ScoreSelect - select your GRE scores!

Starting from July 2012, all GRE test-takers will have an option called ScoreSelect which will allow to choose which test scores are sent to graduate schools

. Previously, ETS was sending to educational institutions all GRE scores from the past five year period. Hopefully, with this new feature students will be able to choose which test score they send to each school. So, you’ll be able to send the scores that you feel are the best for successful admission.

Options of ScoreSelect

Based on when you want to make decision which GRE score to send there are several options listed below:

• on test day when seeing your scores at the test center you’ll have two options (FREE) to choose from:

1. ScoreSelect Most Recent: you’ll be able to send the scores from current test you’ve just passed but only to 4 schools.
2. ScoreSelect All: here you’ll be able to send all of your GRE scores that you have for the past five year period, and once again to 4 schools.

• after the test day you can send additional score report for a $25 fee by selecting from the following:

1. ScoreSelect Most Recent: you’ll be able to send the score from the most recently test.
2. ScoreSelect All: you’ll be able to send all your GRE scores for the last five year period.
3. ScoreSelect Any: you’ll be able to send one or more GRE scores from any GRE test you’ve taken over past five year period.

Another positive side of this feature is that no matter how many times you have retaken the GRE when you choose to send only one score, there will be no special indications that you had additional tries. Besides, the period for retaking the test was reduced to 30 days (before it 60 days waiting till you can try one more time). However, you still won’t be able to take GRE more than 5 times in a continuous 12-month period.

You may be asking why ETS is doing such a big favor for test-takers? They just want to encourage students to retake the test more frequently, since as you may know applicants were advised not to take GRE more than two to three times in 5 year period because  multiple scores might be seen as a red flag for admissions committee. And now, there’s no way for admissions committees to find out how many  times actually the student have taken the test. So this new ScoreSelect option will encourage test-takers to register for the GRE more than they normally do, since now they have nothing to lose.

So what that all means, now you don’t need to worry much, just go and try yourself, who knows, maybe you’ll save some time (however not money) that will have to go on additional preps in case you fail. But if you do wonderfully, then that’s great, you don’t need to retake the test and just apply to graduate school.  If you do not get as good a score as you would like, then just retake the test before you apply and send the highest score you’ve got

What you should pay attention to when using ScoreSelect

Pay attention that option “ScoreSelect Any” is only available for a fee. So if you know that your latest GRE score is not the best, it may be better to pay for additional score report and choose the highest score. Besides, you need to remember that you can send only a complete score report.  Meaning, you’ll not be able to send only your highest verbal, math, and analytical writing scores from different GRE tests you’ve taken. You have to send a complete score report from each test separately.  So make sure which score is more important for you, whether your admissions committees paying more attention to verbal, math or analytical writing sections, or the compound score is more important. Choose wisely and good luck!