USTgrad

clairecate, You are spot on. I took the new GRE on Tuesday, and I agree completely. I also did not have any of the 'highlight' this sentence question, nor did I have any 'main' idea, 'topic' sentence, 'scope' questions. I also did surprisingly well on the verbal (610-710), so-so on the math (didn't study a bit), and we shall see on the Analytical. I read somewhere that people generally score lower when there is a new test. Anyone have any thoughts on this? My last GRE (last year) was atrocious. I took more precautions this time around & listened to vocab in the car--as opposed to flash cards--but I am curious as to how others fared on the verbal section. I read something in the Kaplan book this year that changed the way I thought about the GRE. This might seem a bit fluffy, but it said "Don't think about the GRE as a hurdle, but as a moment to show off your intelligence." I read that the morning of, and it helped a lot! Good luck to everyone!

Thanks for this bit of info! I am taking the revised general in 14 hours and 21 minutes... but who's counting?

I too am retaking the GRE in a few weeks. I have a slightly different approach! I absolutely hated the format of the former GRE--the inability to mark a question for later or move between questions, and those awful out-of-context-antonyms. So, I am actually quite excited because I know I will do better--after my last score, there is only one way to go! Up! Don't worry so much about the minimal score. You will do great. Prepare as best as you can with the time you have. I for one am listening to vocab builders during my commute to work. And practice, practice, practice! It will not make perfect, but it will definitely build your confidence.

Having applied to U of Chicago's Lit program last season, with subsequent rejection, that is one hell-of-a dream! But rather, let us ease our worried souls and think of it as a premonition.

So... the season of "freaking out" has begun. Just like retail stores' Christmas decorations and mall kiosks peddling Halloween costumes, the great-grad-freak-out seems to arrive earlier and earlier each season! Love it!

I will be on my second round of apps this year, and EKPhrase has some great advice. I would only add that each letter could/should be tailored to the specific school/department you are applying to and how you fit in that department. That request may be overwhelming for your letter writers, especially if you are applying to a double digit amount of schools, but it can't hurt to ask. Well... unless they punch you. But I am still going to ask.

Oh good... I'm not the only one who has found this place intimidating! The .pdf is 477 pages!! Luckily I am not that into vampires, so that cuts out about 15-20 panels. But zombies and reality TV I am ready to rock! I am considering going to the screening of the film "Walking Life" Wednesday night @ 6:30, let me know if you want to meet up.

That sounds great. I would love to meet up with folks from gradcafe. I haven't extensively checked the program .pdf, but any evening would be good. We can finalize a time a little late after we check out the scene! I'm still wondering how to navigate between the two hotels and find the rooms I want to, much more the room in which I am presenting!

That panel looks intense. I'll be there, man.

You are on a very interesting panel! I wish I could go to your presentation to cheer you on. I love critical film studies! I think a gradcafe get-together would be cool. It would be nice to have full conversations with the people who use this site. We will have to pm & see whoever wants to get together.

The PCA/ACA conference held in San Antonio, TX from April 19th - April 24th is on the horizon. I am personally very excited to get out of this state where it is a high of 75 degrees one day and 45 the next and snow predicted for the weekend (WTF?), and trade it in for some sun and some awesome presentations. So, a few questions to get us started: who is going? when are your presentations? what is your topic of interest? what is the title of your paper? etc. etc. I'll start: I am presenting on Friday morning, April 22nd at 9:45 am @ RC-Bd Rm 530; Arab Culture in the US Panel; Session Chair: Lufti Hussein. My presentation explores the composite of the terrorist figure in Khaled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner," as a dehistoricized amalgamation of different ethnicities and races (as Jaspir K. Puar's "monster-terrorist-fag"), while exploring this text as a location for merging Asian American and Arab American Studies. Thanks everyone for replying, and I hope all of us get a chance to meet in person. Good luck!

Agreed! (Hint: that emoticon is what I look like when I pretend to not be anxious about my two pending applications...)