Just Jeff

Thanks so much. But according to my professors, you must know and understand Edward Said and all this crap to be smart. I don't know why I got accepted to this school. I don't want to state the name, but it's a good school. Ivy League. I don't know how the hell I got in.

My school is a very elite and snooty one, and sometimes, I wonder how I got here. My grades were all A's in college. I was always the over-achiever, the smart goal with a passion for literature and speech pathology. Coming to grad school was a mistake, I feel. I'm the most incompetent person in the whole class. The students have read people like Foucault and Derrida when they were babies. I don't even know who these philosophers are, nor do I care! I've realized, however, that if I want to succeed, I have to be like one of these students. I want my professors to like me and not see me as this adorable, naive little girl. What can I do to become smarter???

Lol! Thank you so much! I canceled the exam though. I cannot take it another time. It's too pricey and I don't have the time to study. I'll just keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

You are wonderful. Thank you so much for your encouragement. I will try my best.

Well, some of us are just not excellent test-takers.

You are fantastic! Thank you so much!!!! xoxoxox

Thank you!

I am going to kick this mother! I want to do well on this GRE. My analytical writing score was the 93rd percentile, but my Verbal is somewhere near 50%. I NEED to do well on this exam. My next one is December 3rd. WHAT CAN I DO TO PREPARE WELL? I have Magoosh, and to be honest, it has helped me increase my score.

My GRE's sucked, and I know people often say that it's so important to do well on this exam because it serves as a filtering mechanism. I don't know about studying abroad, far away from home, but Oxford and Cambridge do not require this exam. What about in the US? Does anyone know of any schools that do not require the GRE?

Oh my goodness, thank you so much. I still feel a bit iffy about going abroad for school though. Do you know of any schools that do not require the GRE at all? I know the IUP doesn't, but it's not much of a great PhD program to me.

This would be a dream come true!

Hi, everyone. I'm stressing out so much right now. There was a man in the chatroom who told me that I should consider applying to grad school next year because of my low GRE scores. Verbal: 154 Quant: 145 Analytical: 5.0 I have a 3.9 GPA, a Master's Degree from NYU, research experience, teaching experience, and a great writing sample. However, if the GRE serves as a filter, I'm out. I took the GRE on November 4. Should I take it again on December 3rd? The deadline for my dream school is 12.15.13, and according to most, NYU is a high-tiered school, even though I already go there. Please advise me as seats for the GRE are filling up fast.

Hey, everyone. So, I'm an English MA student at Cornell, and these are the PhD programs I am applying to: - NYU - Columbia - Cornell - CUNY - UPenn - Princeton - Rutgers - Stony Brook - Temple - George Washington These are my GRE scores: VERBAL: 154 QUANT: 144 ANALYTICAL: 5.0 Are my schools too far-fetched? I just can't seem to find any "easy" safety schools near my area. I want to stay near New York where my family and husband's family is.

Hi, everybody. I'm an MA student at NYU's Draper Program. My focus is comparative literature. I'm applying to some PhD programs for next fall, but I want to attend NYU's comp lit PhD program. I have some other places, but this is the one I really, really want. My GPA: 3.881 GRE Scores: Verbal 155 Teaching Experience Research Experience Fluent in 3 languages Do I have a shot? I feel so scared and sad all the time, and I can't stop worrying.

I have tried Magoosh, but I didn't get to finish it. My scores improved by a few points today.

These are my sad, sad scores. Verbal: 151 Quantitative: 144 Analytical Writing: 5.0 I suck at this exam. I think I need to dedicate more time to studying it, but my PhD applications are due in December. I am taking the GRE tomorrow morning, 11/4/13. My dream school's deadline is 12/18. Should I squeeze in one more attempt at the GRE at the end of November? Please help. I've never been this upset or scared before.

Oh no! Please don't worry, you've been super helpful. I totally agree, I don't think I need to do three different schools, right?

I know. I would love to stay at Cornell. I actually went to Manhattan College for my Undergrad. I'm getting my MA at Cornell now, and I'm applying to the PhD program. I just wonder how difficult it would be for me to get in.

Thanks so much, you guys.