likearollinstone

I am also taking online courses and a junior. I have connected with my professors through email by asking for further information etc. I have become friends with a past professor, and have simply asked for LOR. In my experience, the professors know that you are an online student and will keep in touch as much as you do. Best of luck!

Just a thought here, some schools start applications very early for the next year. A fellow student is starting her application now as her top pick opens in June for fall of 2018. This isn't too standard from what I can tell, but time slips by quickly, September will be here before we know it!

There are a lot of programs that do not require the GRE, and if the majority of the programs you are interested in applying to don't, I wouldn't. The GRE is expensive, and on top of all of the other obligations of life, it can cause far more stress than what the arbitrary number means at the end of test day. I am curious what you decided to do?

https://ainsleydiduca.com/grad-schools-dont-require-gre/ There a bunch of programs that do not require the GRE on this site. Good Luck!

@DogsArePeopleToo We are all struggling in our own ways That is what is so great about these forums, misery loves the company and we can motivate each other to keep going. This process sucks, we can use all the love we can get! @cloudyword I certainly do not feel like a victim, I got dealt a bad hand in life, made my choices accordingly and here I am fighting against the odds! I do agree that we need these types of dialogues, not only for our own sanity but for others to see that anything is possible if you work hard and keep going even when life knocks you down. There are some programs that do not require the GRE for those who cannot afford it or are just terrible test takers. https://ainsleydiduca.com/grad-schools-dont-require-gre/ There are also many schools that offer fee waivers and diversity statements as part of their application process, it takes some digging but they are out there. I have budgeted out 1 shot at the GRE, and if it gets me nowhere at least I tried and I will look at other options/avenues to pursue my goals. Good luck everyone!

@AP Your reply sounded condescending, and while I realize you felt you were giving advice, it came off badly. Hence the compassion statement. All too often we forget there is a human on the other end who may just need a little reassurance that others are in the same boat. I do not think that taking the GRE is selling my soul, I do think there are major problems with it but as you stated there is very little we can do about it. I do however feel that even in the midst of this roller coaster ride we can all show empathy to each other, to do otherwise would be conflicting of my own morals and ethics. Thank you for the luck!

I think you kind of missed the point of the article, there are many studies showing that underprivileged and minority groups ARE suffering because of GRE requirements. This is not playing the victim card, this is concurring with the study results by citing our own experiences and showing empathy towards one another. Nobody is pretending to be special, but we should not sell our souls to get into Grad school. Compassion should not be lost because X poster may be a competitor in the application process. It does not fare well for those who are already stressed out over applying and facing whatever struggles they have to contend with on a daily basis. Sometimes people just need to see/hear that others are going through roughly the same emotions in order to find a better perspective and keep moving forward. This is not complaining, this is problem-solving.

Interesting. I am a 40-year-old woman, I have a family and I did not return for any type of degree until I was 37. I am also like many who are struggling to keep bills paid and am the first in my family to get an undergrad degree. I have had a crazy ride teaching myself math that I have not used since elementary school in order to keep up with college-level coursework, and now I am doing the same studying for the GRE while balancing a full-time course load, a family, and a household. I do not have time or money to spend on prep courses or tutoring, so like the gentleman in this article, I am going to do the best I can with what I have to work with- Free from the internet. I will admit that I am really stressed about the importance of this one test. My 3.5 GPA, LOR's and "my story" may never be seen if I do not do well enough on the GRE to make it through the initial round, it is terrifying.

For the fee reduction program, call your financial aid office and ask if they participate in the program. My school does not, so I am putting it off for a few more months in order to save for it. I have a family and I can certainly relate to every dime being budgeted out for something. In my process of elimination for my "final list" of schools that I am going to apply to next year, one of the things I am doing is skipping any school that does not have an application fee waiver and is more than $50 to apply. I know that this will decrease my chances considerably but from the standpoint of having a poverty level income and kids that need shoes constantly, $75+ for ONE application is a stretch, when there are multiple applications, it adds up. I also agree that ETS charging $27 per score sent is a highway robbery. That is definitely a deterrent for those of us who are on very strict budgets. Good luck to everyone applying this year!

I am attending SNHU for undergrad. Personally, I have had a good experience, and I know many alumni who have gone on to campus-based Grad schools. Having said that, there is very little opportunity for research and making connections with professors is difficult. It can be done, but you have to be willing to contact them and keep a conversation moving. I am not considering staying for Grad for a couple of reasons, first they do not have the program I want and secondly, I am really interested in a campus experience. If you are looking for a masters program, and are OK with online courses (time management skills are essential!) SNHU is a great school, if you are looking for more than I would look around and weigh your options carefully.

Awhile back I read an article about how "top schools" are trying to recruit low-income students and those students are deciding to stay local. As I am sifting through Grad programs, there are some things that stuck out as to why. There are many fields that have only a few options as to what universities have the exact fit of what a student is looking for. In my case, there are only about 30 in the country. The "top" schools that do offer the programs one is looking for are very expensive to apply to. Application fees are $100+ in most cases. In order to apply for a fee waiver for the schools that do offer one, the applicant must apply for it months ahead of time. Some as early as March 1st of the year that you are applying (which in most cases is the year before you are hoping to attend). Meaning prospective students need to have made a decision on where they are going to apply early in the junior year. The GRE is $205 and the fee reduction program only gives a discount of 50% off. The student is also responsible for paying to have scores sent to each school they apply to ($30 per school). Transcripts are expensive to send and in some cases require 2-4 to be sent to the school. The programs are highly competitive for very few slots. Most only accept 3-5 students out of 300+ applicants. Moving is expensive and even if the student gets accepted and fully funded through the program, the student will likely have to take out student loans to cover living expenses. Also, Having children makes this process harder because one has to consider schooling, child care, medical and social changes for the entire family. Not to mention jobs for partners/spouse and much higher travel and moving expenses. Overall this is an extensive research project and a costly decision, I would advise fellow students who are low income and considering Grad school for fall of 2018 to start looking now to avoid a nervous breakdown next summer when the application deadlines start approaching and budgets are already stretched beyond what one can afford.