Test score mailing dates vs. application deadlines

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sirjetpackbob
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:21 am

Test score mailing dates vs. application deadlines

Post by sirjetpackbob » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:53 pm

I was originally planning on taking the November GRE, but I noticed that the scores don't mail out until December 14. Several schools I am looking at have application deadlines in mid December, and so now I feel like I need to take the October test to get the scores in on time. One of my friends who applied to grad school last year is "confident" that most schools won't care if your scores come in late as long as the rest of your application is in, but I'd like to hear if other people share this opinion or not. I'd feel much more prepared taking the test in November since that's what I had been planning for, but I don't want to risk having my application thrown out because my scores aren't in on time.

schmit.paul
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Post by schmit.paul » Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:26 pm

there is no october test, if you're talking about the *physics* GRE. November test is fine, it's the people who take the december test that have grounds to get nervous, though most schools seem to be fine with the december test too. you just don't want to be too late getting scores in. Most people take November or December, much fewer take it in april, and you're smart to do the november one if you think you'll be ready.

sirjetpackbob
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Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:21 am

Post by sirjetpackbob » Wed Aug 01, 2007 9:24 am

According to this:

http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menu ... f95190RCRD

the dates are in October and November this year. Am I looking at the wrong page? If I have the wrong dates, that would be very good to know...

Oh, and also for anyone interested, I emailed several of the schools with mid-December deadlines, and almost all of them have already replied back saying they allow extra time for scores to come in. Many prefer that you call and get your scores from ETS though and give them your unofficial scores until the official ones are mailed.

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quizivex
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Post by quizivex » Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:19 pm

yeah it seems they've changed the dates to Oct/Nov this year. I just registered yesterday and it went through properly.

I was glad to see ETS make a much needed modification in the scheduling. The October test will give us much more time to make application decisions already knowing our scores.

What frustrates me is that our scores from the October date won't even be available before the NOVEMBER TEST TAKES PLACE...

The Nov date is 11/3 and our scores won't be available by phone until 11/7.

How the ____ are we supposed to decide whether or not to take the Nov test without knowing our scores on the October test? Knowing how different raw scores vs scaled scores can be one test to the next, and a whole bunch of other things, we really can't reliably predict our scores based on our feelings after the test.


@sirjetpackbob

Oh and by the way... since the November test was the earliest test available for years (nobody expects students to take the april one), I assume it follows that taking the November test should be satisfactory this year too. Schools are already used to accomodating slightly delayed score reports. And most schools have deadlines after the Nov scores are supposed to arrive anyway.



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