Chance me for LBJ

Graduate School
1

GPA: 3.64
LOR: one from supervisor in DC for NGO, one from Prof, another from MA Director for Intern’l Security Program from my college
Statement of Purpose: very strong; worked on it for months outlining international experience, research experience, and work experience
GRE: n/a; just took and convinced I bombed it (I only feel confident about the AWA)–> would a bad GRE keep me from being admitted or reviewed by committee?

2

Are you international or have they changed the GRE? When I took the GRE, they gave you your estimated verbal and quantitative scores right there on the screen.

Anyway

  1. I don’t know what “LBJ” is. I’m assuming you mean the LBJ School of Public Affairs at University of Texas at Austin. But that’s a moot point, because

  2. Nobody can really ‘chance’ you for graduate school. Certainly not with this level of information, but even with more…the graduate process relies on so much more besides grades and test scores, and much relies on the quality of your statements and letters in context. For public affairs, your work experience matters a lot too. Someone in your field might be able to comment on whether you look like a competitive candidate with more information.

For example, you said you are getting a letter from your supervisor at an NGO you were at in DC. Well, did you work there, or intern there? For how long? What did you do? And importantly, do you think the letter will be positive? How positive? What “prof” will be writing your other letter? how well do they know you, and how positive will this letter be? Does the MA director for the program at your college know you well? Can they write you a glowing, positive letter? This still won’t let people “chance” you, but they can give you a better picture of how competitive they think you are and/or maybe where you are missing some pieces.

As for your last question - yes, a bad GRE score can in certain cases keep you from being admitted or reviewed by a committee. It depends on how bad they are, though, and the individual program. It also often depends on the rest of your application - if you are otherwise a really strong candidate with weak scores, they could potentially be overlooked; but if you are already borderline or even just average with lower GRE scores, that may make you look weaker in the pool compared to above-average or even average candidates who have good GRE scores.