GRE: Verbal vs. Quant

[yodeyad]

I'm applying to graduate planning programs and I'm curious to know which GRE score planning schools are most interested in. I just took the GRE and scored 166 on the verbal section and 153 on the quantitative section. I'm very happy with my verbal score and OK with quant. My academic background is in the humanities and I haven't taken a math course in years so I expected this type of result. I've been out of school for six years but I had a GPA of 3.8. I took an economics course in college but there's nothing else on my transcript to show I'm any good at math.

I have the Planetizen guide to grad schools and the statistics for incoming classes show that most students score higher in quantitative reasoning than verbal. Do you think my quant score will be a liability or do you think my verbal score makes up for it? I know that the statement of purpose is very important but I hope to be able to compete for assistantships at the schools to which I'm applying. I want to have a realistic expectation of the competitiveness of my application.

Thanks!

[mike gurnee]

I was never good with math. I got the concepts, but not the right answers (which in later life I found was due to dyslexia). Anyway, with average GRA quant scores I was accepted at GA Tech. I was totally scared but wanted it. After several beers with my engineering major room mate, he said they would not have accepted me if I was not cut out for the program.

Don't know if this helps or not.

[btoy]

you're going to want to study on the math. I took the exam about 8-9 years ago, so at we had three sections. Math, verbal and writing (essay). I crushed the writing, as that is my strong suit. I did pretty well in math and verbal. I studied for a solid month during winter break, everyday 3-4 hours and took my exam when I got back to school, undergrad.

I also was accepted into GaTech, but chose not to go because I was able to be a GTA at another school, so I did not have any debt when I graduated. Honestly, grad school is what you make of it. It will definately get you in the door ahead of someone without a Master's, but sometimes you have to be lucky with the connections that you are able to make with professors and professionals during an internship.

[yodeyad]

Thanks for your responses! This is helpful.