very low verbal GRE

[grandunification]

I took the GRE a couple of years ago and made a 720 Q and 410 V.
I'm studying for it this time, and was hoping to apply to a low tier quant school. I have a 3.95 GPA with a math degree, and I'm taking programming courses right now. It's hard to predict how much I'll get my quant score up, but I know for sure my verbal will not improve. Is pursuing this a waste of time?

 

[Caesar]

When I began applying to MFE programs one of my undergrad math professors told me that a high quantitative GRE score (780-800) is expected for every applicant into a math heavy discipline. On the other hand, what the GRE verbal and analytical writing scores indicate is how well you can communicate. As you can probably tell by browsing through the quantnet tracker, nearly every applicant has a high quantitative score; what sets them apart is the verbal scores. For many universities that don't do interviews, the verbal scores and statement(s) of purpose are the only gauge they have of your communication ability.

In other words, you're going to need to increase your quantitative score to even be considered for an MFE program; you're probably going to need to increase your verbal scores to be accepted. If you can't get your verbal scores much higher I would make sure to have a VERY strong statement of purpose.

Study hard and take the test again. Take as many practice tests as you can. Most people do better on the GRE the second time around. After that just apply to the programs you want to go to; the worst they can say is no. Your GPA and coursework seem strong. I'm sure you'll be fine.

Best of luck.

 

[bigbadwolf]

I took the GRE a couple of years ago and made a 720 Q and 410 V. I'm studying for it this time, and was hoping to apply to a low tier quant school. I have a 3.95 GPA with a math degree, and I'm taking programming courses right now. It's hard to predict how much I'll get my quant score up, but I know for sure my verbal will not improve. Is pursuing this a waste of time?

Why not?