AHicken

Hello All, I don't post on this forum very often, but wanted to get some feedback and additional insight into a major stressor in my life. I am applying to PhD programs this fall in Organizational Leadership or Organizational Behavior - I have a list of about 8 schools that I have an interest in applying to, fancy little spreadsheet that tells me due dates, expectations, etc. Though there is one obstacle that is turning into a major concern for me - I didn't do well on the GRE. I am retaking the test next week, but am still concerned that improvement won't be enough to get me in. Below are the scores for the previous GRE: Cumulative: 303 (V157, Q146, AW 5) Not great...I know. I'm hoping that I have some redeeming qualities in the eyes of the admissions council - I have been doing this line of work (Human Resources) for 10 years. I have a MS with a 3.7 GPA in Organizational Leadership, a BS in Mgmt with a 3.2. In my SOP I'm planning on talking about how I was focused on getting an education despite growing up poor, single parent family, putting myself through my degrees - I worked the entire time. I have some incredible professors offering me letters of recommendation from both my undergrand and master's programs. Am I right to worry so much about the current GRE score? I don't test well, particularly with a timed mathematical test. I love to write, and I've been told I write beautifully and thoroughly. Has anyone else been in the same boat as I am, how did it turn out? Much appreciated, Alex

Thanks for the input! I'm pretty confident in the rest of my applications being solid - great work experience, etc etc, just having a mild anxiety attack regarding the quant section of the GRE. I'm thinking about buying the Magoosh package to help me squeeze the highest score possible. Does anyone have thoughts on this study venue?

Greetings, I am currently considering apply for a PhD program at several universities and am feeling some anxiety towards the GRE – I’m hoping I can get some feedback from the community regarding this circumstance. Currently I am working on my master’s degree in Organizational Leadership at Regis University with an anticipated graduation date of next April (I’m about 60% done with my degree). My GPA is holding steady at a solid 4.0 on a 4.0 scale. I also hold a professional certification in my field (PHR) and have 7 years’ experience in HR (the programs I’m applying to are HR-centric/focused). Here comes the anxiety; despite my GPA, certification, work experience I’m concerned that a potentially average GRE score will deny my admission. I test very well in the verbal section, though my quant scores are above average but feel they are lack luster. Unfortunately, I don’t have the exact scores from the practice exam I took. What are your thoughts on my anxiety? My circumstances? For the record I’m looking to apply to Cornell, Purdue, U of Minnesota, and U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Thank you everyone! Alex