However, admission decisions are generally based on judgments about three criteria. Grades and GRE scores are most informative about the first criterion. Most committee and field members weigh grades more heavily than GRE scores. However, many also think that exceptional students should also be able to get good GRE scores. We often have to make judgments about the potential of students whose records are somehow a problem.
Some students become motivated about school later than others.
Others had to work their way through school. Some graduated from college many years ago. We try to be as fair as possible. But the more evidence you give us of your potential to be an excellent student, the more likely we are to admit you. We admit students with a fairly wide range of GRE scores.