How important is the GRE?

Teresa Rothrock: It was required but was only a part of the whole picture. We had to put together a portfolio, and mine was already quite full with experience, so my GRE score wasn’t as crucial for me. My advisors told me that the score was more important for younger applicants with less experience and less fodder for their portfolios.

Jennifer McMahon: GRE is but one factor that admissions committees review when it comes to graduate admission. There are three main things that are considered: GRE scores, undergraduate performance (GPA—particularly in the major, and evidence of scholarly activity—conference presentations), and letters of recommendation. Ideally, one should be strong in all areas; however, exemplary performance in one can compensate for weakness in another. For example, say you goofed off freshman and sophomore year but got it together as an upper classman. However, your GPA still bears the scars of those early years. Letters from professors that attest to your aptitude and work ethic can help contextualize a less than stellar GPA for an admissions committee, particularly if that assessment is reinforced by things like strong GRE scores.

Steve Benton: I got some bad advice about the GRE Lit test. My undergraduate advisor told me that as long as you know that carpe diem doesn’t mean “ten fish” you'll do fine. I then went out and bombed the test. The story has a good ending, though. I spent the next five years working through a personally designed “Great Books” program intended to familiarize me with the great works of Western literature, especially English-language literature published prior to 1950. When I took the test again, I did very well. I am not convinced that my study helped me all that much in graduate school, but I didn’t go in feeling like I wasn’t well-read.

I would add one other item to Dr. McMahon’s list of factors committees review when it comes to graduate admission: academic writing sample. When I was at the University of Chicago, I was told that this was actually the most important factor of them all and all of us who were applying to Ph.D. programs were given coaching about how to produce an impressive writing sample.

Josh Grasso: It depends on where you apply. Most mid-range schools only seem to use it as a weeding out factor (for example, if there are many good students). Some disregard it altogether (my PhD program was moving to disregard it). However, some schools, and especially ivy league schools, use it is a benchmark: don't even apply if you don't have near perfect scores (above 650) in every category. Take it seriously, by all means, but don't let it destroy you.

For Penn State English professor Michael Berube's take on the GRE (which he recently retook), click here.

Click here to visit the GRE's official website.