Are my GRE scores sufficient for an Entry-level MSN program?

Nursing Students Post Graduate

Published

Hi, I ended up taking the GRE exam yesterday at a Prometric testing center.

I won't get my analytical writing section scores back for a few weeks, but that's OK, since the entry-level MSN programs I'm interested in have explicitly stated that they won't consider it.

Anyway, I got a 780 on the Math section and a 690 on the Verbal (1470 total).

Is that going to be a competitive score, or will I need to retake the exam?

The only info on the websites were that you need at least a 1000, but they didn't really say what would be a "good" score.

(I already have a B.A. in History from Tulane and am taking the remaining pre-requisite classes over the summer at my Community College.)

0 Votes

those gre scores are upper-echelon great. i hope you didn't need me to tell you that.

0 Votes
Specializes in OB/GYN, Psych.

I agree, those are EXCELLENT scores. Congrats!

0 Votes

I got into Vanderbilt with the same verbal score ( and lower math-lol) ,GPA is figured in as well-hth! *I love NOLA!

0 Votes
Specializes in Public health nursing.

Wowie those are great scores. Congrats! What's your secret? LoL..

0 Votes
Wowie those are great scores. Congrats! What's your secret? LoL..

Aww, well, thanks! :D

I studied daily for about two months by doing tons and tons of GRE practice problems. I bought The Princeton Review's "1,014 GRE Practice Problems" books and worked through problem after problem (the workbook is replete with errors, but they published a free errata for it online). I also got Kaplan's "GRE Exam Verbal Workbook" and studied that.

Granted, the test was really difficult, but after working tons and tons of problems for two months, doing the problems on the actual test felt like second nature to me. I didn't do any studying for the written section, though.

Truth be told, I didn't graduate from Tulane with a very high GPA, so I knew I was going to need stellar GRE and prerequisite grades to compensate anyway. Hopefully I'll get all As in the pre-requisite courses this summer, though! :)

0 Votes

How does a 500 Verbal and 620 Quantitative (total 1120) look for an entry-level MSN program? I just took the GRE's today. I'm debating whether to retake it or not. Also do schools combine our scores or look at the higher scores?

0 Votes

I would say that for the majority of programs anything over 1000 is going to definitely make you a competitive applicant. The GRE is not as important in our programs as it can be in the business world and other fields. It often times tends to be just one of those hoops we have to jump through and can often be used to determine a tie-breaker between to applicants.

0 Votes

thanks for your input!

0 Votes
Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

My Ivy school only required a score of 1000. You'll be fine.

0 Votes
Specializes in trauma ICU,TNCC, NRP, PALS, ACLS.

I am in the process of studying for the GRE, Im using the princeton review and kaplan also, u have given me motivation that i can get a high score without paying thousands of dollar for a class. I get so discourage sometimes.... but I most hang in there.

Aww, well, thanks! :D

I studied daily for about two months by doing tons and tons of GRE practice problems. I bought The Princeton Review's "1,014 GRE Practice Problems" books and worked through problem after problem (the workbook is replete with errors, but they published a free errata for it online). I also got Kaplan's "GRE Exam Verbal Workbook" and studied that.

Granted, the test was really difficult, but after working tons and tons of problems for two months, doing the problems on the actual test felt like second nature to me. I didn't do any studying for the written section, though.

Truth be told, I didn't graduate from Tulane with a very high GPA, so I knew I was going to need stellar GRE and prerequisite grades to compensate anyway. Hopefully I'll get all As in the pre-requisite courses this summer, though! :)

0 Votes

So I just took the "new" GRE...does anyone know if a 155 in math and 152 in verbal are good scores for masters entry?

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment