To GRE or not to GRE?

[kevinstringham]

First time posting on here.  So, I'm preparing to apply for the next application cycle, and I've got basically everything covered besides having taken the GRE.  I have very competitive science and non-science GPA's, I have around 5,000 hours of direct patient exposure, I have almost every pre-req you can think of (took a while to decide what I wanted to do and switched between multiple science majors), letters of recommendation should be no problem, and shadowing hours look good.  The only think I've not done is take the GRE, and I'm wondering if it is worth it for me to do so? I'm in Utah, and the two schools I'm most interested in that I'm applying to in my state (U of U and UVU) do not require the GRE, and I'm currently researching schools outside of Utah.  I'm wondering if I bother taking the GRE, or if I just choose from the 85 or so schools that don't require it?  I'm having trouble deciding, and wonder what others have done, and what the general consensus is?  Thanks!

[eluch15]

Hi! So I have met one person who decided to just apply to non-GRE schools and she got in to two schools! You might be able to get away without taking the GRE, but you have to have excellent stats otherwise and the non-GRE schools end up having more applicants, making it more competitive to get in. I had a poor GRE score, applied to mostly non-GRE schools, but still got an interview at three GRE schools. Some schools do not weigh your GRE score heavily, they just want to check that you took it. I think that if you take the GRE, it will make the application process much easier for you, but ultimately, it is up to you!

[kevinstringham]

Thanks for the reply! I think that ultimately I will end up taking it as I've been leaning more in that direction, and have noticed that many schools list it as a requirement, but don't necessarily give a minimum score.  I agree that taking it would make the application process easier. The only thing that worries me is having been out of school for a while now, and having only a couple of months to study for it....but I guess it's probably worth it!

[TheColorBlue]

I used Magoosh to study for the GRE, and I loved it! They have study plans and so it takes the guesswork out of figuring out what to study and when. It uses videos to review all concepts covered in the GRE, and lots of study questions to practice. There are a few mock exams, and doing those most definitely helped lessen day-of anxiety for me (I usually get a bit freaked out w/standardized testing). It was the cheapest option at the time, but it was totally worth it. I have a referral code if you end up using/buying it!

[Juliac]

I'm applying to 8 programs this coming cycle, only 1 of which requires the GRE.  I'm currently studying for the GRE using Magoosh but the math section is killing me.  Hopefully the GRE isn't "weighted" as much as other areas of the application.  I have a 3.5 undergrad GPA, 4.0 grad GPA, 4.0 science GPA so far (still have a few more courses to take), 22,000 HCE hours, volunteer hours, about 30 virtual shadowing hours so far, 12 in person shadowing hours (and counting) and at least 3 folks willing to write LOR's so far. So I'm not too worried but at the same time it's discouraging to struggle so much with GRE prep.

[JTATC]

I did not take the GRE and only applied to schools that did not require it. My plan was to take it before my second round of applications, if needed. I had a competitive application, and got into a handful of schools on the first round, so I never took it.

The schools that don't require it have excluded it for a reason; they don't think that it is a good predictor of student success. If it's not required, there's a very good chance it won't even be considered in their admission decision. So I would say you only need to take it if you are interested in applying to a school that requires it. If you have a competitive application I don't think it will hurt you in any way not to have a GRE (assuming its not required where you want to apply). However, there is a chance that a good GRE score could help strengthen your application, even if it's not required. So if you are a strong test taker and anticipate performing well, you may want to take it.

Ultimately, I don't think it will make much of a difference unless you perform far above or below average. However, this is strictly based on my own personal experience and opinion.