DrFaustus666

Well, the attitude of your faculty begs the question, "Why did they admit you in the first place?" if they're so staunchly opposed to women as clergy or theologians (I'm guessing from your program: M. Div.).

Be that as it may, you can directly ask the regular professors if they'd be able to write you a good recommendation -- assuming of course that you can trust them to give you an honest answer.

If the answer is yes, then at least one regular professor's recommendation would be advisable. If not, then ask the adjunct for a recommendation.

I'm sorry to hear that such misogyny still exists. Women have proven themselves to be equally adept with men in every human endeavor except for fathering babies and a few athletic areas where a man's muscular build gives him an advantage.

Indeed (I'm sure indulging in polemics is frowned upon in this forum, but here I go anyway) the Catholic Church would have benefitted immensely from the presence of women in its priesthood, if for no other purpose than to serve as whistle-blowers against the astonishing number of pedophiles who've been flushed out of the woodworks in the last 15 years.

Good luck,
John

powerprep 1: 770V
600M

powerprep 2: 780V
620M

actual score was 800V and 630M.

so, for me it was pretty insanely accurate.

i also think it's worth it to note that the kaplan and princeton review practice exams were giving me verbal scores that didn't even break a 700. in my experience, the powerprep was the real deal and the test prep companies gave me nothing more than indigestion, sweaty palms, and night terrors.

Hi Banksy,

I'm at a similar point to you- I am working in a biomedical lab while applying to PhD programs (in public health, though, I'm changing fields). A few comments:

It sounds like you have some really good connections at the schools you want to go to, and I think if you use that to your advantage, it could make up for the numbers. If you have people on the faculty who want you in their lab, and know you do good work, they will fight to get you in. I don't think there's any reason not to rely on that- I have good numbers, and I am freaking out cold-contacting faculty, because no numbers make up for having someone willing to take you on as an advisee. The way I see it is, you have landed a really good job, and from the sounds of it you have really proven yourself since being there. The publication process takes a really long time, but having a supervisor who is able to enthusiastically recommend you to his colleagues is for now the best concrete demonstration you have of your accomplishments. If you can get the senior scientist to introduce you to some of his connections, and start a dialogue, you probably have a really good chance.

As far as the GRE goes, I think in biological sciences the verbal might count almost as much as the quantitative section, although it might depend on the field you are in. If you do end up retaking it, I highly recommend this website: http://www.brainscape.org/ It is a flashcard program for GRE vocabulary, and although I generally don't like flashcards, this was an absolute lifesaver for me. I don't know what I would have gotten before using it (probably not a good score), but I ended up with a 700 on the verbal.

Overall, it sounds like you have what counts most in your application, which is demonstrated dedication and ability in research. Your work at your current job will probably be a real strength for your application, so definitely take full advantage of that.

Good luck!

Kim

That raises the horror scenario:

Graduate School's absolute limit: 1000 words
Individual department: no limit

And your application (with 1100 word SOP) gets axed before the department ever sees it. I don't think this may happen very often, but it underscores your point, namely ask the department for details!

I've been lurking for awhile. I'm new to actually posting to the board though, so hi. My way of saying hi is to make a thread for folks who have GPAs under a 3.0 but are applying to programs anyways.

You'd be surprised how different things are applying with a GPA this bad. Not necessarily terrible, just different.

Anyone else in this situation?

Unfortunate and probably not very funny but related comments that we'll generously refer to as humor:


[*:21esys8v]You know you have under a 3.0 when someone asks you what your safety schools are and you stare back at them unsure of what those two words together might actually mean.
[*:21esys8v]You know you have under a 3.0 when you don't meet the minimum requirements for any of the programs you applied to.
[*:21esys8v]You know you have under a 3.0 when you can't take getting recommended for admission by the department for granted as getting approved by the graduate college can actually present a challenge.
[*:21esys8v]You know you have under a 3.0 when you describe your transcript as "colorful."
[*:21esys8v]You know you have under a 3.0 when, in a desperate search for safe schools, you catch yourself wondering if your local community college is a PhD granting institution. (You quickly realize that even if they were they wouldn't have funding for you anyways, then you remember they don't even grant four-year degrees.)
[*:21esys8v]You know you have under a 3.0 when you realize that as much as you'd like to stay in a certain geographic area, all those schools are too hard to get into and so you need to apply more broadly.
[*:21esys8v]You know you have under a 3.0 when your "what are you going to do now" fantasy simply consists of you walking around for an entire day uttering no words other than the phrase "I did it."
[*:21esys8v]You know you have under a 3.0 when you know for certain that all of your friends will know exactly what that means.
[*:21esys8v]You know you have under a 3.0 when you actually start to believe that any acceptance letters you receive are more likely to be mistakes than legitimate offers for admission.
[*:21esys8v]You know you have under a 3.0 when whenever you tell someone you got accepted somewhere their first words aren't "Congratulations" but "Really?"
[*:21esys8v]And how could we forget the classic: You know you have under a 3.0 when you wince every time someone online comforts another stressed out applicant by telling them "well at least your GPA is over a three so things won't be that bad."

Hi newms,

The changes in the verbal part are fairly radical insofar as analogies are eliminated from the Aug 2011 GRE, after 30 years at least of inclusion of analogies (my first ever GRE, in 1975, had them). In place of analogies will be many more reading comprehension and some more sentence completion questions.

This will make the verbal part considerably easier for many people, and also reflect more of what graduate students in the humanities actually do: read, read, read, read, read, and then read some more.

Some very few people (yours truly included) won't like the new format, because the one thing we're good at and most people aren't (analogies) will be eliminated. Boo hoo.

But for most people, that significant change (no analogies) will be a big plus.

John

ETS will be doing heavy outreach to try and inform admission counselors about the new scale. This will include distribution of conversion charts that relate new scores to old scores, as well as explanations of why the changes have been made. That being said, there is no way of knowing how effective this outreach will be. It is always good to deal with a known quantity, so you might be safer with the current GRE.

Let me just tell you from experience:

A) An Ivy League school wouldn't accept you if they didn't see something great in you

Ivy League students are not necessarily smarter than you...they just speak a different language. You will realize that a large part of the culture is simply figuring out how they make their points. Shortly thereafter, you will also realize that there are plenty of people who can name-drop and use big words, but aren't really saying anything all that intelligent.

Believe me, you will come into your own. Don't let them intimidate you.

umm, modicum means "a small amount"

Hi john,

That's what I'm hoping too!

ETS has a summary of the changes on their website here: http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general_institutions as well as some sample questions and preparation materials for the new test here: http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare It seems to me to be more of a change in format than a change in the content tested. Some of the material will be presented in different ways but it doesn't seem to be a radical change in the tested material.

First, you're right that the antonym and especially the analogy questions require precise interpretations, which in turn require a large vocabulary ... and not just first meanings. The most difficult analogy and antonym questions rely on your knowing second or even third meanings of a word (usually a more common word with a recondite additional meaning).

Second, the only way to improve from 540 to 650 (or hopefully, better) is to learn all that esoteric vocabulary. Barron's book has the best vocabulary list I know of. It has over 3600 words, including about 400 "high frequency" words.

You should know all 400 high-frequency words cold. Period. Every single one of them. Period. And you should learn as many of the remaining 3600 as you can.

With a full study load that will indeed be difficult. Make flash cards (better to make them yourself than to buy pre-printed cards by the way!). Try to learn 10 or 12 new words every single day. USE the new words you learn! In your papers, in your conversation, in your emails to friends, anytime you have a chance.

Third, read all the high-brow books and magazines you can find, as well as the op-ed section of the New York Times if you have access to it; or The Economist; or old issues of The New Republic (hardline right-wing, but its editor, the late William F. Buckley, had the most astounding vocabulary of anybody I've ever heard talk).

Good luck,
John

(took GRE twice, scored 800V/670Q the first time and 740V/690Q the second time ... and am desparately trying to get my Quant up into the mid 700s)

But newms has a point too.

It's worth checking the programs you're interested in before you blow off the AW completely. ... I remembered a post a while back ... Some very few programs have minimum AW scores. The vast majority don't but a few do.

John

You can request a re-grading of your AWA for a mere $55.00 USDollars, or you can re-take the whole test; but with a 3.98 GPA and a 700 Verbal, I don't think it's worth the trouble or expense.

Write a super-squeaky-clean-polished Statement of Purpose and (if asked for) a super-polished "Writing Sample" and the adcomms will see that the low AW score is an aberration.

I've taken the GRE three times (trying to get my Quantitative score up) and have received AW scores of 4.5, 5.0, and 5.5 .... and I think the 5.5 was the time I had a completely WTF-attitude towards the AW (while still not reaching the Q-score that you got BTW).

Point is: Nobody cares much about the AW score, when the applicant has a 3.98 GPA and a 700-Q, plus excellent writing samples to back them up.

Don't bother re-taking, IMHO.

John

Awesome! There's something psychological about going up from 5XX to 6XX or 6XX to 7XX--even if it isn't that many points, it looks so much better. Your scores now look good.

Figured I'd say thank you to those of you who urged me to take the test again. I took it again today and I raised my score from 580V/640Q to 660V/700Q

I'll never understand how I got that high on the math (a one-armed, blind chimpanzee is better than me at math), but hey! Whatever works!

There was a clearly identified experimental Verbal section, offering a chance to win $250.00

I declined, being tired and desirous to enjoy a lovely autumn day.

There was a clearly identified experimental Verbal section, offering a chance to win $250.00

I declined, being tired and desirous to enjoy a lovely autumn day.

I'm sure plenty of people will be willing to help you bhvana but you haven't really said anything about what field you are interested in or anything.

In terms of scholarship options and documentation you need to take the time to visit the websites of the specific schools you are interested in. People will not do this for you! I suggest that you go to the subforum for the subject you are interested and ask around there.

No they don't show you the combined score, just verbal and quant on separate lines.

I had a similar experience (did way better that I thought I would) so I was nervous to get my official score report. I just got it yesterday, and it's the exact same score I saw on GRE day. Congrats on your score!

Test takers whose scores are canceled will forfeit their test fees and must pay to retake the entire test. No record of the score cancellations or the reason for cancellation will appear on future score reports.

http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/scores/how/

Medievalmaniac, I really don't think that the SoP is the right place to explain your coursework, unless it has direct relevance to the narrative you're writing about your development. I just attached a sheet with all my applications called "Undergraduate Coursework in Literature" or "Relevant Coursework," and then divide it up into "English" and "French." Under each category, I had the course number, the actual full title, the prof, and my grade in it. That way they can cross-reference with my transcript if they want, but they have the important info that they'll really be mining my transcript for isolated for them already. And I didn't have to take up precious space in my SoP explaining them.

As for what I did in my SoP that I think worked, I have some perspective on that, having been roundly rejected two years ago and pretty decent success this round (though UVa and U Washington, what is UP?! Still waiting on them). I really think the difference between my two SoPs is the big thing that made the difference, as my numbers and other qualifications (and even most of my writing sample, though I edited it) are the same. So here's what I think made the difference, in three alliterative categories:

1. Focus. Like it or not, they want to be able to categorize you. You can have secondary interests, but they have to be clearly secondary and bear some relation to your main focus. Last time I tried to tell too many stories of my development, and there were too many directions I could go in. This was partially a reflection of where I was at the time, and honestly I think they were right to reject me straight out of undergrad - I needed some time to reflect, to think about what I actually wanted to do in the field. Now that I have, my SoP reflects that clearer sense of direction and purpose.

2. Fit. Everyone tells you this, but it's true. I spent a lot more time really researching profs on the websites, then looking up and scanning through a few key articles, and skimming through the courses they taught. It really gives you a better idea of whether their interests and methodologies ACTUALLY fit yours, or whether it just looks like that on paper. I then tailored my fit paragraph to show how multiple faculty members could support my research interests (this may be English-specific, as in other non-humanitites disciplines you are applying to work with one advisor). Also, if the department has a pet methodology, it's helpful to know that - they'll look for students who fit that bill. Interdisciplinary programs that faculty are involved in and subfield/methodologically-specific colloquia, etc. are also things to look for.

3. Future. This could vary, depending on how much of an academic past you have, but for me what helped was focusing discussing even my past towards showing how it formed a trajectory for the future. I've said in other places around here that the best advice I got for my SoP was that you should think about demonstrating that you are capable of conceiving of a larger project; whether or not you end up doing that project is irrelevant, as you probably won't and the adcomm is well aware of that - the point is that you are CAPABLE of conceiving of a future direction for yourself. I focused on telling a story (i.e. "I'm interested in the relationship to place in Modernist literature") and cutting all details of my past that didn't mesh with that. So by the end I was able to say look! What I discussed doing in paragraphs x (gloss of relevant coursework/advisors, focus), y (challenges and triumphs of writing my thesis and learning theory), and z (teaching, living different places) all feed into the project I'm proposing in this last paragraph (though the project was sufficiently broad so as not to pigeonhole me). I said that I wanted to go in certain different directions, but it was clear that it would be a continuation of my development, not starting anew. They want to see that you are capable of functioning independently as an academic (should be demonstrated by your past and by the fact that you can independently come up with good future directions), but that they have something to offer in terms of guiding you.

Hope that helps!

I felt as though the kaplan cat's were closer to the real thing than either princeton review or any other cat I took (barrons etc.) But nothing beats powerprep. The scores I got on my kaplan cats were closest to my actual gre score, but the powerprep questions and style were, at least for me, dramatically more similar to the actual gre i took. If you're happy with your kaplan scores, I'd take that as a plus. Good luck on your exam!

Recently used the Kaplan internet courses and books. I found the CAT way harder than the real GRE!!! I got around 600V, 700Q at CAT3 or 4 and scored about 70 and 50 more points on the real GRE in each section. So I'm pretty happy with their practice tests but I found them pretty different from the real GRE. Nothing beats Powerprep, it really really based on the real exam and is the best prediction of your scores.

My opinion at least

Best of luck (I'm traumatised with this exam, I HATED it)

All of the test prep company CATs (Kaplan, Princeton Review, Barron's) are going to be harder than the real thing. They have a very strong incentive to make you think you are worse than you really are (so you will buy more books). The Powerprep software will give you the most accurate score/level of difficulty.