Nibor6000

I am not allowed inside DSW Shoe Warehouse without a chaperone.

I was asking about whether or not your grades would be posted because some schools have rolling admissions and admit before the deadline. Thus, the early bird, worm, etc. Also, some schools are VERY picky about which classes they will let transfer. You might have already taken stats, but they'll want you to take *their* stats class. Many schools do use the GRE * GPA formula to help weed out the less desirable candidates. My vote is for the GRE improvement plan. Good luck.

A few years of work experience is usually looked upon very favorably. I have five years of experience between my masters and what will be my Ph.D. My schools were very happy to see that.

Yes, retake the GRE. If you take classes, will your grades be in before your applications are due?

If you are looking at big-name schools, then you should have a bullet-proof application. Since you have time to do it, I would encourage you to think about retaking the GRE. Probably not the news you wanted to hear, but how bad would you feel if you learned you weren't accepted due to your low verbal GRE score? Good luck!

Were you able to get feedback on your application from any of the schools that rejected you? This might really help you to strengthen your application. I'm not in your field, so I don't know all of the intricacies of the application process as it applies to engineering, but your stats seem very strong, and you write incredibly well. You don't state which schools you applied to. Make sure you have a couple of "reach" schools, a couple of solid schools, and a couple of back-up schools, if this is something you really want to do. Perhaps your thesis work and the lack of resources can be "spun" in your statement of purpose - you are looking for a school with the resources, both in terms of faculty expertise and equipment resources, to help you continue your research?' Another thing that might help you is to find some faculty members you would like to work with and send them a brief email inquiring about possible openings in their lab groups next year. This can help to open some doors. If you've got a faculty member rooting for you during the admissions process, this can really help. Good luck to you.

Do a search for all of the GRE-related techniques. Guessing on the last 10 questions is not a bad thing, provided you got the first 10 questions right. My extra session was verbal, but I took it in January 2009.

Why the big rush for kids?

I like the story! It gives your SOP some dimension. I agree with AiB - some discussion of future research interests would be a good addition, but keep it vague. What I learned during the application process is that websites aren't frequently updated and articles that are published reflect work that was done several years ago. So, if you say that you have your heart set on doing XXX research with Dr. YYY, and Dr. YYY has moved on to topic ZZZ, then you might be out of luck!

If you are looking at Ph.D. programs, many of them require a minimum combined score of 1200, regardless of the tier. Masters programs often use a cut off of 1000. I would suggest you work to increase your verbal score, if you are serious about top tier schools. It looks like you are a foreign student, so if English is not your first language, that's a bit of a wild card, and something I can't really speak to. If you are in a math/engineering field, the quant needs to go up. If you aren't in a math-related field, then the quant looks good. While a GRE score won't really get you in to a program, it can certainly prevent you from getting in. Good luck to you!

Look at your schools, but many Ph.D. programs require a minimum score, often at least 1200. Some schools take your undergraduate GPA and your GRE score and use that to weed out weaker applicants. Despite a solid application and great LORs, your application probably wouldn't even make it to the review stage with that GRE score. Keep practicing. When you re-take the exam, take your time on the first ten questions of each section. Answer these correctly. Your score will improve. Good luck!

I emailed a couple of people, explaining that I was applying to schools, interested in XXX and their research into that topic. I also asked if they had any openings in the lab for my application cycle. If you have good stats or experience, you can very briefly outline that. I think it shows that you are a serious candidate - I had relevant work experience and good stats. I would keep this all very short.

I'm an MS, RD starting a Ph.D. in nutrition this fall. I've never heard of Hunter. Feel free to PM me.

I was applying to Ph.D. programs, but I think it's still sound advice: save your money and attend the recruitment days, even if it means flying across the country, etc. You really need to do this. Really, really. Really.

I was worried about this, too. I have been accepted into a Ph.D. program where I will be happily torturing humans!