Although there are many issues that individuals applying to graduate school must address, one of the most important pertains to GRE scores. Specifically, aspiring graduate students need to gain a basic understanding of what constitutes a good GRE score so that they can increase the likelihood of gaining admittance into the learning institution of their choice.
Below you will find basic information that can help you answer the question, “What is considered a good score on the GRE?”
GRE Basics
The term “GRE” is an acronym that stands for Graduate Records Examination. This exam is taken by students in order to analyze their preparedness to handle graduate level work. To accomplish this objective, the GRE analyzes the student’s quantitative and verbal reasoning capabilities. Additionally, the test examines the student’s analytical writing and critical thinking skills. The GRE is a general test rather than one geared toward analyzing the student’s aptitude within a specific region of study. However, there are subject tests that the student can take in areas such as computer science, math, English literature, psychology, physics, chemistry, biology, and biochemistry.
What Is A Good GRE Score?
Determining what constitutes a good GRE score is contingent upon analyzing the specific requirements and average scores of the university to which you plan to apply. Additionally, the required GRE score for a graduate institution can vary from school to school. For example, BrightLinkPrep reports that the Harvard Graduate School of Education accepts candidates with average scores of 163 in verbal and 158 in quantitative. However, within the university’s engineering school, the average quantitative score was 163 while the verbal score weighed in at 160.
In recognizing the highly specific average scores that can exist for and within a single institution, individuals attempting to learn what constitutes a good GRE score should research the university they plan to attend in order to attain this information. In some cases, the GRE plays only a minor role in determining a student’s eligibility for admission. In other cases, GRE scores weigh heavily in determining whether an admissions board views a student as an ideal candidate for a specific graduate level program. Keep in mind that while a university may indicate that a certain score constitutes the average score students who were admitted to the program earned, this does not mean that your goal in taking the exam should be to attain an average score. To be as competitive as possible, you want your GRE score to greatly exceed the average score so that you stand out during the review of your graduate school application. This is especially important if the school you plan to attend uses GRE scores as a primary measure of entry eligibility.
Average GRE Scores Based On Graduate School Major Field
The Educational Testing Service (ETS) reports that the average scores based on graduate school major are as follows:
•Business: 444 verbal, 601 math, 4.0 writing
•Education: 448 verbal, 529 math, 4.1 writing
•Engineering: 464 verbal, 715 math, 3.9 writing
•Humanities: 545 verbal, 560 math, 4.6 writing
•Life Sciences: 454 verbal, 573 math, 4.1 writing
•Physical Sciences: 481 verbal, 690 math, 4.1 writing
•Social Sciences: 487 verbal, 560 math, 4.3 writing
As made plain by the information listed above, it is important for individuals who are applying to graduate school to consider the role that GRE scores can play in determining whether they gain admittance. By reviewing the average GRE scores for the learning institution to which you plan to apply, you can prepare yourself to earn the type of score that will make you a competitive candidate for the program of your choice.
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