mrmish

Haha don't go on assuming that I have a perfect application. I would say I have very good GPA and test scores, but I don't have a strong research profile. Although I have interned for active research groups in AMO last couple of summers, and one of them should get me a good LOR, I don't have any publications and it's unlikely that I'll have anything by Dec. Looking back, I was probably a bit too laid-back on research. You seem to be way more focused with your research. So by the same token, I am glad we're applying for different subfields! Anyway, I'd suggest not to get worked up about all the little details. Past a certain point, I think what really matters is the compatibility of your application with the current needs of the department. So the decisions will be to a large extent unpredictable. The only thing I wish for is to end up in a place where I'm surrounded by people I'd find interesting and with an environment to keep me motivated. 6 years is a hell of a long time. Again, I wish our applications the very best. Cheers!

I saw your scores above and congratulations to you too! Although my SAT scores weren't that high all those years back, I think that prep definitely helped me here. I wouldn't advise anyone to start from scratch and prepare for GRE in one week's time. I sure hope your friends take it more seriously than that. As I understand 160+ is a safe place to be, however we're not up against any standards in the decision process, we're up against other applicants. Considering between 1-2% students get a perfect score on GRE (based on percentile) and ~700k appear each year, approx. 10k students get perfect or near perfect scores. From statistics of median GRE scores of those accepted in top schools (such as the one on Magoosh) Physics seems to be a subject with one of the highest. So my wild guess is anywhere between 5% to 15% of these 10k students apply to the top 20 universities for Physics/ Applied Phy. I took my PGRE earlier as I didn't want to keep all the tests for my last year. I am happy that I got a 990. But again I wish the scaling was a little steeper. I might have gotten more than 94 percentile. I wish you the best for your PGRE scores! But in the end, these test scores are only a part of the application. I hope the rest of my application also holds up well. Yes, I am applying to AMO with a focus on experimental Quantum optics/ QIP/ LOQC photonics etc. It actually crosses over to Applied physics in many universities. How 'bout you?

Hi all, I took the GRE 10 days ago and I prepared for about a week. All my practice tests wouldn't be representative because I took the first powerprep before I started preparing, Manhattan test midway through preparations and the second powerprep just before test date. So here're my 2nd PP score and actual score: 2nd Powerprep (taken 36 hours before test): Q-168 / V- 161 Actual GRE: Q- 170 / V- 167 / AWA- 5.0 Needless to say, I am quite happy with my test scores. I also would like to share some tips I think would be helpful to those preparing to take the GRE in near future. I don't see online GRE tutors usually discuss these points so I thought I'd share them: * Do not aim for 170. A lot of people I know have screwed up by aiming for a perfect score. By doing so you become unforgiving to any possible mistakes which you detect while taking the test. And you freak out, making even more mistakes. It just snowballs. So aim for something like 165 or less, and give your best. Missed a couple of questions? Who cares? Even the top schools won't kill you just because of your GRE, once you have anywhere above 90 percentile. * A lot of test preps are out there and you need to go through their strategies. But don't stick to just one prep strategy. From my experience I can say that not a single strategy set out there fits me perfectly. So I just followed several and came up with my own. Go through at least three different prep strategies and take the optimal (for you) methods from each until you feel confident with your performance. * Stressed during the test? Good. Now use it to your advantage. But don't let it cripple you. Understand that your body's stress response makes your brain more alert thus making your judgements sharper and more fluid. I had never scored 170 in Q in my practice tests. But I was able to do this on the test day because I was more alert than ever and could see past the little traps and tricks GRE laid out for me in a few questions. So basically have some goddamn confidence in your body that's all! * If you're not used to writing literary stuff then the AWA can seem like a nightmare, especially after looking at the GRE sample essays. Now I didn't get a 5.5 or 6, but it works just fine for me because I am applying for a Physics PhD. So if you can do with a 4.5 or 5, then (1) stick to the 5-paragraph standard writing templates most tutors offer, (2) keep varying your sentence structure to make up for lack of stellar vocabulary, i.e. assert, anticipate, negate, etc. Keep the flow interesting. Hope this helps some of you folks out there. Cheers!