Your Graduate Record Examination Scores

A recent (5 years) general Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required. A subject exam is not required but is strongly recommended, especially if you have already taken graduate level material. Please note that your scores on these exams must be sent directly by Educational Testing Services. Our school code is 5814; our department code is 0702. To find out how to take these exams go to http://www.gre.org or contact

Graduate Record Examinations
Educational Testing Services
P.O. BOX 6000
Princeton, NJ 08541-6000 USA

phone: 609-771-7670

The General GRE Examination

The general GRE examination gives you a chance to demonstrate your proficiency in verbal, quantitative, and analytical skills. While high GRE scores are no guarantee of success in a graduate program, they do correlate well with success in graduate coursework. Your scores will be evaluated in the context of your background. For example, someone with more exposure to advanced technical courses with mathematical content will generally have a higher quantitative score than someone with less. Someone for whom English is a foreign language will generally have a lower verbal score than native English speakers.

The general GRE examination has three parts: verbal, quantitative, and analytical. In the past scores for each of these parts was reported on a 200-800 scale. For students entering with support last fall the average scores were about: 590 verbal, 796 quantitative, and 4.6 analytical. As mentioned above, entering students can have one or more GRE scores well below these averages provided there are strong components in their application that compensate.

GRE Subject Examinations

A GRE subject examination is not required. However, it is strongly recommended. You can submit a score from any technical subject exam, not just the math subject exam. For example, if your undergraduate major was physics, you can take the physics subject exam. The GRE subject examination gives you a chance to demonstrate your mastery of advanced material. A good score indicates you have retained a high level of mastery of this material and greatly strengthens your application. Your GRE subject score will be evaluated in the context of your background. Students who do not have a background rich in advanced courses may choose not to take a GRE subject examination without weakening their application.

We realize that taking a GRE subject examination may be both a logistical and financial burden on our applicants. This is one reason we do not require it. Applicants who do not take a GRE subject examination can try to demonstrate their retention of mastery of advanced material through other components of their application.