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Can my GRE score arrive a few days after the application deadline?

+1 vote
asked ago by (130 points)
I live in a developing country where the only GRE test center opens very few test dates every year. The next one available is December 20th, which is past the application deadline of several graduate programs . So I have two questions:
- For programs with deadlines before December 20, would they take my application before the deadline without the GRE results? (Full GRE results are sent to schools 10-15 days after the exam date)
- For programs with deadlines after December 20, if I can show I took the exam before their deadline, would they take my application before the deadline without the GRE results, which they will receive a few days later?

I could write to programs to explain the situation, and attach a screenshot of the GRE website with dates available for my country (which is easily verifiable in the GRE website). Don't know when each program reviews application, but if it's in January, they would have received my GRE results by then.

Thanks.

1 Answer

0 votes
answered ago by (3.5k points)
Most programs don't really care about the GRE results before the deadline, so long as the scores show up before the program starts reviewing applications. Some may care. And some programs do start reviews before January.

It probably makes sense to tell schools the situation so they don't think you've ignored it. But frankly, the excuse is kind of lame. You could have taken the GRE months ago.
commented ago by (130 points)
Thank you for your reply. I know the excuse sounds kind of lame, but given my country's situation, it's actually true that the GRE is rarely administered here these days. Think Syria or Venezuela, for example.
commented ago by (3.5k points)
That's a fair point. If this is the only time this fall that the test has been available, you might want to point that out specifically when you contact departments.
commented ago by (6.9k points)
In January many programs will still be consumed with the junior job market, so I don't think you have to worry about a GRE score that will come in before then. But by all means, point it out to the departments you're applying to.
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