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[anthroarch]

First, thanks all for this resource from a long time lurker.

My situation is this:
I'm plan to finish an MA in anthropology this spring, and am applying to PhD programs. My GPA is a 4.0. I should have good recs, a well directed statement of purpose,  and a guarantee for funded PhD fieldwork.

I would like to just re-use the GRE scores I used to get into my MA program, but am worried they won't get me past a cut-off at a good U, or make the funding cut-off.
They are: Verbal610 Quant550 AW5.5.

I suspect I could do slightly--but not a lot--better just taking the test again cold (I didn't prep for it last time). But frankly, I'd rather not spend the time and money, and would rather work on my thesis than prep for it.

In essence, my question is whether or not that score is good enough to not get cut-off for competitive PhD programs and for funding opportunities.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[systeme_d_]

What were your percentile scores?

Unless the raw scores in your GRE-taking cohort were unusually low (which means you have very high percentile scores), you must retake.

Normally (as compared against those scores in recent years), you would have no chance for funding and no chance for admission with those scores at a top program.

Likewise, no chance for funding at a mid-range program.  A really great package could outweigh the scores for admission, though.

Unless your percentile scores are very high (as noted above), there is a clear need here for serious prep and a retake.

(I am not in anthro.  I direct a grad program in a cognate field, and I schmooze with mid-range Anthro grad program directors quite a bit.)

[anthroarch]

Thanks for the feedback!
Percentiles scores:
Verbal 88%
Quant 33%
AW 94%

[systeme_d_]

Do some serious prep.  Retake.

There's no excuse for that quant score.  And you can (and should) raise your verbal by at least 5 percentile points.

[systeme_d_]

Sorry for the double post, but it timed out.

I want to be clear that I wasn't trying to be snarky.  When I say "there's no excuse" I mean that a very minimum of prep for the quant section will raise your quant score substantially.

Unless you are a naturally good tester (which some people are), studying for the GRE is far from a waste of time. 

Stellar GREs can (indirectly) translate into tens/hundreds of thousands of dollars of support over the course of the PhD.

[fedscholar]

I agree. Retake. I did, and studied for several weeks out of one of those prep books, and I raised my score by ~ 200 points. It resulted in a full-ride PhD, so money and time well spent!

[anthroarch]

No snarkyness taken. I appreciate the candor.
My MA program is a Canadian one, and I had good luck getting into Canadian MAs (no GRE requirement), so my reluctance--and my turning here for advice--is to try to get familiar with the system and its requirements.

I'll study for it then, and redo!

[verysneaky]

In both my field (humanities) and my sister's (social sciences), if you are applying to a top program, you want 1300 combined at a minimum and 1400 to rest easy.

Remember that you can often do some research, as well, to find out what stats your schools require. Some websites will give you this information point blank. Some graduate school applications fora have a feature that aggregates a bunch of self-reported data from previous years: this data may be a little flaky at times, but it gives you a general impression. If you do a little research, you should be able to figure out pretty quickly what the ball park scores are for schools at various tiers in your field.

As Systeme_D says, that math should score come right up with a little prep. The verbal is all about the vocab: spend some quality time with the Barrons 3500 word list and you will be good to go.

You are wise, though, to want to spend more time on your thesis than on test prep. Once your scores are good enough, let it go. A really outstanding GRE score is not going to help much. So do what you need to do to get those scores into a safe range and then let it go.

Finally, do you need a GRE subject score for anthro? You haven't said anything about one...I don't even know if an Anthro GRE exists :) , but if you do have to take that test, it might be more important than the GRE general exam.

[frogfactory]

I've always heard that you can't study for the GRE and those Kaplan classes are as silly as studying for an IQ test.  No?

[verysneaky]

Well, Kaplan is about the bottom of the barrel as far as these things go, so frogfactory, you may be right that a Kaplan class would be a waste of time. But you can definitely study for the GRE. I raised my score about 80 points in a couple of weeks, if I recall correctly (it's hard to be sure because of the differences between paper and computer tests). I also tutored a variety of standardized tests for years, and I feel confident that the GRE is a very beatable exam.  Generally you get a significant spike between your scores on the first and second test, just because you've gotten more familiar with the format, etc. and then as you study, you see diminishing returns until you're looking at about an hour per point. But in my experience you can keep raising those scores as much as you need to: it's just a matter of how much time you're willing to spend. Mostly, it comes down to the vocab and the math practice. The math (for whatever bizarre reason) is actually easier than SAT math, as far as content goes.

[systeme_d_]

Kaplan and Princeton Review classes are great for folks who need the external motivation / validation / organization.  (I've taught for both.)

Some folks do just as well (if not better) with studying on their own.  It's surely cheaper that way.

Years ago, when I was applying to grad schools, no one studied.  We just sat for the exam.   These days, it's a whole different world.  Most folks prep, either through a test prep company, or with prep books.

[verysneaky]

Sorry if I was snarky about Kaplan, Systeme_D. It's true that it has a lot to offer for students who need structure, and it's also true that there are some very good teachers working for the company. I don't love their curriculum, but I shouldn't have been so dismissive about its advantages.

[systeme_d_]

Snark away, Verysneaky.  I'm not in their pocket.

In fact, I find the whole test prep biz distasteful.  Lower-income students just don't have the same access to prep as better-off students do. 

[post_functional]

Snark away, Verysneaky.  I'm not in their pocket.

In fact, I find the whole test prep biz distasteful fundamentally and inherently unfair.  Lower-income students just don't have the same access to prep as better-off students do. 

FTFY

[disambiguate]

I'm plan to finish an MA in anthropology this spring, and am applying to PhD programs. My GPA is a 4.0. I should have good recs, a well directed statement of purpose,  and a guarantee for funded PhD fieldwork.

I'm curious what you mean by this.  Do you already have an external grant equivalent to NSF?  Wealthy family member?  Government organization funding work on their land? 

If you have a strong external funding package, this will boost your application dramatically.  You still definitely need to get those GREs up, but maybe not as high as you would if you weren't bringing in your own money.

It was explained to me that a baseline GRE score is needed for admission to the U.  After that, higher GRE scores are useful for funding purposes since the college or grad school will be comparing you to people from all sorts of departments, and the GRE provides an easily quantifiable measure across fields.  Thus if the depratment doesn't have to worry about paying for you, they may not care so much about stellar scores as if you were coming in with hand out.