Now, let's analyze this selection process according to the psychology of human decision-making. The selection criteria include grades, GRE scores, impressions from the recommendation letters, interests of the applicant and impressions from the interview. However, these factors are considered at different points in the selection process. The first phase of the selection involves reducing the complete set of applications down to the interview group. Since there are so many applicants to review, every program stresses the standardized credentials at this point, the GRE scores and grades.
Some programs have a formula or set of cut-off scores they use consistently from year to year.
Sometimes the cut-off levels are adjusted each year according to the number of applicants. The magic cut-off scores for the GRE are typically 600 for the Verbal section and 600 for the Quantitative section. Whatever the method chosen, the admissions committee is only involved in selecting 50 interview candidates from approximately 100 applicants. There is an important consideration derived from this step in the process. Since GRE scores and grades were used to reduce the applicant pool, the people still in the pool have similar grades and GRE scores.