Last Updated on May 1, 2023
Many prospective students applying to graduate schools in the United States worry about GRE score requirements on their grad school applications. After all, preparing for a standardized test such as the GRE can require a significant amount of time and energy.
Understanding why schools require GRE scores can help motivate you to give your all throughout your GRE prep and on test day. If you understand how admission offices use test scores, you can remind yourself of what’s at stake. Furthermore, you can strategize your score goal and test retakes accordingly.
So, in this article, we’ll explore why schools require GRE scores and how they evaluate scores. We’ll also discuss how to determine what the GRE test requirements are for your desired grad programs.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- Is the GRE Required for a Master’s or PhD Program?
- Is the GRE Required for Grad Schools in the Top 10?
- Do Grad Programs Have Minimum Score Requirements?
- Why Schools Require GRE Scores
- Key Takeaways
- What’s Next?
To start, let’s discuss whether all master’s and PhD programs require the GRE.
Is the GRE Required for a Master’s or PhD Program?
GRE test policies at graduate degree programs have been evolving rapidly in recent years. Because of factors from pandemic-era test moratoriums to the ABA’s 2021 decision to permit law schools to accept the GRE, test policies from one program to the next are more varied than ever.
The good news is, for many prospective graduate students, the greater variety of testing policies means more options. For instance, many business schools now consider the GRE on par with the GMAT. Thus, an increasing number of MBA applicants have been submitting GRE scores.
Even at many graduate programs that accept the GRE only, testing policies are more flexible than they used to be. So, we cannot say that, across the board, master’s programs and PhD programs require the GRE. In fact, for some students applying to multiple schools, it may be that one school requires the GRE while another has a test-optional policy, and still another doesn’t consider test scores at all.
So, before you begin your GRE prep, it’s essential that you research the programs you’re interested in to find out what their test policies are. Let’s discuss.
TTP PRO TIP:
Before you begin your GRE prep, research the programs you’re interested in to find out what their test requirements are.
Know Your Goals
Fortunately, information about GRE score requirements is readily available on school websites. That said, be as specific as possible in your research, down to the specific degree you plan to pursue.
Being specific is important because different programs within a single school likely have different GRE requirements. Likewise, different degree tracks within the same department can have different GRE requirements.
For example, let’s say you plan to apply to MIT’s graduate program in Chemical Engineering. If you plan to pursue an M.S. in Chemical Engineering Practice or a PhD in Chemical Engineering, GRE scores are currently not accepted. So, taking the GRE is unnecessary for those specific degrees.
However, if you plan to pursue a PhD in Chemical Engineering Practice, GRE scores are “recommended.” So, in that case, taking the GRE is a smart — and arguably necessary — move.
TTP PRO TIP:
Be as specific as possible when you research the GRE score requirements of graduate programs, down to the level of the specific graduate degree you’ll pursue.
Let’s talk a little more about optional or “recommended” testing.
Optional vs. Required
If a graduate program requires the GRE, then your path is clear: you’ll need to take the GRE. However, sometimes GRE scores are not required but optional, or possibly “recommended,” which is another version of “optional.”
The thing is, some grad school applicants see test-optional policies as an automatic “get out of jail free” card. However, I tend to not see a big difference between optional and required, particularly if applicants are targeting highly competitive programs or even just have their hearts set on certain programs.
Should You “Opt Out” If Programs Are Test-Optional?
As I see it, if a program gives you the option to submit a GRE score, you should make the most of it! In the competitive landscape of graduate admissions, why not take advantage of every opportunity to show off your skills?
Of course, as test-optional policies have become more widespread in recent years, many grad school applicants have opted not to submit test scores. Some may have felt they couldn’t afford the time or expense of preparing for and taking the GRE. Others may have felt their GRE scores were not strong enough to submit. Still others may have opted not to take the GRE because no other programs on their list considered test scores. And many of these applicants undoubtedly went on to gain acceptance to their desired programs.
Only you can decide whether you should take the GRE for programs that have test-optional policies. However, if you’re looking at a test-optional policy as a get-out-of-jail-free card, ask yourself why. If you simply lack confidence that you’ll be able to perform well on the GRE, then you may be letting an important opportunity pass you by.
Moreover, if a program states that submitting scores is optional but “recommended,” I would take that recommendation very seriously. After all, if programs “recommend” something, then clearly they think it’s a good idea!
TTP PRO TIP:
If GRE scores are not required but are “recommended,” “encouraged,” etc., it’s smart to seriously consider taking the GRE.
Is the GRE Required for Grad Schools in the Top 10?
Grad school applicants focused on top schools often wonder whether top 10 graduate programs are more likely to require the GRE.
The truth is, GRE test policies are just as varied at top schools as they are at other schools. We saw this fact borne out in our earlier MIT example. Contrary to what many prospective students assume, top 10 schools are no more (or less) likely to require the GRE than programs in, say, the top 30. Furthermore, top schools are not uniform in their test requirements.
So again, to determine whether you should take the GRE for top schools, research the specific programs and degrees you’re interested in.
KEY FACT:
Top 10 schools are no more or less likely to require GRE scores than other schools.
Do Grad Programs Have Minimum Score Requirements?
Graduate schools don’t typically state specific minimum GRE scores that applicants must have. So, in theory, for many graduate programs out there — including most (if not all) top programs — there is no minimum GRE score you must earn to be eligible to apply or gain admission.
That said, grad programs do often publish data on the average GRE scores or middle 50% score range of recently admitted students. And if your GRE score falls well below the typical score for a student in a particular program, your application may not be in the running for long.
Of course, GRE scores are just one variable among several that admissions weighs when evaluating applicants. So, someone whose scores are on the low side for typical applicants to a particular program may still be a competitive candidate for other reasons. For instance, that applicant may have a high GPA, impressive work experience, and so on
On the other hand, at schools where the competition is stiff, an otherwise strong applicant profile may not be enough to make up for a low GRE score. After all, if many of your peers in the applicant pool have relatively high scores along with otherwise strong profiles, a low score is a disadvantage.
You may be starting to get a sense of why schools require GRE scores. So, let’s delve into how GRE scores are used to evaluate grad school applicants.
KEY FACT:
Grad programs don’t typically state specific minimum GRE score requirements, but they do often publish the average or mid-50% scores of admitted students.
Why Schools Require GRE Scores
A grad school applicant’s GRE scores can be a key factor in admissions decisions, for a couple of important reasons.
For one, the GRE provides admissions committees with a standardized, common metric for comparing a diverse pool of applicants.
Secondly — and many test-takers cringe when they hear this — the GRE provides admissions with a “filtering mechanism” of sorts. In other words, the GRE allows admissions committees to efficiently narrow the pool of applicants they’ll seriously consider.
Let’s delve a little deeper into each of these reasons.
Standardized Test = Standardized Metric
Graduate school applicants come from a wide range of academic, professional, and personal backgrounds and have a wide range of experiences. So, comparing applicants can be an “apples to oranges” situation. Is a 3.7 GPA at one college the same as a 3.7 at another? Is X volunteer work more impressive than Y extracurricular activity?
Here is where the GRE is quite useful. The GRE is a standardized test that follows the same rules, scoring, etc., for all test-takers, regardless of location or background. Thus, the GRE provides a common metric with which graduate programs can evaluate very different applicants.
So, in comparing GRE scores, admissions committees have at least one measure that is “apples to apples.”
By leveling the playing field, GRE scores can serve as a very valuable tool for grad school admissions committees. Admissions may not know for sure whether one prospective student’s A in Economics is the same as another’s. However, they can feel confident that one applicant’s 165 in GRE Quant indicates a stronger performance than another applicant’s 155.
KEY FACT:
GRE scores allow admissions committees to compare “apples to apples” when evaluating candidates with a wide array of backgrounds and competencies.
The Dreaded “Filter”
It’s a harsh reality that, because the GRE provides a common metric for evaluating applicants, admissions can use it to “filter out” applicants whose scores suggest they won’t be able to cut it in a particular program.
In other words, not stating a minimum score requirement isn’t the same as not having certain unstated standards and expectations for applicants. The fact is, low GRE scores can be a red flag, particularly at highly competitive schools or if a low score suggests a lack of competency in an area of importance for a certain program.
For instance, at master’s programs in Physics or Computer Science, a low GRE Quant score could raise serious red flags. Likewise, a low Verbal score doesn’t look good for English or History majors. Similarly, top Journalism programs are likely to expect top AWA scores.
These are just a few examples, but the point is, admissions looks for assurance that applicants will be able to handle the rigors of the grad programs they’re applying to and keep up with their peers in those programs. The GRE is one straightforward way that admissions can get that assurance.
So, at some grad programs, if your GRE scores fall well below the averages of admitted students, an acceptance letter may be a long shot.
Of course, there is no way to know exactly how low is too low for a given program. But remember, many grad programs receive thousands of applications each year; they need reliable, efficient ways to narrow the field. GPAs are one “filter” that they use. GRE scores are another.
KEY FACT:
Admissions committees may use the GRE to “filter out” applicants whose scores suggest they won’t be able to cut it in a particular graduate program.
Key Takeaways
If you’re considering taking the GRE or beginning your prep, remember the following:
- Not all master’s and PhD programs require the GRE.
- GRE test requirements vary from program to program and differ among different degree tracks.
- You could miss out on an important opportunity to show off your skills if you treat test-optional policies like a “get out of jail free” card.
- If a program “recommends” or “encourages” submitting GRE scores, taking the GRE is a wise move.
- The GRE provides admissions committees with a standardized, common metric for comparing a diverse pool of applicants.
- Admissions committees may use the GRE as a “filtering mechanism” to narrow the pool of applicants they’ll seriously consider.
Most importantly, remember that your GRE score is changeable! If your score is too low for the programs that interest you, you CAN study more and improve your score.
We here at Target Test Prep have seen many of our students make huge score gains. In fact, many of those students have gone on to surpass their score goals. With the right study resources and the determination to succeed no matter what, any score is possible!
What’s Next?
Check out this article for information about what graduate schools consider a good GRE score.
Not sure whether to retake the GRE to earn a higher score for your desired grad programs? This guide can help you decide whether a retake makes sense.
