What GRE Score Do You Need to Get into Harvard University?

The GRE is a popular standardized exam that is usually taken by candidates applying for postgraduate programmes abroad. The GRE General Test is divided into three sections — Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Analytical Writing. You must be curious about how the GRE exam is scored. Let us take a look.

GRE Exam Scoring

The following table shows the minimum and maximum score for each section.

Sections Score Range
Quantitative Reasoning 130 to 170 (1-pt increments)
Verbal Reasoning 130 to 170 (1-pt increments)
Analytical Writing Assessment 0 to 6 (0.5-pt increments)

As shown in the above table, each right answer in Quantitative Reasoning and Verbal Reasoning is graded in single point increments. As a result, the final grade is determined by the number of right answers given on the exam. Both the Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning sections, as you are aware, are computer-adaptive, which means that the difficulty of the second subsection you attempt is determined by your performance in the previous subsection. Therefore, you must keep in mind that your overall score is determined by how well you perform in both areas. All of the questions contribute equally to your final GRE score.

First your raw score is identified based on the number of questions you answered correctly, and it is then transformed into a scaled score through a process known as equating.

The Analytical Writing Assessment section, on the other hand, is graded in half-point increments and has a total score of six points as shown in the table above. A trained human rater evaluates the essay first. These raters are ETS essay grading analysts who have undergone extensive training and are highly qualified. The human rater evaluates the essay on a variety of factors, including writing ability, clarity, capacity to convey the point clearly, coherence, language, and so on. The essay is then scored by an e-rater, which is a computerized tool developed by ETS. If both scores are matching, the final score is determined by taking the average of the two. If there is a difference between the two scores, the essay is rated again by a second human rater, and the final score is the average of the scores.

Even though the Analytical Writing Assessment is not included in your composite GRE score, it is an important section that any university you apply to will take into consideration in order to understand how adept you are at expressing your views clearly and decisively. This should have given you an insight into how are GRE scores calculated. Now, let us discuss how high your score should be if you are aiming to secure admission to Harvard University.

What GRE Score Will Get You Into Harvard?

Harvard University is an Ivy League institution that is very highly reputed not only in the United States of America but also in the rest of the world. They offer programmes in a variety of disciplines. If you are looking to be selected for a postgraduate programme at Harvard, you will have to ensure that your score falls in the higher bracket.

You should aim for a GRE score of at least 300-310 out of the maximum 340 possible points in the GRE. Of course, the higher your score the better. While there is nothing such as a GRE Harvard score – Harvard sometimes accepts GRE scores lower than 300 if the candidate’s portfolio and other experience suggest that they might be a good fit at Harvard despite their lower GRE score – you should still attempt to get the best possible score, as this will increase the likelihood of you achieving a scholarship for your studies as well.

If you prepare well for the GRE and stick to your study plan, you will definitely be able to achieve your target GRE score. CareerLabs wishes you all the best for your application to Harvard University.

2-3% are the general words such as sections of the GRE, which cannot be changed.