amlobo

If I had to compare, I would say that Kaplan was harder "throughout", but that ETS had some really tough questions on the "second" verbal and math sections. I got a perfect on the first math, so the second was ridiculous. That second math section had some stuff I hadn't seen in any of the three prep books (size of the angles in a 9-sized polygon? well, now I know! lol). The verbal didn't really "feel" any easier, but I obviously did much better. I think the reading comprehension was easier on ETS, maybe... but vocab seemed comparable to Kaplan.

Just for anyone who stumbles upon this... ETS just released Powerprep II last week, which has the new scoring.

Also, I saw that they just released Powerprep II software, which has the new scoring guidelines. And, they changed the retake policy to every 30 days instead of every 60. Good news all around.

So, I took the ETS Powerprep practice test this weekend, and it gave me a score range of 750-800 on both sections. That's a 99% verbal, compared to my 89% from Kaplan. WTH. Let's hope ETS knows what they're talking about... Also... I find it funny that the Powerprep software is still in the "old" scoring, ha!

Just to clarify - Kaplan had me at 89th percentile on Verbal... ETS had me at 99th. That's a ridiculous difference. I hope ETS is right... lol.

Ok, I just took the ETS timed practice test today. It predicts your score based on the old scale, and it put me at 750-800 on both sections. This is about right for my math on the other tests, but far above the verbal the other tests had me at. I might take the untimed test, too, if it's different, and see if it yields similar results. And, we'll see what the real test gives me in 1 1/2 weeks!

The humanities in general will be looking at verbal scores first and foremost, and a perfect verbal is OUTSTANDING. But, I don't know how exactly a low quant will affect you. I would maybe get in touch with someone from the history department and ask about your quant score... whether they have any cutoffs, etc. The grad school as a whole might have certain standards for admission, but I would think history programs could care less how good you are at math.

If you got into NYU law school, you should be able to get into their history program just by reason of obviously being an otherwise qualified candidate. I don't know if you will have an "advantage" per se, though I could see you having an advantage if you have already gone to school for a year there and done well, because then you have demonstrated that you can succeed at their institution. Do they actually offer a joint program with history? I just know my law school didn't allow you to be enrolled in another program, unless it was specifically a dual program... like the JD/MBA. Just make sure you check with the law school and graduate admissions to verify that you can actually do both degrees at once.

They only take 4-5.

Ok, I know it seems early to be thinking about a writing sample, but I just kind of want some validation of my selection... because otherwise I will need to do some major work to get a writing sample together. Ha! I have never taken a sociology class, so a "sociology" writing sample is out of the question. This left me with a few options, and I settled on what I think is my "best" work - my published law journal article (basically a legal/policy analysis of a newly-enacted smoking ban). It would, of course, just be an excerpt because the whole thing is 60 pages long. The article doesn't have anything to do with my research interests (education, stratification, mobility), but I figure I should submit my best academic writing, regardless. I do have two papers that relate to my research interests (one from a Public Policy undergrad seminar, the other from my Education Law class)... but I have a hard time considering either of them "real" research papers. One is an analysis of the systemic effects of a "hypothetical" school choice provision, and the other is a discussion of the applicability of No Child Left Behind to rural schools based on anecdotal evidence from my own rural educational experience. I wouldn't consider either in the same league as my published work. I also have a History research paper that is better than these two papers, but it is totally irrelevant. I was worried about not having a "sociology" sample, but I contacted the one school that specifically requests a "sociological" writing sample, and they said my journal article would meet the requirement. But, I'm just trying to get some opinions... because if I don't use an excerpt from my article, I will have to do some major work to get a sample together and need to get started ASAP. Any thoughts?

I have been having problems with this, as well. I also have similar issues in the reading comprehension with picking a choice that is technically "correct" but is not the "best" choice. I agree with everyone that finding two words that are closest in meaning to each other is the key in these sentence equivalence questions... and I think the only way to improve is to study vocab and do a lot of practice questions. At least, that's what I'm doing! Also, with your example... when it talks about the storm's effect on voter turnout, common sense can tell you that it will probably be negative. So, context clues can sometimes help when you are down between two different "pairs" that seem to make sense. I haven't taken the GRE yet, though... two more weeks to go! Good luck!

Well, looks like I'll be making sure I know how to graph a quadratic! I'm awful at permutations/combinations, so I hope they stay off... thanks for the input.

I am hoping to God that I take it once and never think about it again. I just want to get above some still-uncertain "cutoff" to keep my application in the pile and get the adcomm to look beyond my "ok" GPA, ha.

Sure thing. I plan to hopefully take at least another Kaplan and the ETS this week. I am signed up to take the GRE on July 25... yikes. But, really, I am so looking forward to just getting it over with!

I actually scheduled my exam for 4:00, which I think should work perfectly. Gives me some time to get my brain running. Usually stress works in my favor, as I'm a weirdo who operates best under pressure. But, because of that, it's something that I hadn't really thought about, so thanks for the advice. I haven't taken "this kind" of exam in quite a while, so I don't know how I'll react. I have taken two different bar exams in the past 3 years, so I got used to that ridiculously long and exhausting format. On that same note... how important is the Analytical Writing score? A lot of people don't even mention it when discussing their scores, so I didn't know if it mattered really.

I haven't taken the real GRE, but asked this same question a few weeks ago. Basically, the ETS practice test is very close to the real thing, and many people have told me that some Kaplan tests are harder than the real GRE and some easier. I took 3 different "brands" of practice test, and I did much worse on Kaplan than on the other two. I think that the Kaplan "diagnostic" test is purposefully hard to make it seem like you have improved by the end of the the "course." To give some perspective, Princeton Review had me around 95th percentile in both sections, McGraw-Hill had me above that even, and then Kaplan I was 86% quant, 89% verbal. Obviously, HUGE differences! I'm going to take some of the Kaplan "regular" practice tests and the ETS to see how they correlate. But, from everything I've heard... ETS is closest to your real score. Not surprising, really. So, I wouldn't worry about the Kaplan fluke.

Thanks! I have only been able to find a couple of schools that post statistics (or at least they all hide them very well!).

Ok, well, you just basically affirmed what I was thinking, anyway. I do need a higher GRE to hopefully make up for my mediocre undergrad GPA, which is why I'm kind of stressing about it. I've been out of college for 6 years, and I feel like I'm out of the loop on some of this stuff. All of my friends who did grad school took the old GRE (and have already finished their degrees, lol), so they are not much help. I think I'm mainly just trying to figure out what score will be "good enough" for me not to have to take the GRE a second time. Sounds like 90th or above is a good goal, if I need to get it above "average" to cancel out that GPA... thanks!

I'm taking the GRE in a couple of weeks, and I'm having trouble figuring out a "goal" as far as scores go. I'm planning to apply to schools in the top 30 (and quite a few in the top 15), and I wondered if anyone had some insight on kind of some minimum scores to shoot for. I've looked through program websites and the results page, but most of the scores are "old" GRE. I'm taking the GRE this month so I can retake before applying if necessary, but I'm just trying to figure out what is "good enough" before I take it the first time. I have taken a couple practice tests, but just did my first adaptive exam through Kaplan (their "diagnostic" test), and I got a prediction of a 161V (89%)/163Q (86%). I know the diagnostic tests are "harder" on purpose, and these scores seem pretty OK to me... but I have no frame of reference. Should I be aiming for 95th percentile? And does it matter if verbal or quant is higher? Thanks!

I am also applying to a different discipline for grad school than what I studied in undergrad. I say if you genuinely can't make a connection, don't try to force one. Though, sometimes it requires looking at things from another angle. Are there any skills you gained from your studies that will help you succeed in your prospective program? The subject matter doesn't have to be the same to be able to draw a connection. Surely the analytical and critical thinking skills gained in your studies has helped prepare you for the graduate program. Also, maybe very briefly address why you chose not to pursue your undergrad areas of study, without saying "I didn't like it" or "I didn't know what to do with my degree." Something along the lines of: "While pursuing a career in teaching English or French may have been the more obvious path, I found myself drawn to the administration side of education because ...." That way you are acknowledging that this is a departure from what your studies were. But, you obviously have a reason you are choosing the program that you are... and I would spend my time talking about that. The adcomm can see that you didn't major in Education... and trying to create a tenuous connection where there is none will probably make that fact stand out more. But, I feel like higher education administration has much more to do with experiences that influenced your decision vs. coursework, especially if you didn't major in Education. But, that's obviously just my opinion. Good luck!

Yeah, you still have time before you have to start working on applications in earnest. It took me a while to figure out what area of study I wanted to pursue, as my interests could fall in multiple fields. It takes a little research and thought, but I'm sure you will figure it out. And, once you take the GRE, you'll have a better idea of what programs you can get into.

Well, I am basically in the same position as you. I'm almost 28, have a BA and JD, have practiced law for 3 years, and I'm applying to PhD programs in the fall. I think no one would think anything of you going back for an MBA. After all, there are a ton of JD/MBA programs. Getting an MA after a JD sounds a little "backwards", but I don't think it would work against you if you made a good case as to why you want/need the MA. I would just caution you to figure out what it is that you DO want to do before deciding to go back to school. For me, I want to work in academia, so a PhD is how I get there. Only go back to school if it will get you to the job you want... not simply to escape the law. There are so many jobs you can get without going back to school if it's just that you want to do something besides be a lawyer. But, I would think that adcomms would not see you as a "professional student" if you can sufficiently articulate your interest in the topic, beyond simply stating why you didn't like the legal field. Basically, you need to be able to say "I left the law because this is what I want to do"... not "I hated being a lawyer and couldn't think of anything else to do." Whatever you decide, good luck! Seems a lot of lawyers are leaving the field...

I would look at the websites of the programs to which you are applying, and if they do not provide information on LORs, contact the program coordinator and ask. A lot of programs I'm looking at waive the academic LOR requirements completely for those 5+ years out of school. They allow you to substitute for faculty recommendations with work associates or anyone who can assess your suitability for graduate study. But, I'm applying in a social science program... so I'm not sure if math may differ. Don't be afraid to contact the program. I worried because one program asked for a writing sample within the discipline... and I didn't have one. But, I contacted the program coordinator and was assured that my writing sample would work, as well. So, you never know unless you ask

Glad you posted this. It might actually make my list, especially considering its involvement in the Houston Education Research Consortium. Very interesting!

I'm interested in sociology of education, mainly related to inequalities, i.e., access, achievement, and gender differences - in the context of class stratification, cultural influences, and geographic location (urban vs. suburban vs. rural). Some of my current top choices: Stanford, Wisconsin, UC-Irvine, Texas, Hopkins, Penn... and the Sociology/Social Policy dual programs at Princeton and Harvard. I'm definitely applying wide (probably about 10 sociology, 5 dual/interdisciplinary programs)... but keep changing my mind on what my "top" choices are...