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meecat

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  1. Just 9 years ago, tuition at UC Berkeley Law was $11,000/year for in-state and $21,000 for out-of-state. Flash forward to 2010, and you are looking at $44,220/year for in-state and $52,220 for out-of-state for ONE YEAR. So if you graduated in 2001, you could have graduated with a law degree for under $33,000 for three years, which is a fraction of what you would pay now for ONE YEAR!! Something is disturbingly wrong with this picture. How is it that we freak out when gas prices go up a few cents at the pump, but we as a society are so complacent when tuition at one of the nation's premier law schools jump 250% in less than a decade? Would anyone be okay with a gallon of gas rising from $3 to $10 in 9 years? Or milk? Or any other good on the face of the planet? Why is it that demand for law school is so inelastic to the point that these schools can raise prices as much as they want and still know that thousands of students will still apply each year and continue to pay what is now over $150,000 in tuition alone (and rising)? Unfortunately this is not isolated to law schools. Cost of higher education is going up across the board even though the job market is completely saturated and the value of one's degree is steadily going down as competition increases. It is unfortunate that people have to essentially mortgage their lives to go to school nowadays. Something desperately needs to be done.
  2. I'd probably retake it. For PhD programs that require lots of writing and research, the AW score is going to be the second most important component after the Q section. I would say this is especially true of engineering programs. Aim for at least a 4.5 or higher if you do.
  3. Browse the application pages of various bioengineering programs you are interested in and check to see if they publish average GRE scores of admitted applicants. I just randomly found the UPenn Bioengineering page and it lists that successful PhD applicants had an average score of 611 in Verbal, 778 in Quantitative, and a 5 in writing. While it may have been more helpful to see a range of scores instead of just averages, you get some idea of the competitiveness of the successful applicant's score. I would wait and see what you scored in the writing section before assessing whether or not to definitely retake the exam. If you score less than a 5, I would say definitely retake it. You don't want to score below average on the two most important sections for an engineering PhD (quant & writing). If you score a 5 or higher, then I would say it is up to you, but you got to realize that you'd still be at an inherent disadvantage at 18 points below the average in Q. Consider that the listed average for admitted Masters students on the same page is still 764 for the quant section (and 4.5 in writing). So honestly, I would recommend retaking it, especially if you want to apply to the top ranked schools. A 778 average tells me that the majority of successful applicants got a 780 or higher. Many probably got a 770, and fewer below that. Not saying it would be impossible to get in, but when it comes to applying to grad school why not give yourself the best chance possible of getting in by improving one of the few components of your application that you have 100% control over?
  4. meecat

    NYU

    Two important stories on NYU and student debt: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/your-money/student-loans/29money.html?hp http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/05/25/am.cho.college.costs.part.2.cnn?hpt=T3
  5. Oh boy. When it comes to grad school, that is really the wrong question to ask. Would you really want to spend any money on an "inexpensive" school that doesn't at all help you find a job come graduation? Or would you want to find a school that is well respected and will ultimately lead you to job offers? I'm not saying that you shouldn't go to an inexpensive school, so long as you make sure that any program/school you choose is well established and has a good reputation in terms of getting students hired. It sounds like you are an international student, so chances are that you will not benefit from in-state tuition at any public university. Thus, you are probably looking at around $25,000-$30,000/year in tuition at your average state school and $40,000/year in tuition at your average private institution.
  6. meecat

    NYU

    When you're paying $1260 per tuition point + $400/semester + $60 per point in registration fees as it is, it's hard to even comprehend what is expensive anymore!
  7. meecat

    GRE Quant.

    Look for patterns in your performance. Are there specific areas (geometry, algebra, probability, etc.) that you have trouble in? I think you also need to realize that the GRE quant is really a test of how you can apply backdoor strategies to get the answer quickly. Many problems would be difficult to solve with brute force, but are very easy if you understand the little algebraic tricks inherent to the problem (such as reducing fractions, canceling numbers, making one side of a comparison look like another, etc.) You need to brush up not only on your math skills, but your ability to find shortcuts and apply various strategies to a given problem as well. Only then will you be able to increase your score.
  8. Hey all - I'm new here...getting my MS at Stanford next year. I'll be in Rains 4Br. It is a bit shocking how even housing rates increase dramatically from year-to-year. For example, just two years ago the EV dbl efficiency was $567 and now they are $651...so rates have increased 15% in just two years (in this economy)? I don't see how Stanford can justify that.
  9. Hi, Why am I not surprised people do poorly on the Kaplan Paper Test? Because Kaplan purposely makes it more difficult so that they can brag that their classes help improve their students' GRE scores by 100s of points when comparing your score on the initial paper test to the final paper test you take at the end of the course (which will be easier). It is bad business ethics, but I guess people don't care since they continue to happily spend $1200+ for these classes... My suggestion? Use the free PowerPrep testing software off the GRE website as a solid gauge to see where you are at. It has a few full length tests and is the exact software that you will use when you actually take the test.
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