svent

Georgia Tech asks to upload an unofficial pdf copy of GRE scores in addition to sending an official copy. I'm not really comfortable with them seeing all old scores (I never had any truly terrible scores, but did retake). I also don't really want them to see a list of all schools I've sent scores to (including a few it turns out I won't be applying to, and all the schools I applied to in a different field 5 years ago). They also ask for an upload of a passport/birth certificate/etc. as proof of US Citizenship, which sounds very strange to me at the application stage (they say Driver License copy is only acceptable if you're from Georgia, which I'm not). Anyone have any experience with the GT application and know if this stuff is really necessary?

Actually I would worry about it. How do you know your reference is right? How are you going to find out you got rejected because your GPA is too low and not because you had a missing (late) recommendation?

www.farbod-salimi.com/download/Issue-topicsabridged.docx

Yeah, maybe someone here knows the answer.

Depends how efficiently you study? You need to take probably around 3 classes per term. Some may be easy, some may be hard. You may need to put in a lot of time if you're doing a thesis on top of that. If you need to TA to support yourself, that will take a lot of time. Also, a lot of 9-5's in the software industry end up being more than 9-5's.

I applied to grad school years ago and recently looked at my old SOP. It was around 1000-1200 words. I realized while it was a well-written piece, if was way too long. I don't know if this affected my admission results or not. This time around my statement is around 500-600 words. Much much better. I don't think professors want to read something so long. It's best to be concise.

Same here... but on the one application (one of the applications?) that asked for it, they automatically filled in my GRE details on my app once they received my score report, so that information may have proven unnecessary anyway.

First off, 82% is awesome. Submit it. If they don't care, then big deal. If they do care, it could help you. If someone wondered why you were sending it unsolicited, the response is that you sent it along with your general GRE scores. For all they know, those are the only tests you ever took (no retakes, etc.) and you did send all instead of scoreselect. 90%+ is typically only attained by internationals (many of whom cheat -- share answers from test to test). There are a few Americans who get that score, but not many. 80%+ is good enough not to get you excluded from any Math Ph.D. program. Will only make you shine for more applied programs.

I think many classes are in person (with an online option), but it seems to be their night school. Different from Harvard College, and you'll be judged for going for the name, whether it's true or not. It often is on campus, just not the same professors that the normal students take.

Officially, the GRE year runs from July to June or something, which effectively makes it a 6 year rule. Schools say 5 years. Whether they would honor 5+ year old scores that ETS still honors is a question I wouldn't want to test out. At this point, the 800 scale is old enough that it's worth taking the new test anyway IMO.

4 isn't that weak. It's pretty average. Above average if you take internationals into account. 160+ is important on math, and 165 is still fantastic verbal. You're writing a statement of purpose. They can find out if you write well or not from that. Or you could just submit all and let them decide which one they want to consider.

Sounds like a scam. I found this list a while back for $0. Also doesn't matter since I already took the test.

I was just about to say "writing isn't a big deal unless you're in poli sci or something." Then I noticed that you are. Are your scores Q/V/AW or V/Q/AW? If the former, then I'd use the first score. If the latter, I'd use the second score.

I believe many schools will let you enter up to 4. So if you enter a 4th in your application and only 3 submit, not a big deal.

Can you get a different professor to write your 3rd LOR and if the guy who's out of the country manages to do it just have a 4th LOR for that one school?

"For example, if a student is working part-time to pay tuition or supporting a family, the extra time required to study for and do well in the Physics GRE can be a barrier." How is this any different from the general GRE, or doing well in (unrelated) classes, or finding time for research?

Whether the GRE score is among the OP's most impressive accomplishments is not for me to say. But some people find it arrogant to mention exam scores, or any number of other accomplishments, and that's absolutely ridiculous.

The CV is a place to list your accomplishments. It's not unprofessional to list your accomplishments. Some people also think you shouldn't list your GPA, or foreign languages you know, or computer skills, or various other things. I say that's completely ridiculous.

Who cares, just list them. It's not like you're going to have a dozen publications and awards to list if you're just an undergrad. And if you do, you won't have any trouble getting in anyway.

You're absolutely right. I should have asked people sooner. I didn't do it sooner for various reasons (none of which is good). Indeed I am too far away for a face-to-face. So one important aspect of my choice is people who are easy to get in touch with. I will go ahead and ask another person for a reference at least for my earliest deadline now. On another note, one school (with a January deadline) only requires 2 LORs. Is it better to stick to the 2 or not? It's hard to say if my 3rd LOR would be slightly stronger or slightly weaker than the other two (I can get a different 3rd LOR from someone I'm taking a class with now, but early December is too early to ask for).

OK. Thanks.

Well I know this person missed some deadlines for a different student before. I also know 2-3 days isn't much time but my other LOR writers answered within a day, and I'm concerned about an early December deadline coming up. The mid-December deadlines aren't as pressing.

2 days? 3 days? (Before saying ask him again, my gut says the non-reply means (a) he doesn't want to write the letter, or (b) dealing with someone who is unresponsive will be a major pain in the ass regarding getting everything in on time.)

I think it's just the most recent test. You'd probably have to contact ETS I guess. I saw one grad application ask this, which is annoying. But I don't think it was a mandatory field. I think submitting an official score report will be enough.

They read tons of SOPs. It's not supposed to be creative storywriting. It's a cover letter. No one wants to waste their time reading another silly story about computers in your life. It's also a pretty big waste of limited space on your end.