UCB MFE Should I retake the GRE?

[MsAnn]

I have a 780 Quant GRE score from two years ago (before my current masters). I am only applying to UCLA and UCB and understand this is on the threshold for MFE admission. Would you recommend I try to obtain a higher score before applying?

Thanks for any advice!

Ann

 

[Connor]

Depends on the rest of your application. For a weak application, high test scores are needed to compensate for other things. For a strong application, a high test score just gets you over the threshold.

If it was me I wouldn't retake it unless I has very sure of getting 800 on the next try.

 

[makaveli]

Yeah agreed - it'd depend on how strong the rest of your profile is.

Personally I got 770 quant, but still got accepted to Cornell (with $27.5k scholarship - starting this fall), CMU, MIT, Columbia, LSE and Imperial. Got rejected from Princeton and Stanford though - likely because of my quant score.

 

[alain]

...likely because of my quant score.

This is complete speculation. Don't assume that was the reason.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

This is a perfect example of why you will never know if the not so perfect GRE is the reason of your rejection. The difference between 800 and 7xx is sometimes non-factor, other times the deal breaker.