162Q GRE and MFE chances (Cornell and Princeton)

[Stealth]

Hi all,

I have just sat the GRE for the first time and get 162Q.

I plan to retake the GRE asap to improve the Q section and I am wondering if it is still worth to apply to Cornell and Princeton with a 162Q.

Do I have chances with such a GRE in any of the top 10 MFE programs?

Every advice is really appreciated.

Thank you very much

 

[Jasmine F]

Hi, I have applied Cornell too~ suggest you retake the GRE cause I think the Q section is quit important and 162 seems not good enough.

 

[Stealth]

Hi, I have applied Cornell too~ suggest you retake the GRE cause I think the Q section is quit important and 162 seems not good enough.

Thank you for your advice.

I can't retake the GRE in time for the Cornell and Princeton deadlines, since the 21-days policy.

Do you think I have to apply to altough my scores?

Thank you again

 

[Azamat Bagatov]

What you could do is apply with your current scores. You could speak to the admissions office and let them know that you'd be updating new scores if you do intend to take it again.

Secondly, if you see tracker, most students who applied recently had a score of 165 or above. This is a yardstick against which I can compare your scores too. If you have excellent grades in math and a good GPA along with significant other aspects, you may not worry about it too much. It is upto you to decide. There is a 8 point gap between your score and a perfect score which most students have. This is my honest opinion.

 

[Stealth]

What you could do is apply with your current scores. You could speak to the admissions office and let them know that you'd be updating new scores if you do intend to take it again.

Secondly, if you see tracker, most students who applied recently had a score of 165 or above. This is a yardstick against which I can compare your scores too. If you have excellent grades in math and a good GPA along with significant other aspects, you may not worry about it too much. It is upto you to decide. There is a 8 point gap between your score and a perfect score which most students have. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you for your consideration.

I think I will email the admissions office. Are you sure about the opportunity to update the scores after the deadline (even though after only 4 days)?

 

[Azamat Bagatov]

After only 4 days from when?

And I believe you should be able to until your application goes to review. You should be able to get authentic information though from the respective adcoms.

 

[Stealth]

After only 4 days from when?

And I believe you should be able to until your application goes to review. You should be able to get authentic information though from the respective adcoms.

I mean that the deadline is December 1 but I will retake the GRE on December 5.

 

[cab]

Perhaps the admission committee does care a great deal about your GRE score, at very least because it is an easy way to separate applicants. However, if they were smart they wouldn't care, right? Suppose you spend a few weeks studying for the GRE and you get a 170. Congratulations, you are now in the 'high score club', but have you really become a better quant in the process? You have spent your time learning how to solve a number of trivial problems quickly with tools that psychology majors know as well as you. The score does increase the appeal of your application but it adds no real content to your skill set.

Instead, you could invest that time in picking up a SDE book, or getting a C++ certificate, or taking an extra statistics class. This investment of time both increases the appeal of your resume while also adding real value to your quantitative skill set.