...to some (if not all) of you applying to the GSD for 2021, the GRE has been waived for this incoming application season only. This could save some of you who have not registered or taken it yet a couple of bucks and give you a bit of extra time to focus on the more important things like portfolio and essay.
But with the pandemic's indefinite longevity (god knows if we're still here next year), is it even a good/best time (and is it worth it) to apply and go to grad school?
Jay1122
Sep 4, 20 11:59 am
They should waive this forever for architecture grad school. GRE has nothing to do with art and design. Especially with portfolio in place to show real skill and talent. Undergrad GPA already indicates general learning skill and performance. It is possible one can be really poor with Exams and still be a fantastic designer. I get why GRE is necessary for non portfolio based majors. Not too many factors to compare candidates at. MSAAD does not require GRE last time i checked. Which i really love, short duration and no GRE. Geared towards professionals coming back to grad school.
deathbydesign
Sep 4, 20 1:18 pm
Absolutely agree especially with how it has nothing to do with art and design. Personally, I think the weight/percentage in terms of the relevance of the GRE is something that's already being carried by (1) the GPA and (2) Curriculum Vitae/Resume---simply the fact that an applicant has already finished a degree and has had work experience prior to graduate school. GRE is also an unnecessary expense.
The MSAAD's of Columbia and Cornell don't require I just checked. Hopefully Harvard makes this permanent and other schools will follow suit (especially for M.Arch II's/MAUD's/MSAAD's/MSAUD's/MDesS's/MDE's/etc. and other post-professional degrees).
natematt
Sep 24, 20 4:49 am
I think Columbia used to be one of the only schools that had a hard baseline minimum score to apply back when I was looking
... and it was actually asking for you to do pretty well.
monosierra
Nov 16, 20 7:50 am
While the GRE has little to do with design, these graduate schools are still part of their respective Universities and have to ensure that their students meet the minimal academic standards expected of graduate students there. Now if these were independent design schools - then the GRE would perhaps be pointless. But until design schools come up with their versions of the GMAT / LSAT / MCAT, the GRE will have to stand in as a proxy of general academic aptitude.
heidihng
Sep 23, 20 9:11 pm
Without GRE, do you think they would put more weights on GPA and other criteria?
natematt
Sep 24, 20 4:43 am
Only schools who build their reputation with statistics cared about GRE with any degree beyond people not having bombed it. Similarly, GPA is mostly just a hurdle to get over.
The real maker/breaker is the portfolio.
deathbydesign
Sep 24, 20 5:03 am
Agree with natematt re: portfolio.
I think not having the GRE retains the hierarchy and weight of the other requirements? If ever, it's percentage in criteria will most probably be added to portfolio and personal statement (and probably recommendations).
I've seen successful applicant's posts here getting admitted into their dream schools/top choice schools even with below to average GRE scores and GPA.
lower.case.yao
Sep 23, 20 9:38 pm
More apps this round I expect. GRE was a pain to get done and means very little I expect.
natematt
Sep 24, 20 4:42 am
Not sure if this is a good thing though.
deathbydesign
Sep 24, 20 5:09 am
Definitely more applications this year for sure---but we don't know. Unless people are actually getting updates or checking the school's websites themselves, this GRE waive has been pretty low-key. (Not anymore thanks to this post though and I think someone else posted about this too)
Also, there's the uncertainty of this pandemic's longevity. We don't know for how long before everything is properly back to normal---especially the travel part. It plays such a huge factor for schools to resume classes in campus (both for domestic and international students).
deathbydesign
Sep 24, 20 5:16 am
GRE was a pain to get done and means very little I expect.
Also a very expensive unnecessary expense. Some POS in this forum said "it's easy and it's only $200." I hope he/she has never had to slave away for that amount.
natematt
Sep 24, 20 4:40 am
It really is a worthless thing for architecture students. However, no one really looked that hard at it previously anyway, except maybe those schools who prefer to inflate statistics.
deathbydesign
Sep 24, 20 5:14 am
I read from another thread that GRE and GPA are the basis for awarding scholarships/funding, but again it's in this same forum that I've read/seen people get really good funding even with below to average scores. I think the respective departments/schools (within the universities) are just complying because their main administration is telling them to.
deathbydesign
Sep 24, 20 5:15 am
To add, Yale and Princeton have waived their GRE requirements too.
cbkk
Sep 25, 20 3:36 pm
Columbia, Cornell, MIT, Penn and Rice (all M.Arch) as well. Thinking this round might be a dry run for a lot of these schools considering removing the requirement permanently.
deathbydesign
Sep 26, 20 4:11 am
Same sentiments. I wonder though if the number of applications this year is expected to be higher because of this requirement waive or lower (because of the pandemic and its effects on the economy, etc.)
DustFlâneur
Nov 15, 20 8:40 am
For the schools that have waived the requirement for the GRE, do you think that they will still review it if you do submit your score? Will people who still decide to include their GRE scores within their applications be placed at a better position amongst other applicants?
deathbydesign
Nov 16, 20 6:35 am
I think it depends on the school and its application portal. There's no option for Harvard and Princeton to upload GRE scores, while at Yale, there is. In fact, for Yale, in the last section of the application (Review part), it notifies you what else is lacking in your application, and it highlights the GRE/Scores section if you didn't put or upload any. I take it that by having the option to upload or send them your GRE scores, they will include reviewing your application.
deathbydesign
Nov 16, 20 6:36 am
There's no option for Harvard and Princeton to upload GRE scores
By this, I meant they've disabled this part since the requirement is waived.
...to some (if not all) of you applying to the GSD for 2021, the GRE has been waived for this incoming application season only. This could save some of you who have not registered or taken it yet a couple of bucks and give you a bit of extra time to focus on the more important things like portfolio and essay.
But with the pandemic's indefinite longevity (god knows if we're still here next year), is it even a good/best time (and is it worth it) to apply and go to grad school?
They should waive this forever for architecture grad school. GRE has nothing to do with art and design. Especially with portfolio in place to show real skill and talent. Undergrad GPA already indicates general learning skill and performance. It is possible one can be really poor with Exams and still be a fantastic designer. I get why GRE is necessary for non portfolio based majors. Not too many factors to compare candidates at. MSAAD does not require GRE last time i checked. Which i really love, short duration and no GRE. Geared towards professionals coming back to grad school.
Absolutely agree especially with how it has nothing to do with art and design. Personally, I think the weight/percentage in terms of the relevance of the GRE is something that's already being carried by (1) the GPA and (2) Curriculum Vitae/Resume---simply the fact that an applicant has already finished a degree and has had work experience prior to graduate school. GRE is also an unnecessary expense.
The MSAAD's of Columbia and Cornell don't require I just checked. Hopefully Harvard makes this permanent and other schools will follow suit (especially for M.Arch II's/MAUD's/MSAAD's/MSAUD's/MDesS's/MDE's/etc. and other post-professional degrees).
I think Columbia used to be one of the only schools that had a hard baseline minimum score to apply back when I was looking ... and it was actually asking for you to do pretty well.
While the GRE has little to do with design, these graduate schools are still part of their respective Universities and have to ensure that their students meet the minimal academic standards expected of graduate students there. Now if these were independent design schools - then the GRE would perhaps be pointless. But until design schools come up with their versions of the GMAT / LSAT / MCAT, the GRE will have to stand in as a proxy of general academic aptitude.
Without GRE, do you think they would put more weights on GPA and other criteria?
Only schools who build their reputation with statistics cared about GRE with any degree beyond people not having bombed it. Similarly, GPA is mostly just a hurdle to get over.
The real maker/breaker is the portfolio.
Agree with natematt re: portfolio.
I think not having the GRE retains the hierarchy and weight of the other requirements? If ever, it's percentage in criteria will most probably be added to portfolio and personal statement (and probably recommendations).
I've seen successful applicant's posts here getting admitted into their dream schools/top choice schools even with below to average GRE scores and GPA.
More apps this round I expect. GRE was a pain to get done and means very little I expect.
Not sure if this is a good thing though.
Definitely more applications this year for sure---but we don't know. Unless people are actually getting updates or checking the school's websites themselves, this GRE waive has been pretty low-key. (Not anymore thanks to this post though and I think someone else posted about this too)
Also, there's the uncertainty of this pandemic's longevity. We don't know for how long before everything is properly back to normal---especially the travel part. It plays such a huge factor for schools to resume classes in campus (both for domestic and international students).
GRE was a pain to get done and means very little I expect.
Also a very expensive unnecessary expense. Some POS in this forum said "it's easy and it's only $200." I hope he/she has never had to slave away for that amount.
It really is a worthless thing for architecture students. However, no one really looked that hard at it previously anyway, except maybe those schools who prefer to inflate statistics.
I read from another thread that GRE and GPA are the basis for awarding scholarships/funding, but again it's in this same forum that I've read/seen people get really good funding even with below to average scores. I think the respective departments/schools (within the universities) are just complying because their main administration is telling them to.
To add, Yale and Princeton have waived their GRE requirements too.
Columbia, Cornell, MIT, Penn and Rice (all M.Arch) as well. Thinking this round might be a dry run for a lot of these schools considering removing the requirement permanently.
Same sentiments. I wonder though if the number of applications this year is expected to be higher because of this requirement waive or lower (because of the pandemic and its effects on the economy, etc.)
For the schools that have waived the requirement for the GRE, do you think that they will still review it if you do submit your score? Will people who still decide to include their GRE scores within their applications be placed at a better position amongst other applicants?
I think it depends on the school and its application portal. There's no option for Harvard and Princeton to upload GRE scores, while at Yale, there is. In fact, for Yale, in the last section of the application (Review part), it notifies you what else is lacking in your application, and it highlights the GRE/Scores section if you didn't put or upload any. I take it that by having the option to upload or send them your GRE scores, they will include reviewing your application.
There's no option for Harvard and Princeton to upload GRE scores
By this, I meant they've disabled this part since the requirement is waived.