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I'm not sure the GRE is that important. I would just try to be near the program average for each program.You can find the numbers for UW here: http://grad.washington.edu/about/statistics/summaries/2010/rptGsisAnnual_dept2010.pdf

I also went back to community college and got letters from my profs there when I applied to grad school. I did not start taking community college classes for this reason, however. Rather, it was one of my CC profs who encouraged me to think about grad school and got me an internship in her old PhD group (providing me with yet another of my letters). I know the 4-year schools look down on the CCs, but you can find wonderful people at CCs. I would not be where I am now if I had not taken the CC classes.

I had three MAJOR drafts and many minor revisions. Total writing time -- months! Worst part of applying. I hated doing the SOP.

You sound like you're in good shape to me. Since you don't need to focus on the general GRE anymore, why not work on the Subject GRE? If you can do well, it will make you more impressive, but I don't think it's essential. So, if you don't feel ready when it comes time to decide whether or not to take it -- skip it.

Updating my recommenders has been one of the nicest parts of the whole application process. I recently got my one and only acceptance after being put on a waitlist. At first I wasn't sure about updating recommenders about rejections, but I am very close to two of my recommenders and my third recommender is very close to one of my other recommenders, so I figured it was best that she also hear the news directly from me. As a result, I feel that I now know that recommender better and the support she has shown me is more than I ever expected. In fact, I have been extremely touched by how encouraging my recommenders are -- it has really helped me to know how much they believe in me and my capabilities.

I was at my volunteer job -- I was feeling really wiped out, because it's been a rough month. The acceptance is really helping, but when I first read it, I just think I was too drained to really react to the news. Plus, it didn't feel real. I'd already started preparing myself for a rejection.

Northeastern -- no contest -- it's FUNDED! Plus, it's a great school in a great location, and it you really discover that you hate it, you can generally leave a PhD program with an MA/MS.

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Got accepted off a waitlist -- Yay! Only acceptance of the season for me.

Also past 40, and just got an acceptance for a PhD program (funded) in the biomedical sciences. Applying was not an easy process -- I got 5 rejections out of 6 applications. One interviewer basically told me that it didn't make sense for me to get a PhD -- what would I do afterwards? But there are still programs that are willing to see potential in you and willing to give you a chance. My application was not helped by my relative lack of work experience -- I'm trying to get back into things after the dreaded 10+ years home with kids.

Yes -- another vote for retake. It's too competitive to take the chance . . . .Especially those fields.

GIven your previous experiences with math classes . . . are you SURE this is the route you want to take? I agree with needing to know calculus and linear algebra inside out. That, in itself, will take a lot of work, and should give you a sense of how seriously you want to pursue this goal. In addition, you may be at a disadvantage during the admissions process with your old grades on your transcript. The A in Intro to Stats won't help you much -- that mostly just uses arithmetic. I would also say that a 700 score in any sort of quantitative standardized test may not be suficient. My sense is that successful math/stats applicants almost uniformly have 770+, with most at 800, on the GRE. Not sure how the GMAT works. I think it will be an uphill batle, but you probably already know that. However, I think people should pursue whatever goals they want for themselves, and I have great admiration for those who do, so . . . Good Luck!

Well, I'm still hopeful, but it may take another cycle. At least I now have good leads on lab positions, to strengthen what I know is a weak spot in my applications. Unfortunately, I have absolutely NO school choice -- I can't move.

I'd hope your advisor would realize that you are human, and sometimes things just don't work out as planned. If you intend to take the course again, the time you spent this term will not have been wasted. I am sure you will get a lot more out of the class the second time through, and you will end up with a solid grasp of the course material.

Yeah -- but didi the 50 yo wannabes make it in? I'm in my 40s, and I went to an interview where my first interviewer told me she didn't think it made sense for me to do a PhD. It would be long, hard, and iffy. And if I made it, then what? A postdoc? A job? -- umm ... yeah? Isn't that the general idea?

YES - a W is better than an F.

Congrats! Best of Luck.

Very sorry to hear what happened to you. I agree that this does not sound like very professional behavior on the part of the program.

Agreed -- you're in! Congrats!

I think we should all get acceptances on Valentine's Day that say, "We love you -- won't you be ours?" Delivered with chocolate would be good.

I graduated from college many years ago and decided there'd be no point trying to get letters from any of my profs there (never mind that it was an excellent school and they could potentially be impressive people to get letters from -- they just don't know who I am now). So, that left me with a bit of a problem -- WHO to get letters from? I decided to take some classes at a local community college. Perhaps not prestigious, but affordable. I met three great professors who wrote enthusiastic letters for me, and I got interviews from half the programs I applied to (and there were certain things in my background that made me a less-than-ideal applicant). You might want to consider taking some classes part-time, just to form some new relationships with professors. I've found some amazing people teaching at CCs.

I'm 40+, and I've just been on one interview, but I have not had that reaction at all. One interviewer DID ask why I wanted a PhD when I could do consulting and conceivably earn a lot more (As if THAT would be so easy!), but that was still a complimentary kind of comment, I thought. Sorry you've been getting less encouraging feedback. Still waiting to hear back, though, since interview was this week, so we'll see how it works out.

They are both well-known and highly thought of schools in the US.

Cause that never happens in music -- right?

...and then what did they say?