Ilikekitties

I’ve expressed my concerns to her about the GRE. Basically she said that I could retake it if I wanted to, but that they’re not super important.

Yep, makes sense. I'm not optimistic haha

I commend you. Yeah...if I decide to apply to PhD programs in the future, maybe I should retake the test and study more.

I do know that PhD programs read my essays because I got waitlisted at one and another said I was a top applicant. Sure, maybe my scores could have been a contributing factor for why I wasn't admitted, but these programs are so competitive it'd be impossible to say it was any one thing. There are always more applicants for the number of available spots. Like you get 200 apps for 10 spots. What are the chances for even a super competitive applicant? I suck at logic puzzles haha. Again, basic math...a skill I lack. 150 is still around the 50th percentile...like I really do think it's impossible, especially when you consider that people who actually studied math are taking this test. How can you go from a math level of zero to doing halfway decently on an exam that highly-educated, bright people are taking? Then again, I bubble-raced the math section and got 6th percentile, so there were other people who definitely guessed randomly too. I talked to an alum from my undergrad program who recently got her PhD from Princeton about it, and she said they weren't important, so I kinda pushed them aside. Even when I told her about a couple of current students at my undergrad program who had gotten perfect scores, she thought it was dumb that they had spent so much time studying for that/not doing more important things. Magoosh was the app I used for vocab. You believe in me more than I believe in myself, clearly...

I don't want to study for the GRE. That's the thing. I would need to relearn all of the math that I learned in middle school and high school. I struggled with math in school and there's no way I could reteach it to myself. I can't even do basic algebra anymore. I did study for the verbal section. The GRE was never important to me and I can't involve myself with something that I want nothing to do with. The verbal section is mainly knowing words that I'm never gonna use. Even academia (at least anthro) shuns inaccessibility. I'm passionate about my research topics, though. It's nothing like looking at a math formula sheet. Looking at math formulas makes my brain shut down. Not only is math unpleasant for me, it's impenetrable. I've never understood math all my life, and me studying for a few months on my own after I took math for 12 years in school is not gonna change that. Research might do that at times, but at least it's your passion. Going to grad school is a choice...the only good reason to be in grad school is because you want to be there. My verbal was 150 and my writing was 4.5. My profs who wrote for me don't know these scores. My profs wouldn't write poor letters and my SOP's have been refined over the past 2 years and read by my recommenders.

After admission, the next (huge) thing I'm worried about is funding. I can't go unless the program is funded and I get a living stipend.

Yeah I'm not applying to PhDs this year because I'm unsure if I want to go that route. I'd rather get my MA and then decide. My GPA was high.

I already submitted my app though...wouldn't it be too late to retake it? I'd be a little ashamed to ask them about it, tbh. You don't think they'd feel weird about me asking?

4 MA programs for anthro this round. Crossing my fingers...

Trying not to think about that...

February through April for me

I used free materials when I took the test in 2015. I took one look at the quant formula list and I said “NOPE.” No memorizing formulas?

Good for you! I really don’t think that my scores would improve, however.

Yes, I included the writing section of course. Didn’t know that this wasn’t included. And even if this round of schools is less competitive, I still need full funding at the MA level. Getting in is only part of the issue...

I've heard that psych is crazy competitive!

In 2015 I applied to UIUC, Maryland, the New School, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, Columbia, Cornell, McGill, Toronto, and Notre Dame. In 2016 I applied to McGill, Toronto, Michigan State (sociology), Exeter, Notre Dame (I was a top applicant here on my 2nd try, but alas), and Washington. This year I'm applying to Mississippi State, Oregon State, Maryland, and Southern Florida.

I have a combined GRE score of 293.5 (I literally filled in random bubbles for most of the quant section). I read on here that most grad programs don't accept people who have combined scores below 300. I also read that some schools don't even read an app if the score is below 300. I read for a lot of the schools that I applied to that they don't have GRE minimums, but how do I really know? If that's the case, I'm wasting my time and energy applying. As you can see in my signature, I have a poor record of getting accepted at places. Last year I did find out that I was a top applicant at Notre Dame for a PhD program because of my research experience and research interests, which made me happy, but ultimately I was rejected (I only have a BA, which probably hasn't helped me either). Is it a coincidence? Certainly the programs that I applied to in the past were really competitive and I was also competing with people with MA's.

My apps are submitted. Good luck everyone

Good advice, thanks.

That sounds cool! One of my profs recommended USF.

Good ideas!

Thanks! I'm interested in human-animal relationships and nutrition a bit. In 2015 I applied to UIUC, Maryland, the New School, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, Columbia, Cornell, McGill, Toronto, and Notre Dame. In 2016 I applied to McGill, Toronto, Michigan State (sociology), Exeter, Notre Dame (I was a top applicant here on my 2nd try, but alas), and Washington. This year I'm applying to Mississippi State, Oregon State, Maryland, and Southern Florida. Fingers crossed...

I'm learning Chinese

This is my 3rd round. I feel a bit crazy, but ok. My mom gave me some much-needed encouragement this morning.

My apps are submitted and now I just gotta wait. Any advice for what I should be doing at this time?