Last week, I had the pleasure of taking the GRE because one of the film programs I am applying to had “recommended” it. I was placed in a bland cubicle (after being subjected to a rigorous self pat-down and scanned by a security wand) and patiently waited for the GRE to load on the computer screen. What ensued was four hours of tears, sweat, panic and swearing (ok, maybe not tears) as I attempted to take the GRE after going years without taking a class in math nor English. I really should have studied months before I was scheduled to take the test but being myself, I waited until the last minute to crack the spine of my GRE test prep booklet. Biggest mistake ever and I have only myself to blame. Consequently, I received average results and began googling frantically: “How important are GRE scores to film schools?"

Through the pile of results detailing how the GRE was such an important test for graduate admissions, I'd managed to discover an interesting article on how the GRE was viewed by film schools specifically. The author of the article, Justin Marshall, wrote that he had completed extensive research on this topic and can confirm that film school admission committees at the graduate level are prone to prioritizing the experience and the "story" of their candidates over their statistical achievements (i.e. GRE scores and even GPA). After all, that only makes sense, right? Why would I need to be capable in analyzing a philosophical argument or know the definition of the word “insouciance” if my goal in life is to direct movies? How does that help me in any way? In fact, Marshall had even thrown in an amusing tidbit: at a time where GRE scores were required by film schools, Steven Spielberg was rejected from USC due to his low scores on the standardized test (allegedly). Consequently, most film schools discovered how ridiculous it was to base a filmmaker’s merit on a test that has no measurement in creativity and decided to abandon GREs as a requirement for entry.

With that being said, you obviously don’t want to bomb the GRE because I am certain that all graduate-level film schools would want a student who is at least competent in their math, English, and writing skills. I am just making a case that these scores should not be weighed more than the required creative supplements and for the most part, I don't believe they are. At the end of the day, the graduate admission committees for film regard the candidate's statement of intent, filmography, and letters of recommendation as the ultimate trifecta in determining if an applicant is worthy of being accepted. Ultimately, it goes without saying that you need to do your best on the GRE and don’t procrastinate on studying like I did! I wish those applying to graduate school the best of luck and hope that everyone is able to get into one of their desired schools.