I know there have been a hundred posts about the GRE, but I'm really struggling

[pancakes]

I took the GRE in August and got 142 in both the verbal and quantitative sections and a 4 in writing. The one program that I really want to apply to requires that their GRE meet a 50% minimum. I called today to ask how heavily they weighed the GRE, but was told that "the higher the score, the better" and that they "consider a variety of factors" which didn't help! 

 

In addition, I was shadowing a doctor and a current PA student from this school was doing a rotation with him. He told me not to even bother with the GRE because most schools were thinking of getting rid of it, including this program (I don't know if that's true, but it made me feel better). 

 

The reason why I think I'm struggling so much as to whether or not I should retake the GRE is because I just picked up an extra course solely to fulfill all of its pre-reqs. So I feel like if all else looks competitive, like my GPA, HCE, and shadowing hours, then it would suck to be denied because of a few missed points on the GRE...

 

If you guys have any thoughts or advice, please share them.

Thanks!

[cop to pa]

With a 284, you should strongly consider retaking it with a goal of 300+. While your GPA, LORs, HCE all matter, and many consider a GRE to just be a check in the box, it is still a requirement at many programs, and you still need to be as competitive as possible.

[murphycol31]

I say don't bother. Most schools use it to weed out students. As long as you're above 50% I wouldn't stress it. I'd focus your efforts on the other areas of your application

 

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[cop to pa]

That's the issue: 304 is 50th percentile.
 142 is in the teens for each category and totals to a 284 at about 28th percentile.

[UGoLong]

I recommend taking it again. It's not a huge investment to do so and it's way easier to change than your GPA or hours of experience.

 

Download and do the math exercises and read a prep book on the verbal stuff. In 2 weeks you could be ready for a better experience.

 

 

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[optimistic3]

How did you study last time? How did you feel going into it? I agree with the posters above saying that you should at least get it above the 50th percentile.

[paforlife100]

Hello dhans,

 

I think you should retake the GRE for those schools that weighs heavily on it.  However, not every school weighs heavily on the GRE. One of the schools that I was interviewed at, FIU, counted the GRE for 5 points out of 50 points for acceptance.  

 

Here's the breakdown that I have from FIU PA program website:

 

Admission Criteria Requirement
GRE – 5 points
GPA – 15 points
Medical Training – 5 points
Recommendation – 4 points
Pre-Entrance Exam – 15 points
Interview – 6 points
Total = 50 points

 

Reference: http://medicine.fiu.edu/physician-assistant-program/admission-requirement/index.html

[pancakes]

Thank you for the advice guys, I think I will retake it.

 

optimistic3- I think I studied for it for a total of 2 days. The problem was that I took it 2 or so weeks after I took the MCAT, so I was fried. Going into it, I felt like it wouldn't be as bad as the MCAT, so I felt prepared. And stupidly on my behalf, I rushed through it, with 15-20 minutes to spare in each section. So yes, I suppose I could have done better, but the timing of the test was not the best and I know I can do better.

[optimistic3]

Well there you go! It looks like you know exactly what went wrong and how you can improve so I certainly recommend doing so if you are interested in schools that require the GRE.

 

I studied for maybe 2 weeks or so for my GRE and I think that was about enough. Yes, it is way easier than the MCAT (which I also took so I understand!) but it's still important to review the math concepts that you may have forgotten, learn some new vocabulary, and also get to know the test format.

 

Good luck!

[murphycol31]

I studied roughly 3 months prior doing exercises in a prep book. It's worth it. If you're going to retake it I'd do it right this time

 

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[pancakes]

I have one final question pertaining to this. Would it be okay for me to retake it in March before the new CASPA cycle reopens? Or will I have to wait until the end of April to take it?

[PAGuy55]

GRE sucked. I got a 304? But I got into some great schools. When they say GPA + HCE + Solid Letters > GRE then thats the truth.

[UGoLong]

It shouldn't matter when you take the GRE, before or after the CASPA cycle.

[maggieo]

If you're looking for a specific prep material I'd recommend BenchPrep-helped me a lot and it really breaks down everything you need to know.

[sarahnjoku]

When I took the GRE last summer I was freaking out thinking I had to have amazing scores but I did kind of average (149 on both and 4 in writing) and got accepted to every school I interviewed at. As long as your grades are good and you have the patient care hours don't stress it too much!