This Week in GRE & Grad Admissions: Comebacks, Mergers, and Visa Shakeups

Three things worth knowing this week if you're studying for the GRE or applying to grad school.

1. The GRE Isn't Dying — It's Just Moving

If you're weighing whether to even bother with the GRE this cycle, here's the twist: top programs outside the US — NUS, NTU, ETH Zurich, TU Delft, Aalto, LSE, London Business School, RWTH Aachen — are holding firm on GRE requirements for flagship STEM, business, and data science tracks, and several US heavy-hitters (Carnegie Mellon, Harvard, Georgia Tech) never dropped it for their most competitive programs either. With more applicants looking beyond the US amid visa uncertainty, a strong GRE score is turning into a differentiator rather than a formality.

Rough score benchmarks floating around this cycle:

• Engineering/CS: 320-330
• Business/Finance: 310-320+
• Data Science: 165+ Quant
• Economics/Policy: 315+

Curious what programs on your list still require it — drop them below so we can build a running list for the group.

Sources: CollegePond | mbaMission

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2. ETS Just Bought ACT. Here's Why That Matters for Your GRE Score

Six months ago the headlines said ETS might sell off the GRE. Instead, it just went on a buying spree.

Back in February, reports had ETS shopping the GRE and TOEFL businesses for roughly $500M, citing a steep drop in GRE test-takers (from 350K+ in 2020-21 to under 200K by 2024-25) and shrinking net income. Fast-forward to June 30: ETS did the opposite and acquired ACT instead, creating a combined testing operation reaching an estimated 35 million people a year and picking up ACT's WorkKeys certification along the way. ETS says it plans to invest in ACT rather than gut it, but a testing giant this size consolidating two major admissions exams (plus TOEFL) is worth watching — for pricing, digital test delivery, and how much leverage any one vendor has over grad admissions.

Do you think this makes the GRE more or less likely to stick around as a requirement? Discuss.

Sources: Higher Ed Dive | U.S. News | Poets&Quants

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3. Applying From Abroad in 2026? Your GRE Strategy Might Need to Change Too

US visa uncertainty is pushing applicants toward non-US grad programs — and most of those still want a GRE score.

New international enrollment at US universities is reportedly down sharply this year as visa policy uncertainty keeps prospective students on edge, with some reports citing roughly a 20% year-over-year drop in new international students. For a lot of this community, that's shifting the calculus: instead of a US-only application list, more people are adding programs in Singapore, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, and the UK — nearly all of which still require the GRE for flagship programs, even as some US schools stay test-optional. If your list is expanding beyond the US this cycle, it's worth locking in your GRE score early since it now has to work harder across more destinations, not just one.

Anyone here adjusting their target school list because of visa timelines? Share where you're applying now vs. six months ago.

Sources: CNBC | TIME | Higher Ed Dive | CollegePond