To GRE or Not to GRE – That is the Question

One of the questions I get asked regularly by Pre-PA students is whether or not they should take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) prior to applying to PA school. The GRE is a nearly 4 hour national exam that evaluates overall analytical writing, verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning of the test taker and is administered mostly in a computer-based format at local testing centers. Sounds daunting, doesn’t it? Of the current 316 PA school programs, 156 do not require the GRE (per myPAbox as of 02/2022).

At $205 per test, the decision to take the GRE is not an easy one. If you could get into any number of PA schools without it, why “waste” the time, money, and energy in taking this exam? To answer this question, I usually tell the story of one particular PA school interview I had. But first, a bit of background on how I got to this point.

I went to a small undergraduate college and initially started in 2014 as a pre-med biology major. After discovering the PA profession and falling in love for many reasons, I switched to the Pre-PA pathway. While I don’t regret this move in the slightest, I had no clue how little support my college had for Pre-PAs at the time.

My advisors and mentors helped me in any way that they could, but they knew very little about the application process. Without any guidance from advisors, despite the GRE being optional at my top choice program, and with a GPA well above the average accepted applicant, I decided to take the GRE because it was required for 2 of the 5 schools I applied to.

Fast forward to Fall of 2018, I was interviewing for my top choice program. Again, this was the school that listed the GRE as optional. I went in for what turned out to be my most difficult interview where the faculty member was definitely trying to test my composure under pressure. Being from the Boston area, he looked at my application, and asked me how he could compare a student with A’s from a school he had never heard of, to B’s from Harvard. I was stunned. How could I possibly answer that question?

I figured my school GPA and adjusted CASPA GPA would speak for itself, but apparently not. I didn’t know what to say until he continued, “if you had a GRE score, I would have an objective way to compare you to other applicants.” I was confused, but also lit up. “Check my application again. I do have a GRE score.” Surprised, he turned back to my application, noted my GRE score, and promptly changed the subject. Crisis averted.

Was I a little annoyed that a program listing the GRE as optional would suggest that I should have taken the GRE? Yes. Was I thankful that I ended up taking it anyway, even if it was for the schools that required it? YES. Do I think this should be the case for everyone looking to apply to PA school? No. 

Maybe standardized testing is a major hurdle for you. Maybe the stress of studying for the GRE in the middle of finishing your undergrad degree or getting PCE hours is just too much. Maybe the financial burden of this potentially optional exam doesn’t seem worth it.

What if you don’t think you could take the exam and do well, or even worse spend the money on the exam to just end up not sending the scores to the programs you want to apply to? If this is you, don’t stress.

You still have 156 PA schools you can apply to without taking the exam, with an average of 8-12 schools applied to by the average applicant, there are plenty to choose from! On the other hand, the GRE is also a tool that you can use to make your application standout, like your personal statement.

Did you come from a small undergraduate college? Was your GPA lower than you would have hoped? Do you have a few C’s on your transcript that you’re concerned about? If you think you could take the GRE and rock it, or even get an average score, do it! At the end of the day, if you do well, it will only help!

Use code “PATIPS20” to save 20% on your subscription to myPAbox

The decision of whether or not to take the GRE is not black and white, and is very much a personal one. But just remember that no matter what, it’s just one number in the grand scheme of an in-depth and multifaceted application. What is needed to become a PA is much more than just numbers on a page!

Happy studying, and good luck!