Kitkat

If you go to about.com, they have the average GRE scores for accepted schools from 2004-2008 for some of the common schools that are applied to. Just look up the article 'What's a good GRE score?'. Here are some links to it. Take it with a grain of salt, but it gives you a good idea of what you are looking at. It might not include all the schools that you are looking at, and does not include the most recent data. Average GRE Scores for Top Private Universities Average GRE Scores for Top Public Universities Average GRE Scores for Top Private Universities (besides the Ivy Leagues) Average GRE Scores by Major @anthropologygeek: It all depends on the program and school that you are applying. A lot of the schools that I am looking at tend not to, because it varies around so much as to what they are looking for, and how many people they will accept. It also depends on who actually fits into the program. They don't seem to want you give up, or expect that you are going to get into a program based on the numbers alone. (or at least thats what they say). Personally I would like to know what they are all the same just so I know what parts that I can work on should be worked on.

Personally, I would say that from the looks of it, you would stand a good chance, if you retook the GRE's. Especially if you said that on the practice powerprep stuff that you did better, it was probably a fluke or something. I would say just study harder for it.But do the programs that you are looking at have any cuts offs? Do they list what the average GRE scores are for these programs? Also, if your professors seem to want to help you, they might be able to talk to some people on your behalf. If they are known within the field that you are going into, that is a plus in your favor. On the other hand, what you could do is to try to get into a masters program, and if you do well there, then you can try to get into a Ph.D. program from there.

beach ball

private eye

I think it is time to restart this forum so that us poor geology people don't feel lonely!

So I will ask for advice here again. When retaking it, when do you think would be best to take it? I want to get my applications in fairly early, I am not going to say that I need to get them in first thing. I want to get them in early, but I also want to get them done well and in the best possible light. But I am also thinking along the lines of the sooner you get the applications in, the better chance to have them looked at by adcomms, and to also make sure that I get in before the financial aid deadlines. I have been looking at these things, and fin. aid. apps are tending to want to be in at least a month beforehand. Now, most of the fin aid apps seem to want to be due around mid Nov., so how much earlier do you think I should take it? I am thinking in the late summer, before classes start again, so that I am not worrying about that as well, and then I still have time before the apps are due.

international affairs

American airlines

free time

I really don't want to, but the more I think about it, the more I realize I should just probably suck it up and retake the GRE. Especially if I want to give myself the best option of getting myself into one of my top tier schools. At least to give myself the chance of more then one pass over my application because I don't have a good enough quant score. Well, I have a while, I will just do everything in my power to study more!

pass out

fun house

accident prone

So I have started go into more depth with some of my research into the programs that I am looking at and came across something interesting and I am assuming important. One of the schools says that they would like to see the student have field experience in the field that they would like to enter. Now I was planning on trying to do this next summer anyway, in order to improve my application, as well as to make sure that this is actually what I want to do with my time. I was wondering if anyone else has come across this in his adventures in applying to grad school.

executive chef

time machine

end zone

Flood waters

With eng. I can imagine that that is the case, also with physics and comp. sci. people. I mean, their majors are very math intensive. But is it really that big deal with geosciences? especially with people who are more interested in the bio intensive part of the geosciences. ( I am looking at some schools that are interdisciplinary because of this). Are you already in grad school of some sort?

Some schools have a section in the application that is seperate from the SOP where they ask if there is something on your application like a low GPA that you would like to explain. I know Columbia definately has one, but really, its just a matter of looking at it. If they don't, I would say email them to see if you could include an addition to your application for that.

Very helpful, thank you. I am just wondering now, how important the subject test is in their consideration if they specifically for one. Considering if they are one of the competetive one, do you think that it would be something that they would use to help them weed through all of the different people applying like they do with the general tests?

I agree with what says in the fact that it is good for the individual to want to talk to the schools that they want to apply to, it is also good for the school as well. It helps weed out the people who they do not see as a good fit for them even before the application process begins. So really, it is good for both sides if you contact professors before hand. I know that for the sciences they do like to hear from candidates beforehand who sound out research possibilities before hand, mainly so they do not waste time during the application, and it could help even prevent a situation where you end up in a program that you are not happy with.

I think this has been a wonderful start to this topic, but I have been wondering about another aspect. Many of the programs that I have been looking at have said that I (or anybody interested in applying) should contact possible advisors, and possibly do a pre-application interview, if said advisors are willing. Does anybody have any advice on how best to go about this sort of thing?

My thing is this, is there a good way to emphasize the research that I am doing, and stress less my quant scores. I mean, I did do well on the verbal. And on the AW, I did on par or better then the averages for a lot of the programs that I am applying to. They do seem to emphasize that research and how you fit into the department, and what research you would like to do is very important. Or would it be best to just try to increase my quant score, and retake the test agian? I am also wondering, some of the programs that I am looking at require also taking a GRE subject test. I took the Bio subject test, and got a 680. Now, since I am going for a geobiology concentration, I was wondering if anyone knows if this is good or bad, if I should also retake that exam as well, or if that would be a good thing if I also retake the general GRE if I decide to in order to give myself a better chance to get into top 10. Edit: Just read the last post, I will most likely be co-author on some papers before I apply. Would this be something worth mentioning or considering for retaking the GRE?