The 2022 application season is officially underway, and many universities are gradually releasing updated application requirements for the spring/fall semesters.
Compared to last year, many spring and fall programs have adjusted their GRE requirements for this cycle.
Summary of Updated GRE Requirements for 2022 Applications
USC - Viterbi School of Engineering
USC's Viterbi School of Engineering temporarily waived GRE requirements for the 2021 application season only due to the pandemic.
Starting this year, USC's official website has made it clear: applicants for spring 2022 and fall 2022 must submit GRE scores.
This means that for popular engineering programs including Computer Science, Analytics, Financial Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, the GRE has once again become mandatory.
NYU - Tandon School of Engineering
NYU's Tandon School of Engineering also offered a GRE waiver option last year because of the pandemic.
This year, NYU's official website has updated its statement: the GRE requirement for 2022 applications has changed.
As of now, popular engineering programs including EE, MFE, IE, and MoT have clearly stated that GRE scores are required for 2022 applications.
UPenn - School of Engineering
UPenn's School of Engineering has explicitly recommended submitting GRE scores for all 2022-2023 application cycle applicants.
Cornell - MPS in Management
Although Cornell's MPS in Management program still does not require GRE/GMAT scores for the 2022 application season, the program has also made it clear that without standardized test scores, the admissions office will assess your academic ability through other application materials.
WUSTL - McKelvey School of Engineering
WUSTL's McKelvey School of Engineering has adopted a test-optional policy for spring 2022 applications, but the website also clearly encourages students to submit GRE scores if they have them, to help the admissions office evaluate their abilities.
CMU - Integrated Innovation Institute
CMU's Integrated Innovation Institute also considers the GRE optional. However, the institute has stated explicitly: if you do not submit GRE scores, the evaluation weight will be redistributed to other submitted application materials.
GRE Is Back as a Requirement / Not Submitting Affects Application Weight
Overall, universities have largely restored their GRE requirements to pre-pandemic levels this year. Notably, engineering schools that offered test-optional choices last year have once again made it mandatory.
Even for many programs that still allow optional submission of GRE scores for 2022 applications, their official websites clearly state that they recommend submitting GRE scores, or that if you don't submit GRE scores, other application materials will receive more scrutiny.
Graduate programs place a greater emphasis on specialization and fit. Once a program removes the GRE as a mandatory requirement, it will inevitably impose stricter demands on GPA, background experience, recommendation letters, essays/resumes, interviews, and other application materials/components, using them to assess whether students have sufficient capability to succeed in the program.
Columbia's MSW does not require GRE, but places higher demands on experience, essays, interviews, etc.
Some programs that do not require GRE scores may even have their own evaluation methods as substitutes.
For example, the University of Waterloo's Master of Quantitative Finance does not require GRE scores, but it has its own entrance exam to test applicants' probability and statistics background. Such exams are often even harder than the GRE.
If your own qualifications and background are not up to par, the absence of a GRE requirement may not be a good thing for those applicants.
Sometimes the GRE Can Indeed Rescue Your Application
Generally speaking, very few master's programs have "completely eliminated the GRE." Even during the pandemic, most programs merely changed their prior mandatory GRE requirement to "optional submission," letting applicants decide for themselves.
Although the GRE cannot fully compensate for deficiencies in other areas, having it is better than not, and sometimes it can truly be the antidote to your application predicament.
We previously encountered a real case: a student applied to a program that did not mandate GRE scores. Even though all other application materials were submitted, there was no response from the program for a long time.
Tired of waiting, the student decided to take the GRE. After submitting the GRE scores, the school immediately sent an admission offer.
No matter how much the official school line says "not having a GRE score will not be a disadvantage," remember: applications are reviewed by real people. Don't jump to conclusions about what admissions officers are subjectively thinking.
In today's era of massive application volumes and fierce competition, if others submit optional materials and you don't, your acceptance letter could easily be delayed or even put on hold.
The 2021 application season was destined to be the most unusual one. As major U.S. universities resume in-person instruction this fall, the admissions requirements for the 2022 application season are also returning to pre-pandemic standards.
We recommend that everyone not take the GRE lightly this year. A good GRE score means having more choices of schools and programs, as well as greater assurance in your application.
In-person GRE testing has resumed on a large scale, and the at-home test is still available. For international students who are good at standardized tests, this golden summer is a great time to work hard and aim for a strong score.
