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I read some articles pertaining to this last night. It seems like schools are willing to accept NRC rankings if it helps their cause and quick to dismiss if it doesn't. There are definitely some holes in analyses that I read about, but at least we know how they looked at things. I still don't know how US News approaches the issue.

9 and now that LORs have gone out I don't really want to go to 1 of them. We'll see how it pans out here in a few months with everybody. I'm hoping a school I've interviewed at a few times pulls through because I'm not that crazy about half the schools on my list. The research is a match, the faculty is great, but my research interest goes in 2 directions. 1. What I want to do. 2. What I can tolerate doing as a result of being pretty interested and having my background in research match perfectly. My heart is in option 1 and only 2 of my programs go in that direction.

I wrote until it didn't suck. Thirteen people looked at it and 12 love it and 1 did not, so I think I am getting there. It didn't take too many drafts to write something that all my professors thought was killing, but everyone is different and goes through different processes. I think for days, pace like a crazy person, then the entire paper kind of is there and I need to write as quick as possible to get it out. After that most my tweaking is on the micro and not macro level. Only you know your process....roll with it and don't freak. This is the best part of applying...this is YOU and you get to show it.

Has anyone used this site? What are your thoughts in terms of it's validity? http://graduate-school.phds.org/

You had a gripe and you aired it out. At least you had the fortitude to follow through. I would have just let it got but I gave you props for spunk!

I don't have a clue. I've pounced around these forums for 2 years and here is how February and March goes: People with perfect scores get in to their dream schoolPeople with far from perfect scores get in their dream schoolPeople who sound perfect don't get in anywherePeople without a ton of research experience get in somewherePeople with a bunch of research experience get in no whereSome people who have good stats just get into Master's programs Common logic would say to build a relationship with a potential POI and apply. Having relevant research experience is a major plus, but nothing is guaranteed. I'd apply

I don't understand it. I've taken test 1 a few times over the course of months, long enough so that I've forgotten all questions but the reading prompts, and I've done great on that every time (1250-1310). Powerprep test 2 I've now taken twice and scored exactly 1200 both times. The verbal section is seemingly on point with test 1, but the quant section seems screwy. Maybe it is just me? I've received 22 correct out of 28 and a 650 score. I realize it is a CAT, but are other people feeling the same way? It is probably the same few easy questions that I miss that do me in, but I nailed the first 7.

I thought this might be taboo if the website had the "holistic consideration" clause. I guess I should have done this! At this point recommenders have already started writing and sending letters so I guess I have to roll with it!

pretty hard problem solving questions. certainly trickier than the gre, which can not be a bad thing.

Check it out. What do you think? http://majortests.com/gre/quantitative_skills.php

Hey Schoolpsych, Is that website helpful? I used the APA grad school big book to pick programs. However, I've noticed in the last 3 years most schools aren't reporting GRE scores. Either: 1- It generates more revenue to have people apply to programs for which they will never be admitted. 2- Less emphasis is being placed on that?

Just to clear this up. I spoke with a rep at ETS today. She assured me that if I wanted to send my scores to schools for the test I took this Sunday, I opted not to, that they would arrive by December 1st deadlines. Once the scores are in it takes about 5 days to send the report. In most cases it doesn't take 15 days to get you official scores or 5 days to send the scores, but you should expect that at the most. I'm retaking November 1st, and she said it would be cutting it close, but would likely work. I contacted grad programs to see how lenient they would be. For instance, are they going to make me pay to send 2 score reports just to process the application or can they wait for the second report. Queries are all over the place on this site. I asked this question months ago and received a pretty straight answer of 15 days if you send them from the test center. Tack on 5 more days if you didn't send them from the test center but want to at a different date. The range seems to be from 15 days-6 weeks. Most people have been saying 15 days. We'll see. Their system has also been kind of screwy the past few days. Maybe that will buy you some excuses. They had 2 different files for me in their computer and were telling me my test confirmation # was invalid on the website. I guess the system has done this to other people too. Their phone system regarding score reports has also been down. I see some people were having issues with the website here last week too.

Your numbers look fine depending on the program. If you are applying to clinical the focus on the GRE is much tougher.

might want to check the other thread on this...we have differing views. 15 days to 6 weeks.

J, If you want to trade, as a fellow psych applicant, I am down for the get down! Let me know via PM and I'll send mine along too.

Awesome, well excuse me while I go jump off a ledge! I only have 2 schools with Dec. 1 deadlines, the rest are Dec.8th, 15th and January 1). I opted not to send my scores to any school during the test. I know I'll have to pay for it, but can I pay for that now online somehow? Every time I log on to see my scores online it tells my my test registration # was invalid. Maybe it is just too early? Cool to know I lost out on 80 bucks. I figure if I add up taking this test twice (320) plus sending my scores to 9 schools (180), plus missing this week in work (300) - I've dropped a pretty significant portion of my annual income on this.

Exactly, that is why the 1200 is the magic number. I focused on fit so I'm hoping that helps. What I'm really dreading is getting accepted to the Ph.D program that is located in the place I really don't want to live, ever, or picking between some conciliation Master's program that I get admitted to. That would bug me because I know with the experience I had last year I would have been admitted to any master's program I wanted to go to, even with the 1180 GRE. I just already have undergrad debt and can't really see how that is a feasible option. On the plus side I've interviewed at one program with 3 different people already, and in every instance they have gone AWESOME to the point where I keep getting followup emails to apply. So the question for this year is: Was my year off in vAin and how much debt should I incur to make this happen? Bleak! Maybe in 10 days I'll be riding a manic high because I got 1 more analogy question correct!

No No...I wouldn't have a shot at clinical even with all my research experience and a 1200 GRE. Those programs have become insane. My one problem is most the schools on my list have big names: Harvard Graduate School of Education, Fordham, NYU Steinhardt, Boston University, Boston College (Lynch School of ed) to name a few. I couldn't really find and "sure bets" when I was looking at programs because my past research matched these places very well. My other stats: 3.59 (Thanks to a few choice grades when I was in music school) 3.8(something) or 3.9 last 2 years and for all my major work. My school doesn't break it down, but I was pretty much a straight A student. 8 semesters of research experience (I list semesters because I did research in the summers between a regular academic year) Funding (3K) for my own research idea Manuscript under review (co-author). Might get a reject for the first journal because I really wanted to reach out there past the more specified journals. It's a good manuscript and it will get in to the next submission if not this journal. This is just a matter of whether or not I'll have under review or accepted on my CV. I wanted to take the risk if it isn't the later. My research experience was detailed: stats, manuscript prep, lit review, data collection, database management, study development. I was basically on my own. I've got 3 posters at refereed conferences (local to east coast in scope) - 1 invited but non-refereed talk for the psych department at my university. 1 more poster and colloquium talk under review at the SRCD conference (this is the biggest conference in the field). Poster will get in, but maybe not the colloquium. The point is I have a lot an adcom committee can look at. I'm just not sure at these programs it will get looked at with the GRE.

I asked this question before and I signed up for a nov. 10th retake. Everyone said that the scores would get there by December 1.

My Quant score was pretty stable compared to powerprep, perhaps a little lower than most instances where I used powerprep. It did feel like most every question I came across was far different from what I had prepared for. For instance: No special triangles, sum of squares, systems of linear equations, very few geometry. All the "hallmarks" of the test didn't really seem to appear. My verbal score was way lower than what I had scored. I'm retaking in 10 days. I'm just hoping to get my quant score back up around 690-700. We'll see.

Both were the lowest I've ever scored: V530/Q650 --> in the past I've scored between 1200-1310 in powerprep. My very first practice score was a 1080 4 months ago, so this is like a total regression. I really don't understand. I wasn't that nervous. I received my essays first, which is what I was dreading, but I killed them. I was on and emotional up and hoping for quant and I received that next. I did hit a lot of questions with the quant section that just didn't look familiar. I've gone through the Barron's and Nova book too. I had one Geometry problem, and one that required me to double the LWH of a rectangular solid. No special triangles, no difference of squares. None of the BIG tricks all my GRE books stressed seem to be on the test, combinations, permuations, nothing. It was a total trip. The verbal is verbal. Had I studied vocab more all summer I would have been at my 1200 mark, but I knew going into this I needed a TOTAL math review and I focused on that all summer. I went from getting almost everything wrong to getting most answers right with my practice questions. I've decided to take the week off from work and just review quant from the Barron's quant practice book. Push vocab whenever I can, but I don't expect that score to move much.

Well I'm back. Things didn't go so hot. I scored an 1180. I'm just shooting for the 1200 cutoff as I know I don't test well with these kind of exams. I never have and despite that have excelled at every class I've taken in school. It's still really disheartening. I scheduled the exam again on November 10th. That should leave enough time to get my scores to the schools with December 1st-15th deadlines. I really don't know what to do if I don't break 1200. Is this the end for psych Ph.D. programs? My resume is really solid despite the GRE. I know I'm going to get offered master's acceptances in leu of Ph.D acceptances at a few schools, but I don't know how I feel about that. I took all this year off to get my project out for publication, solidified a poster at a national conferences along with already having quite a few conferences under my belt. I don't really feel like I have to prove to a grad school I can do the work at this point, but that is what the test is for, no? Bummed...one or two more questions correct and I would have had it. I did kick the sh*t out of the writing section though!

Maybe the pressure is a little uncalled for, but I put off applying last year to solidify all other parts of my application: more conferences, manuscript under-review in a great refereed journal, more lab work, etc. I also think I did a great job of matching my interests to programs, but the GRE just feels like a deal breaker. I've never received under a 1200 with powerprep, but my scores have run the gambit between that and 1310. I just feel like if I don't get a 1200 my app is going in the reject pile regardless of how great the rest of it is....so it feels do or die!!! In the end I'm kind of at peace with the fact my Quant score is in the high 60's to low 70 percentile. Not great at all, but the more and more I do practice problems the more it feels like I start forgetting simple rules and such has always been the case with these kinds of standardized tests for me. I've taken a lot of advice here. I know most all the words on all "essential" word lists. I still get tripped up with some of the words they throw at you. I've also decided to specifically take 2 quant sections a day from the Barron's book. This was perhaps not the brightest idea as all these questions are way harder than anything I've seen with powerprep....but that is the normal for Barron's, no? I'll report back Sunday. Not that anyone cares, but it great following everyone through this entire process.

Thanks so much everyone! I really couldn't be less excited about something in my entire life. I know my GRE is going to be the weakest part of my application as I consistently score low 1200s to low 1300s. I'm just really worried I'm not buying myself enough wiggle room and I'm going to obtain a 1190 or something and have to do it again in 10 days. The whole thing feels like do or die for psych Ph.D programs in terms of getting to that cutoff mark. I just want it all to be done!!!