</p>
<p>I know I can get a much better score next time. Do you think they take it into consideration at all?</p>
<p>Yes, they will.</p>
<p>Dang, maybe I should lower my sights when selecting which schools to apply to</p>
<p>What, you think they will think that someone who received a 780 on their second try is somehow incompetent? That the applicant somehow didn't deserve that second score, because they're obviously intellectually lacking based on the first?</p>
<p>A person who receives a high score on the GRE, second try or not, did so because they understood the material enough to answer the questions posed on the test. I'm sure Michael Phelps has swum the 200m Freestyle in more than 1:42.96 seconds hundreds of times...should we respect him less for it? Admissions committees care about what you're capable of; they focus on the top score because it's assumed you can fluke one way (doing worse than your full potential based on particular circumstances), but it's highly unlikely you'll luck out in the other direction.</p>
<p>Now, if you're taking it every month for half a year in pursuit of the perfect score, then that's pretty suspect. But I think it's silly to worry that you won't be accepted anywhere because you underperformed in one instance that clearly didn't demonstrate your potential. When push comes to shove, people aren't admitted by GRE scores alone--those are just for weeding purposes. If it comes down to you with your two test sessions and someone else with his one, this is not the parameter they will focus on to choose.</p>
<p>Also, tx2000: don't change your plans based on what us spectators are heckling. Some of us are doom-sayers and some are indomitably positive Pollies--if you want more authoritative advice, talk to the professors and advisers in your department. Or take a chance and email the recruiters for your schools of interest.</p>
<p>tx2000, tkm256 summarized it nicely, go for a second dude, and own it!</p>
<p>tx2000, I misunderstood what you were asking. I thought you were asking if they would consider your second score more than your first, and my answer was yes, they will. Sorry about the confusion.</p>
<p>Thanks for the encouragement everyone :)</p>
<p>what's average gre for ivies in hummanities majors
, might i ask?</p>
<p>Well, I got my AW score today. I got a 4.5... That's about what I expected, I just was hoping I'd be suprised with a 5.0. I guess it was a decent score for only preparing 4 hours before the test.</p>
<br>
<p>what's average gre for ivies in hummanities majors</p>
<br>
<p>Even if it were published, it would be meaningless without knowing all the other factors including the complete admissions packages for every student along with the adcom's notes and reasons for acceptance or rejection. And of course, some humanities have different expectations with regard to the Verbal/Quant weighting. And next year it will be completely different again.</p>
<p>that said...</p>
<p>Here at Penn, the numbers mentioned (in an admissions seminar for post-bacs) for Classical Philology and Classical Archaeology were 1400+/5.5 for "top programs" (note that the "Ivies" do not necessarily have the top programs in these fields). The Archaeology side expects a somewhat higher Quant. score than the philology programs. I would think that anything under 1350/5.0 would be a red flag even in "second tier" schools, though it would probably be acceptable for MA only places.</p>
<p>The real gating factor these days is language prep. We've been told 3 years each of Greek and Latin plus German to get past the first screen and get your writing sample read. Then they go to LORs, GPA, and GRE.</p>
<p>Other humanities fields have WILDLY different ranges.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Update!</p>
<p>I took the GRE again today and scored 10 points LOWER! I feel like crying.</p>
<p>My scores today were 480V and 790Q. It's weird because as I was taking the test, I thought I did pretty well on verbal and poorly on quant. I spent the last 2 weeks studying my butt off to raise my quant score and I totally ignored verbal. My essays were probably about as good as last time, so I'm expecting a 4.5.</p>
<p>My scores are probably good enough to get me into grad school, but it still sucks. I took a ETS practice exam last night and got a 690V 800Q. I wish I could do that while taking the real thing.</p>
<p>tx2000, don't sweat it dude, thats one part of your application, just focus on improving other parts if you can (like PS).</p>
<p>Tx2000, that sure blows about losing points the second go around. Still you are applying to engineering grad schools so I doubt that the 480 in verbal will be so awful. I can definitely appreciate your frustration and wish you all the best in your applications.</p>
<p>Wouldn't it be great if schools took the highest score from each attempt? Part of me wants them to notice my previous verbal score, but the other part hopes they won't because my horrible quant score will be sitting right next to it.</p>
<p>tx2000, give yourself some credit for the massive improvement in your Quant score: that's fantastic. And, after all, that Quant score will matter far more than your cumulative score.</p>
<p>To the earlier poster who asked about Ivy League humanities: I get the sense that 700+ Verbal is pretty typical in top-ranked English programs as well, with Quant significantly less important. I've also been told that a 1500 (800 V/700 Q) is a high-ish score even in the Ivy applicant pool. So I'd say 1350/1500 overall, 700/800 Verbal?</p>
<p>Basically, what WilliamC said...including the caveats...seems to apply to fields outside classics and archaeology as well.</p>
<p>Hmmm... I came across a post on another forum that said many universities consider the best score from each test instead of the latest. I guess he emailed admissions at each place he was applying to get that info.</p>
<p>If that's the case, I wonder which numbers I should enter into the application.</p>