The UTRGV Graduate College is waiving the GRE and GMAT for all applicants until Fall 2020 due to the closing of test centers in response to social distancing practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As soon as we heard that the test centers had also been closed, then we had to quickly make decisions,” said Parwinder Grewal, executive vice president of research in graduate studies and new programs and dean of the Graduate College.
The Graduate Record Examination and Graduate Management Admission Test will not be part of the requirements to enter the Graduate College for Summer I, II and Fall 2020.
The decision to remove these requirements was made a month ago when the Graduate College received the first notice from the mayor, Grewal said.
He describes the temporary waiver as the right time to apply to the graduate program.
“This is the right time to get into the Graduate College,” Grewal said. “We know that many people are facing challenges right now. Challenges related to, maybe, they themselves have lost a job or their spouse have lost a job, or their parents are in a situation where they didn’t expect them to be. So, UTRGV is offering a whole range of scholarships and assistantships.”
Asked how this will affect the application process, he replied it will be one indicator less for the student application and faculty will still be able to make decisions upon admission.
Grewal said the Graduate College is excited about this temporary change because the GRE and GMAT have acted as hurdles for students in the past.
“These tests [consist] of high school-level math and, you know, things like that, and some of our candidates who are applying to graduate school have been in the workforce for the last 15 years,” he said. “So, they actually forget about that stuff that they learned in high school.”
Roxxana Vasquez-Lucio, director of development for UTRGV, said she decided to apply to the Graduate College because of this incentive.
Vasquez-Lucio is a legacy alumnus who graduated in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders.
Asked how this waiver affected her decision, she replied, “That was a big impact for me because … I’ve been out of school for 20 years. So, I graduated 20 years ago. Secondly, the idea of having the GRE waived, it’s very appealing because I have been out of school for so long so, you know, to me, that’s something that I feel is a big plus.”
Vasquez-Lucio said she had been contemplating going back to school for many years and decided now was the right time after receiving the email sent out last week about the waiver.
“Last week, I think, was kind of that little push for, really, that last incentive to say, ‘OK, now is a good time to start,’” she said.
Vasquez-Lucio said this waiver is beneficial for “older, more mature students.”
“I think it’s something for people, you know, I don’t know what you would call me, an older, more mature student that has been thinking about coming back,” she said. “I think this is something that is going to really help us decide, ‘OK, I think it’s time to do it.’ Being an older, more mature student you really have a lot more to juggle and knowing that you have these steps that are going to help you or possibly make things easier for you is definitely something that helps me.”
Students looking to apply to graduate school can find information at utrgv.edu/graduate. Students may also set up individual meetings with a recruiter via Zoom or by phone.
“This is the time for those people who always wanted to get a graduate degree,” Grewal said. “Now they can get it without having these test scores. … This is the time.”
