Calling all Astro lurkers with bad PGRE scores

[gliese876d]

I keep hearing of fabled astro PhD programs that don't require PGRE scores, but the only ones I've found so far are UCSC and LSU. Anyone know of others?

[Helio]

double post sry

[Helio]

Well I mean Penn State they look "favorably" at scores 640+ and UHawaii has average at 60%, so I dunno if that might help. Yale also has people between 590 and 990 last year

[coconut]

When you say that UCSC doesn't require PGRE scores, are you talking about their astronomy department?

http://www.astro.ucsc.edu/graduate/application.html

"Most applicants have general GRE scores in the 85th percentile or above. We also give quite a bit of weight to the Physics GRE scores."

It just surprised me when you said that because usually top departments in astronomy all require the physics gre, and Santa Cruz is definitely up there.

[coconut]

I agree with Helio, Hawaii's pretty lenient about not-so-great physics gre scores (I spent a summer working there) and also check out Arizona (I remember seeing someone's 2008 profile who had a low physics gre score getting in).

[gliese876d]

Thanks for the tip guys! Yeah, coconut, I read the same thing on UCSC's website but I also found somewhere else that they "strongly recommend" but don't require the pgre for graduate astronomy admission. I'll have to find the link for you.

I'll check into Hawaii and Arizona, and I also found that Stony Brook "strongly recommends" but doesn't require it.

[gliese876d]

Here:
http://graddiv.ucsc.edu/admissions/reqs.php

scroll down and look at the astronomy requirements

[dustdevil]

So I'm applying to UCSC and my score wasn't too great, does it look worse to not send it than to fess up? I have to send the general score anyway so it's not a cost-issue.

[evilclaw2321]

I've found afew other schools where it isnt REQUIRED. But their not top teir or anything. The university of georgia does not require them, for michigan state university they are recommended but not required. And also if your willing check out some canadian programs a lot of them don't require Gres. but thats all ive found so far.

[rohit]

I've found afew other schools where it isnt REQUIRED. But their not top teir or anything. The university of georgia does not require them, for michigan state university they are recommended but not required. And also if your willing check out some canadian programs a lot of them don't require Gres. but thats all ive found so far.

could you please list the (decent ) Canadian schools that dont need 'em?

[evilclaw2321]

ummm lets see theres Mcgill University in Ontario where they are 'recommened' but not required and they're pretty good. Theres also Saint Marys University in Nova Scotia not required, Mcmaster University in Ontario not required, University of ALberta theyre recommended. I'm not sure how these programs would be ranked but they have decent programs as far as I'm aware. Its pretty standard in canada though to enter the masters program first if you only have a BS and then usually after your first year ur transferred into the doctorate program.

[rohit]

just checked - mc master took 14 of 200 applicants and alberta took 30 of 600 applicants last year.

[coreycwgriffin]

ummm lets see theres Mcgill University in Ontario where they are 'recommened' but not required and they're pretty good. Theres also Saint Marys University in Nova Scotia not required, Mcmaster University in Ontario not required, University of ALberta theyre recommended. I'm not sure how these programs would be ranked but they have decent programs as far as I'm aware. Its pretty standard in canada though to enter the masters program first if you only have a BS and then usually after your first year ur transferred into the doctorate program.

McGill is in Quebec...Montreal, to be exact.

[evilclaw2321]

You are right about Mcgill my mistake. Yeah I saw that with mcmaster, they're a smaller school/program so don't take as many applicants. But if youre really worried about GRE scores and the rest of your application is strong then why not. Theres prolly more canadian schools I just haven't loked into as much, theres also university of victoria, university of toronto, university of montreal, york university, simon fraser university and others just not sure about their requirements.