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DrFaustus666

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  1. Downvote
    DrFaustus666 got a reaction from Calvinnip in Said-To-Be-Elite GRE Test Prep Company   
    Hi all,

    For any of you who may remember me, I'm still not really satisfied with my most recent GRE score (740V 690Q).

    Please, before anyone tells me that my undergraduate grades are more important and my GRE is already very good---my undergrad GPA of 2.7 from a 2nd-tier school STINKS---and I earned my BA in 1974, waay before most of youse people were born---or my letters or recommendation are really important---those are likely to be lukewarm too because of my personal situation, it's taken me five years to get half way thru a (second) master's degree. All of my 1st MA profs are retired, except one who died, and one of my 2nd MA profs recently retired.

    So I'm putting all my eggs into hopes of getting a really superior, not just very good, but superior, stellar GRE score---hoping against hope that a top-notch school will forgive all if I explain the situation and show them I'm not a dummy and I'm not lazy, I've just had a lot more than my share of life-problems coupled with early immaturity.

    To wit, regarding

    http://www.greprep.org/

    They're VERY expensive and intense, but they actually guarantee a 1300 score even if you come in sub 1000 .... I talked to a rep on the phone. They claim to have a very extensive and accurate diagnostic system plus an individually tailored instruction course plus TONS of required and individually targeted homework ...

    The guy I talked to said he thought there'd be no problem for me, if I take their course, to hit the upper 700's, maybe even an 800, in Quantitative, which is my Achilles heel. He claimed they regularly get people who come in with 500Q and after their course, score over 700Q.

    Has anyone used this company, and if so, what did you think?

    John
  2. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 got a reaction from midnight in 800 Verbal. 4 analytical writing.   
    I never heard of Dave Kingman and I'm honest enough to admit it and not google the name first.

    What else have I missed?

    Or was I too busy onanizing to get your point (my left hand is a little sore actually)?
  3. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 got a reaction from sollee in How Accurate is the GRE Powerprep Software?   
    if you go thru old posts under GRE/GMAT, you'll find that dozens of people have all come to the same conclusions:

    1---powerprep is the best predictor of your real score; and
    2---the various commercial practice tests, i.e., kaplan, princeton, barron, peterson, et al ALL give you a LOWER score than your real score. It IS demoralizing and even cynical in my opinion---their motive is to recruit you into their prep classes

    john
  4. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 got a reaction from cunninlynguist in GRE/GPA   
    Seadub:

    I do not want to start a flame war here. But here's the deal.

    First, you forgot option c, I didn't work AT ALL in my freshman and sophomore years because I was an arrogant SOB who didn't give a rat's butt about my grades in classes other than those related to my major. No lie: I deliberately failed and had to repeat Freshman English 101 just because I thought the prof was a flaming idiot.

    That didn't stop me from, later in life, from reconsidering, and working on English on my own time. I studied vocab, literature, poetry, rhetoric, philosophy, drama, etc. etc., and EVENTUALLY developed superior skills in English, if the GRE is any measure (and that is debatable). I scored 800 on the GRE-Verbal, for the record.

    My point is that one's four undergraduate years in college do not inalterably and immutably determine one's fate. One's early grades do not set in stone tablets whether one is EVER eligible or qualified for advanced studies. I grant you, a 3.5 or better in all subjects the first time around is WISER. But not everybody is wise when they are 18 or 19 years old. Some of us were spoiled brats.

    But the world is made of many kinds of people, and, if you didn't read it in my previous post: in my undergraduate first two years, though I was 18 yrs old, I had the maturity of about an 8-year-old. Should that disqualify me from EVER aspiring to advanced learning? I say NO. Should it force me to prove myself by taking a harder road? Of course it should!

    Finally, I'd be a lot more concerned at how my physician did in Medical School, how well he/she is regarded by his/her peers, whether he/she is Board-Certified or not ... than I would about whether or not he/she spent most of his/her freshman and sophomore years screwing around because he/she thought partying was more important than studying.
  5. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 reacted to waddle in Low Quant (750)   
    That quant score looks to be a bit weak for a computational applicant. If I were you, I'd retake the GRE after studying up.
  6. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 reacted to bluejay16 in GRE Online Resources   
    I stumbled upon this site and am so grateful this person collected all of these online GRE prep resources! I've decided to share it with this community because I know I'm not the only one trying to score almost perfect on this exasperating exam! Enjoy!

    http://www.selectcourses.com/blog/2009/the-ultimate-guide-to-the-gre-100-free-tools-practice-tests-and-resources/

    Out of this list, these happen to be my favorite:

    For GRE Study Guide/Tips, also has a good vocab practice quiz:
    http://www.mygretutor.com/default.aspx

    To make your own interactive vocab flash cards and games online:
    http://www.studystack.com/GRE

    To review math or get math tutorials:
    http://www.wtamu.edu/academic/anns/mps/math/mathlab/gre/index.htm
  7. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 reacted to fuzzylogician in Do professors suggest schools based on how strong they think you are relative to others?   
    I imagine some profs give everyone the top list and others suggest schools that are a better match for the particular student who is consulting with them. It also depends on what you asked for, exactly. If you want to know what your professors meant when you talked to them, ask them about your chances at each of those schools and how well they think those schools match your interests. It'd be so much easier and more reliable than us speculating on the forum.
  8. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 reacted to kotov in Challenging the Grad Cafe: The Six Word Memoir   
    Mockingbird singing out my window. Yay.
  9. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 reacted to jendoly in Challenging the Grad Cafe: The Six Word Memoir   
    the stardust from whence we came.
  10. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 reacted to MoJingly in Challenging the Grad Cafe: The Six Word Memoir   
    I JUST WANT TO GET IN!
  11. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 got a reaction from newms in How to cope with forced schooling   
    For what it's worth, I agree with this post 1000 times over. It's hard to say, and even harder to hear, but you must break out, by yourself and for yourself. And much better to do it while you're still young. As other posters have also said, some counseling will help you, and I strongly advise that too.

    The question of whether you earn an MFA or PhD, or five PhD's, is really irrelevant. You mother is running your life, and you must take charge of it and break free of her.

    Feel free to personal-message me if you'd like any further details, my own broad outlines are very, very similar though the details are totally different, in fact, opposite.

    Been there done that. You don't want to follow in my footsteps.

    Wishing you all the best!
    John

  12. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 reacted to Amalia222 in How to cope with forced schooling   
    there's little point to getting an advanced degree in art unless you plan to teach, IMHO. the reality of the job market is that you may end up in a huge financial crisis after you graduate, thousands of dollars in debt (if not tens of thousands of dollars). I recommend doing some serious soul-searching about what you want to do. Graduate school is not for everyone. At the end of the day, you may be happiest looking for a job, leaving graduate school, and then spending a few years working towards paying back those loans. Most importantly, at 23, you need to move out and establish independence from your parents and your family. In my opinion, your family should only want whatever makes you happy. My mother has told me numerous times that she wouldn't care if I was washing dishes for a living if that was what made me happy (although, like most parents, she'd like to see me making more than minimum wage! :-) ). It's time to grow up and start making choices for yourself, whether your parents like it or not. I've done a lot of "crazy" stuff that threw my parents for a loop (I took off for the Caribbean and spent 2 years teaching scuba diving, for example), but once my parents saw how happy I was and how I was living my dream, they loosened up.


  13. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 reacted to fuzzylogician in How to cope with forced schooling   
    You are living in an unhealthy situation and you need to extricate yourself from it. You'll have to take active measures and get help from real people to do this. Given the state that you are in, I think that it's unrealistic to expect you to be able to leave home right this second -- you seem to be too dependent on your mother. As an important first step, it's good that you started seeking help online. The next step, however, is to also get help from people in your community, for starters from the counseling office at your school. There is good advice in this thread about how to get in touch with them. Start talking to someone, I can't stress enough how important it is to get someone else's perspective on the situation. I think that you are in many ways lost; you need to learn how to live as an independent adult. Start making a plan for yourself for what you'll do when you move out and how you'll live. This is something that you can research online - there are many resources out there: forums, blogs, advice columns, etc. that you can read so you can start assembling a picture of what it'll be like and what you need to know. Your plan should include things like moving out (deciding where to go to, researching areas you would want to live in - neighborhoods, rent, cost of living.. are there friends or other family members who you could move in with while you get your life together? ), getting a job, thinking about means of transportation, learning to do the cooking, cleaning, etc.; it's important to have an idea of what factors are important once you move away. You should get help from others when thinking about all these things, but this is something that you can start doing right now at home. Please remember that it is entirely within your power to do this. Every healthy adult moves out and becomes independent at some point in their lives, and you can do it too. Don't worry about what your mom will say or do; you need to take care of yourself, and right now the situation you are in is destructive. Starting to create change is often the hardest part, as LJK says, but you've already started! Now don't stop - instead move on to the next step. Do what you need to do so you can get out as soon as you can.
  14. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 reacted to Strangefox in How to cope with forced schooling   
    So I've just looked for hotlines and very quickly found this website: http://www.thehotline.org/
    I don't know if it's for free but I guess it probably is.

    And here you can send a message to this hotline and tell about your problems in writing: http://www.thehotline.org/get-help/contact-the-hotline/

    Please call/write there and tell us the results.
    Don't forget, we are all here to help you and support you.

    Another useful link, to help you to define domestic violence: http://www.oprah.com...mestic-Violence
  15. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 got a reaction from psycholinguist in How to cope with forced schooling   
    For what it's worth, I agree with this post 1000 times over. It's hard to say, and even harder to hear, but you must break out, by yourself and for yourself. And much better to do it while you're still young. As other posters have also said, some counseling will help you, and I strongly advise that too.

    The question of whether you earn an MFA or PhD, or five PhD's, is really irrelevant. You mother is running your life, and you must take charge of it and break free of her.

    Feel free to personal-message me if you'd like any further details, my own broad outlines are very, very similar though the details are totally different, in fact, opposite.

    Been there done that. You don't want to follow in my footsteps.

    Wishing you all the best!
    John

  16. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 got a reaction from Strangefox in How to cope with forced schooling   
    For what it's worth, I agree with this post 1000 times over. It's hard to say, and even harder to hear, but you must break out, by yourself and for yourself. And much better to do it while you're still young. As other posters have also said, some counseling will help you, and I strongly advise that too.

    The question of whether you earn an MFA or PhD, or five PhD's, is really irrelevant. You mother is running your life, and you must take charge of it and break free of her.

    Feel free to personal-message me if you'd like any further details, my own broad outlines are very, very similar though the details are totally different, in fact, opposite.

    Been there done that. You don't want to follow in my footsteps.

    Wishing you all the best!
    John

  17. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 got a reaction from flotsam in How to cope with forced schooling   
    For what it's worth, I agree with this post 1000 times over. It's hard to say, and even harder to hear, but you must break out, by yourself and for yourself. And much better to do it while you're still young. As other posters have also said, some counseling will help you, and I strongly advise that too.

    The question of whether you earn an MFA or PhD, or five PhD's, is really irrelevant. You mother is running your life, and you must take charge of it and break free of her.

    Feel free to personal-message me if you'd like any further details, my own broad outlines are very, very similar though the details are totally different, in fact, opposite.

    Been there done that. You don't want to follow in my footsteps.

    Wishing you all the best!
    John

  18. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 got a reaction from adinutzyc in How to cope with forced schooling   
    For what it's worth, I agree with this post 1000 times over. It's hard to say, and even harder to hear, but you must break out, by yourself and for yourself. And much better to do it while you're still young. As other posters have also said, some counseling will help you, and I strongly advise that too.

    The question of whether you earn an MFA or PhD, or five PhD's, is really irrelevant. You mother is running your life, and you must take charge of it and break free of her.

    Feel free to personal-message me if you'd like any further details, my own broad outlines are very, very similar though the details are totally different, in fact, opposite.

    Been there done that. You don't want to follow in my footsteps.

    Wishing you all the best!
    John

  19. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 reacted to wtncffts in How to cope with forced schooling   
    I'm truly sorry you're in this situation. It sounds awful. However, I have to say that you need to have some courage, stand up for yourself, and be an adult. Unless there's some real coercion going on which you didn't mention, nobody is 'forcing' you to go to school. Move out, or move to another city; do whatever you need to do. You have no say in how you run your life because you're allowing yourself to be dictated to. As for the degree, it's absolutely silly to think a Fine Arts degree of any stripe is going to guarantee a six-figure salary. Certainly not an MFA. Get out now.
  20. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 reacted to Bukharan in Hogwarts; culture; awkward?   
    First of all, there is absolutely nothing shameful in telling people that you got rejected from somewhere. Absolutely nothing! Besides, you will be telling this to someone in the same programme as you - you are on the same level, got into the same school, chose the same school, absolutely 'equal' (if this is what bothers you).

    Secondly, if you do want to avoid 'confessing', just say that you only applied to one programme - the one you got accepted to. Very cool, risky, self-confident and somewhat arrogant, no?

    Huge congratulations on your offer! Fear nothing and be deservedly proud of your accomplishment!


  21. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 reacted to lyonessrampant in Columbia's MA (Only) - Worth it?   
    I certinly can't speak for the poster you're questioning, but I turned down a fully funded Ph.D. offer to Notre Dame to go to U of Chicago's MA, though I was given partial funding. While I'd probably be finishing my Ph.D. next year rather than starting it, I also don't regret my decision. I made it for social and relationship reasons. Obviously, that's a very individual choice. I'm just saying don't judge what on the surface looks like a terrible decision, because people usually have reasons for making those decisions.
  22. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 reacted to violaswamp in Columbia's MA (Only) - Worth it?   
    Hey guys,
    Haven't read this entire debate, but wanted to weigh in as I am currently finishing my MA at Columbia. I've been accepted to five programs for PhDs of varying quality (ranked between the 90's and the 20's) and gotten full fellowship offers at all of them. I applied to 20 schools, which I think helped my chances. Also, I really tried to spread my apps out in terms of quality of program and location.

    My experience at Columbia has been difficult. I feel like I haven't thrived there, but I'm not sure if that's because I worked two jobs while going in order to pay for it and was pretty burnt out the whole time. That said, I definitely think that strong letters from my Columbia professors helped me a lot in terms of acceptance at schools that are in the mid-range. Columbia is a pretty cold place, so your best bet is to align yourself with good professors early. Privately message me if you'd like some names of people who are really willing to work with MA students.

    There are some professors at Columbia who simply won't give terminal MAs the time of day, so you've got to pick and choose your classes carefully. I agree with those who say that if you're trying to get into Harvard, a great essay and letters from a lesser MA program will be just as helpful as those from Columbia, because at that level it's all about the work. Most of the PhD candidates at Columbia who came in with MAs did those degrees at lesser schools. I know many Columbia M.A.O.'s who only applied to Ivy league PhD programs and were rejected everywhere. BUT, if you are shooting for a mid range PhD program, I do think the name can be helpful (just based on my experience).

    One last thing--had I to do it again, I probably would have taken the other MA offer I received from Rutgers Newark. I think I would have been nurtured more, done better work, and been more competitive for this process. For someone who doesn't need as much mentorship as I do, though, the Columbia MAO is probably a a good choice.

    Good luck to all of you.
  23. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 reacted to lotf629 in Columbia's MA (Only) - Worth it?   
    The reality is that lots of people in Ivy league schools, at every level, are from poor families, and many of them are coping with significant financial stress and may even be in the position of giving partial support to family members, but most of them have learned not to talk about it, for better or worse. It's not very helpful to make blanket assumptions about others' financial situations, I find. I say this as someone who is working on a third Ivy degree and has been lending support to parents for the last ten years. I just make it work, as many of us do. Sometimes I took taxis to school because I was so overscheduled between my job and my classes that it was the only way to get there on time.

    Appearances can be deceiving.
  24. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 got a reaction from queller in Individual Question Value   
    I've done very extensive but informal research on this subject (the scoring algorithm of the computer adaptive test), using the two ETS-supplied Poweprep (OLD) tests, together with lists of the right and wrong answers. I've experimented, deliberately answering a question or two wrong, then answering every succeeding question right, just to see what happens.

    The short answer to all of this is: to get an 800 (or high 700s) on both Verbal and Quantitative, respectively, you must
    EITHER:
    (1) answer all of the first 20 questions correctly, then make no more than two or three mistakes in questions 21-end (30 or 28, respectively)
    OR
    (2) if you make even one mistake in the first eight questions or so, you must answer all succeeding questions correctly to score above about 720.

    Also,
    (1) answering all questions randomly yeilds a score in the low 300s at best
    (2) answering the first 15 or so questions correctly, plus totally random guesses for the remaining questions yeilds scores in the low 600 range
    (3) if you make more than one mistake in the first five questions, it is next-to-impossible to score above 750

    All of this is with the OLD POWERPREP program, and of course, ETS has probably improved their scoring algorithm, such that it's not possible any longer to take tons of time on the first 15-20 questions, then rapid-fire guess at the rest.

    Hope this helps.
    John
  25. Upvote
    DrFaustus666 reacted to newms in Would you put this on your C.V.?   
    I think it's perfectly ok to put a poster at a conference on your C.V. especially if the conference fairly well known in your field. Just have it under a heading for posters.
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