New GRE exam: Pick your test date carefully!

If you’re thinking of applying to Fletcher this fall (or if you want to help your friends who are applying), you’ll want to know about the consequences of a new GRE exam that will be launched on August 1.  I’m going to let the test designers tell you about the new test via the GRE website.  Because Fletcher will accept old scores or new scores, the format isn’t the wrinkle for us — it’s the reporting schedule that will have the greatest impact on Fletcher applications.

So here’s a summary to help you consider how/whether you’ll be affected:

1.  If you have already taken the GRE exam and you like your scores, you’re all set!  We will happily continue accepting scores from the soon-to-be discontinued exam format for as long as the scores are valid (five years).

2.  If you are planning to apply for January 2012 enrollment, with our application deadline of October 15, you should register to take the outgoing GRE format before it is discontinued on July 31.  If you wait until after August 1, your scores may not arrive in time to be considered with your application.

3.  If you are planning to apply for September 2012 enrollment by our Early Notification deadline of November 15, you can take the exam in the outgoing format or in the new format, but you should be aware of the delayed reporting schedule.  Here’s the schedule ETS provides (note the two-month delay for August test-takers):

In addition to the reporting delay itself, Fletcher applicants will want to keep in mind that you may not have information about your own scores before you submit applications.  Unless you take the old format test this summer, you won’t have time to learn your score and consider retesting before the Early Notification deadline.

4.  If you are planning to apply for September 2012 enrollment by our January 15 deadline, you’ll have more flexibility. You can choose the old format or the new format, and scores will be reported quickly enough that you can consider your score and decide whether to retest.  In fact, we hope that the worst of the chaos/turmoil/confusion caused by the changeover will have passed by the time we’re dealing with the majority of our applications.

Remember that you also have the option of submitting GMAT scores, if you want to avoid taking the GRE during their transitional year.