For Students
Special Accommodations | Useful Links & Resources | Apply to SAGE
Make an Appoointment | Sage Workshops | Is SAGE Right For You?

About the GRE

How important are my GRE scores?
Schools vary tremendously in the weights they place on the different factors in the admission process, so be sure to contact the specific schools to which you are applying in order to determine their unique requirements. Some programs weight GRE scores very heavily, and/or have a minimum score for applicants, while other programs consider GRE scores more of a formality. It is important to note that your GRE scores may be a major factor in determining your eligibility for financial aid.

GRE scores

How is the GRE Test scored?
Each of the multiple-choice sections is scored on a scale of 200 to 800. The average scores for the GRE are about 470 for Verbal and 570 for Quantitative. The Analytical Writing section is scored on a scale of 0 to 6.

VERBAL
700+: exceptional, belonging to the top 1-2%
650-700: outstanding, belonging to the top 5-10%
600-650: very good to excellent
550-600: good
500-550: decent
450-500: still acceptable for some math-intensive disciplines and for non-natives
400-450: low
200-400: problems arise!

The median for Verbal is around 470.

QUANTITATIVE
800: very rare
760-790: very good to excellent
700-750: good to very good