The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is basically just like graduate school version of the SAT. I believe one of the toughest challenges for international students during the application process is the decision of whether or not to write the GRE. You could even say it’s less about the decision but more about finding the funds to take this test.
For most people, the GRE is a second chance to prove to admission committees that they indeed are intellectually fit to undertake graduate studies. That being said, it’s mostly implored by candidates with low GPAs to make up for a lack in their application. That is not to say that is it’s sole purpose. Even candidates with good GPAs take the test to make their profiles more competitive.
Should you take it though?
Well, there’s no exact straight answer here
It honestly depends on a multitude of factors
First, can I afford the test? This is the base question. Knowing this saves you the stress of going harder to shortlist schools that require the test knowing damn well you can’t afford it.
Second, do the schools you’re applying to require that you take GRE? If yes, then you have a very swift answer there.
Many schools are starting to waive the GRE as part of their admission requirements because they say it has proven to not be a reliable metric to judge candidates ability to thrive in graduate school off of. Do I agree? I really am not sure.
Regardless of the decision of many though, a few schools are still keen on candidates providing the test score to be considered for admission.
So circling back to the question of whether or not the school(s) you’re applying to requires it or not, you can always decide to drop those schools and apply to others that don’t have that requirement. It’s really that easy.
Of course, that limits your options, because you might have to drop some of your best fit schools, but again, there are multitudes of schools out there you will fit into that don’t impose the GRE on you. You just need to do some more research and find them.
Another thing you might want to consider about whether or not to write the GRE is whether the GPA will be helpful to you or not. The whole point of the GRE is to ensure that you’re academically fit to undertake graduate studies. That can be demonstrate by your GPA as well. If you have a high enough GPA, the GRE does almost nothing for you. For instance, it’ll be pointless (imho) for an applicant with a GPA of 3.98/4.00 to take the GRE.
On the other hand, someone with a GPA of 2.0/4.0 will more than likely need to take the GRE to improve their chances of getting into a good program. In this case, the GRE will be super helpful to them to make a case on their poor GPA.
Wasted effort and money
If you already have a great profile and are applying to schools that don’t necessarily require the GRE, I feel that it’ll be a waste of your time and money to write the GRE. Sure, writing it can help boost your profile a bit, but unless the competition is so fierce, I don’t think it’ll come down to a point where they have to use the GRE to decide who to admit between two candidates who both have a 3.8/4.0 GPA.
As usual, these are just my opinions and you’re free to disregard them if you don’t agree. I wish you the best :)
