Need advice on GRE Score

[jubinsoni27]

I have a pretty bad GRE score Q: 158 V: 140. AWA: Waiting. I haven't given my TOEFL yet.
I'm planning on doing my MS (Computer Science) in California and my GRE score meets the minimum requirements for a very few target universities as well, my preferred universities are:
-University of California, Berkeley
-University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
-California Institute of Technology

I've around 18 months of industrial experience into research and development at an US based IT firm; CGPA - 3.2 out of 4 and I'm sure I would get good recommendation letters. I want to know if my industrial experience and academics would compensate with my low GRE score and get me into any of these universities. I'm not much inclined towards taking GRE again, because I'm not good with standardized tests and I'm terrible at verbal section. If I re-take GRE I think it would take months sharpening verbal part. What should I do?

[tommywallach]

Hey Jubinson,

If you're looking for advice in terms of applications, I recommend you talk to the admissions department or someone who is a professional. There's no way for us to know all the details of your resume, the schools in question, or the vagaries of demographics in your cohort of applicants. It's simply too complicated.

I can tell you this; being at the bare minimum is never a great idea. Doing well on the GRE is hard for a lot of people, but that's why companies like our exist! Because people need to help to see the improvement they want.

To be clear, I'm not telling you that you have to take the GRE again. I'm just saying that if you don't think the rest of your profile is on the HIGH end of things, you wouldn't want a GRE on the LOW end.

Hope that helps!

-t