Ace in GRE to get into Top 20 STEM graduate schools in USA
If you are planning to study abroad as a STEM major, do you know what are the top universities? Let’s take a look at the list, set your own goal, and work hard to achieve it.
What GRE score is required for top universities?
Here are the average GRE scores across Top 20 STEM graduate schools in USA. Knowing the average GRE score will help you determine what your next steps should be and how to prepare for this important test.
| Top 20 STEM graduate schools in USA | Average GRE scores |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 317 |
| Stanford University | 317 |
| University of California–Berkeley | 322 |
| California Institute of Technology | 317 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 322 |
| Purdue University–West Lafayette | 318 |
| University of Michigan–Ann Arbor | 327 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 325 |
| University of California–San Diego (Jacobs) | 322 |
| University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign | 320 |
| Texas A&M University–College Station | 310 |
| Cornell University | 331 |
| University of Southern California (Viterbi) | 316 |
| University of Texas–Austin (Cockrell) | 320 |
| Columbia University (Fu Foundation) | 315 |
| University of California–Los Angeles (Samueli) | 317 |
| Johns Hopkins University (Whiting) | 327 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 325 |
| Northwestern University (McCormick) | 320 |
| University of Maryland–College Park (Clark) | 313 |
According to the above table, you have better chances of getting admitted to Top 20 STEM graduate schools in USA if you get a GRE score of 315+ or 320+. So, start making your study plan to get your dream GRE score!
When choosing a university, you have to consider the ranking for the program that you are interested in, the location and the campus culture. But the most important thing is to get a good GRE score. A high GRE score is a ticket to admission.
What does the GRE score mean? Is there a table for GRE scores and percentiles?
Read the article to learn more about GRE score percentiles!
How are your GRE score calculated? Let GRE tutor help you pass with flying colors!
The article describes how GRE score is calculated. The GRE uses an adaptive scoring algorithm. In this article, you can find out the percentile that corresponds to each Verbal Reasoning score and Quantitative Reasoning score. If you score higher than 97% of examinees in GRE Verbal, you can focus on Quantitative and vice versa. Or if there is still a lot of room for progress, review your study plan and problem-solving skills.
Apart from a good GRE score, what are the other credentials required to ensure admission to a top STEM Graduate school abroad?
Types of STEM graduate schools:
Let’s take information technology (AI field, big data) and Electrical Engineering (IC design) for example. There are two types of STEM graduate schools: Master of engineering and Master of Science in Engineering. Most Taiwanese apply for Master of engineering. The Master of Engineering degree consists primarily of coursework. The Master of Science in Engineering is considered to be a research-oriented degree. When applying for Master of Science, GPA and supervisor you had will be the determining factors besides GRE score.
Tips to help you increase your chances of getting accepted to your dream school:
Dissertation or publication is impressive to a graduate school admissions board. If your publication is published in international journal, you will get more chances. If you are a co-author of one research paper conducted by the professor at school, it’s even better.
If not, focus on getting good GPA (especially the GPA of the compulsory courses). Besides, you have to show the admissions board that you are a good fit to attend the program.
That is, if you performed well in compulsory courses but poorly in elective courses, you should be fine. Let’s suppose two students both get a GPA 3.5. One student excelled in compulsory courses but struggled in elective courses. The other performed well in elective courses but poorly in compulsory courses. The previous student gets more chances.
Finally, if the professor who writes recommendation letter is an alumnus or alumna from the school or a leading authority in the field, this will be a huge plus.
Should I take TOEFL or IELTS to prove my language proficiency?
TOEFL is an English proficiency test preferred by universities from the US and Canada, while IELTS is accepted in the UK and Australia. Nowadays, many universities recognize both TOEFL and IELTS. So, if the graduate school you want to apply recognizes both, take a look at the differences and decide which test to take.
Let’s compare the differences between the IELTS and TOEFL.
There are four sections (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) in the TOEFL and IELTS. Each section is scored out of 30 points and then combined for a total TOEFL score out of 120. On the other hand, the total score of IELTS is the average of the four sections.
When applying for graduate school, “speaking and writing” are more important than “listening and reading”. But most Taiwanese students perform better in listening and reading.
Therefore, if your English ability in listening, speaking, reading and writing is balanced, you will probably get a higher score in TOEFL.
But if you are strong in one or two skills among listening, speaking, reading and writing, then IELTS is advantageous to you since it is the average of the four sections.
What to do if I am particularly weak in one of the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing)?
In terms of TOEFL, some schools may require you to attain certain minimum scores on each TOEFL section. Your score in each section should not be lower than 25 no matter what your total TOEFL score is. To be fair, it’s difficult to achieve. As a result, we recommend that you set your target score in each section at 23.
Even if your total score is greater than 100, it is better to retake TOEFL if you score less than 20 in one section.
The same applies for IELTS. Even if you have a high overall score, for example 7 or 7.5, but one section is below 6.0, we suggest you retake the exam.
If you score 9 or 8.5 in two sections, but 6.0 or 6.5 in other two sections, this is still OK.
But if you get an overall band at 7 with 5.5 in two sections and 9 in other two sections, it’s difficult to get admitted.
Which is easier to achieve, TOEFL100 or IELTS 7?
If you are strong in two skills but not in other skills, then the IELTS will be easier for you.
For TOEFL, you need to get almost full scores in two sections and score well in other two sections. For Taiwanese students, TOEFL is a bit easier because it is a computer-based test. It is possible to achieve a high score through short-term training, while IELTS speaking test is done face-to-face with a real, human examiner, which tests the examinees’ English level in a real-life context.
We have introduced the GRE scores for Top 20 STEM graduate schools in USA and also talked about IELTS and TOEFL. No matter which school you choose or which language test you want to take, the important thing is to always remember why you want to study abroad. Obtaining an adequate GRE and TOFEL/IELTS score is the first step required for pursuing a degree abroad. The most important thing is to maintain a positive learning attitude, which will be your most valuable treasure in moving you forward.
