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I took the GRE General earlier this year and got a 160Q/156V with a 3.5 writing. I am hoping to apply to mid-level ranked statistics M.S. programs (ranked 15-50ish), does anyone think that those scores are strong enough to be competitive or should I retake it? I'm having a hard time finding admission statistics aren't incredibly vague (Competitive applications have done well on the GRE..., etc.).

I know a lot of depends on how strong the rest of your transcript is, fwiw I graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry with a 3.3 GPA and have worked in a biostatistics lab.

DH995
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  • My guess: if you are in the US and applying to US programs, you will likely be admitted with your scores. But after you get in, you may end up competing with much stronger foreign students. – GEdgar Sep 17 '17 at 19:57

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This seems to be a common question, and I think the primary question you should ask yourself is: will retaking the test significantly improve my score? If the answer is no, then I would not bother. Generally speaking, if you didn't have some extenuating circumstance during or before testing, such as a serious illness, I would not expect the change to be quite so significant.

Competitive applicants have good GREs perhaps as a consequence of the ability of the applicant, and are not necessarily competitive because of their scores itself. There are some other relevant answers regarding GRE scores. see: 1, 2, 3

  • I would add as a possible reason to retake having not had time for test preparation before the GRE, and having time now to prepare for a retake. Practice tests definitely improved my score. – Patricia Shanahan Sep 17 '17 at 23:36