GRE Worries

[BrianM]

Hey gang!

Newbie here, I've been worrying about the GREs that I will be taking in a month.

I was just wondering how much the GRE is looked at when applying to a general/clinical Psychology Masters program.

My undergrad record is:

3.871 Major GPA

3.62 Overall GPA

In Psychology I have:

been a teacher's assistant

interned at a hospital

participated in research

graduated with honors

been inducted into the Psi Chi society.

Now with that stated, if I receive somewhere around a 500 for the verbal and math section(or lower), would the undergrad record be more important?

I'm just really worried, as most probably are, about taking these tests, especially the math section, ugh!

Thanks so much!

Edited March 9, 2010 by BrianM

[modernity]

Hey gang!

Newbie here, I've been worrying about the GREs that I will be taking in a month.

I was just wondering how much the GRE is looked at when applying to a general/clinical Psychology Masters program.

My undergrad record is:

3.871 Major GPA

3.62 Overall GPA

In Psychology I have:

been a teacher's assistant

interned at a hospital

participated in research

graduated with honors

been inducted into the Psi Chi society.

Now with that stated, if I receive somewhere around a 500 for the verbal and math section(or lower), would the undergrad record be more important?

I'm just really worried, as most probably are, about taking these tests, especially the math section, ugh!

Thanks so much!

It's possible that they would overlook a lower GRE score (I'm admittedly not a Psych major) but the GRE is something you can study for, and improve your score. Because of this, a lot of schools will raise an eyebrow if you can't break the 1200 mark. This will vary by school/program because some schools don't even want your GRE, and others only use it for funding purposes. So investigate as much as you can into how much regard the programs you're interested in give to the GRE.

[lily_]

Master's programs tend to be less competitive than PhD programs, however I would suggest that you aim for over a 1200.

However, considering your other stats a GRE in the 1000-1200 range may be overlooked. I would imagine that GRE is not everything for your field. Prior to applying to your programs though, I would ask the departments you're applying to if they have minimum GRE requirements (or even ask before you take the test) just to give you an idea.

And study for it, a modicum of studying helped me raise my score the second time I took it.

Best of luck.

Edited March 9, 2010 by lily_

[hamster]

A "modicum"? LOL. Really? Are you seriously that desperate to appear intelligent?

Sorry, but when you try to use a "GRE word" that has the same meaning as "a lot" on an internet forum, you end up sounding completely ridiculous.

umm, modicum means "a small amount"

[BrianM]

Thanks for the replies guys...and please no fighting, go do that 10year old stuff somewhere else.

Most of the schools I am applying to require at least a 500 on verbal and analytical so I should be good.

Im just nervous about the math section, I'm sure I'll wind up with a 400 or so:(

And I have been studying, its a pain cause I remember very little as far as math goes!

[Genomic Repairman]

Looks like seadouche should go back and review his GRE vocab flashcards.

[lily_]

A "modicum"? LOL. Really? Are you seriously that desperate to appear intelligent?

Sorry, but when you try to use a "GRE word" that has the same meaning as "a lot" on an internet forum, you end up sounding completely ridiculous.

I meant a small amount, meaning the first time I took it I didn't study, the second time I studied a little bit.

[Genomic Repairman]

I guess seadouche doesn't like it when folks beat a topic to death like he does?

[lily_]

I guess seadouche doesn't like it when folks beat a topic to death like he does?

Unfortunately when attacked I'm prone to respond, and felt it was necessary to clarify myself. Still not stooping to his level!

[lily_]

Yeah, I accidentally responded twice!

Edited March 10, 2010 by lily_

[DrFaustus666]

Original Poster, BrianM:

If you don't have the Powerprep program, downloadable free from ETS, you should get it.

I just now checked and here are ETS statistics about GRE scores for the year 2003-2004:

For "Intended Graduate Major: Psychology (not otherwise specified)"

MA: 25th percentile Verbal 380 Quant 410

75th percentile Verbal 510 Quant 580

PhD: 25th percentile Verbal 420 Quant 470

75th percentile Verbal 560 Quant 640

Of course, these are scores of people who took the exam, not necessarily scores of those who were actually admitted into programs but it still gives you some idea of where to aim, IMHO, somewhere around 600 for each portion for "better" programs.

BTW: I use often use "modicum" conversationally, meaning "a small or minimal amount."

Good luck,

John

[anxiousapplicant]

It's too late to redeem yourself now Seadub

[lily_]

yeah I am an idiot who knows nothing about the GRE or grad school applications. I only got acceptances to every school I applied to. poor me.

Of all the negative things other users have said about you, no one called you an idiot or claimed you know nothing of the GRE. I have read some facetious comments that say that you are secretly working for ETS, or an ETS enthusiast. No one doubts that you're intelligent. You're just very rude and when you open the door for the same type of comments you throw at everyone, people respond. To echo some advice you once told me, "life isn't fair." Congrats on your acceptances.

[herself the elf]

I've become mildly obsessed with the whole Seadub v. GenomicRepairman / Lily / the medieval lady (et al) ongoing debates in multiple posts on this forum. It is like a bad movie that I know is a waste of my time, but I just can't leave! I keep clicking refresh! Yesterday, I started imagining what it would be like to put everybody in a room (insulters and insulted, 1600 GRE and 1000 GRE, etc.), of course in the live bodies that I imagine you all to have. . . it would be like horrible-slash-awesome reality TV. I'm sorry to have reduced you all to this in my mind, believe me, you are providing me endless hours of entertainment, and in a sick and twisted way, I thank you for it and hope you do not take offense.

Q: what do people think about all of this, are people's personalities the same in "real" life? Would the "good guys" and "bad guys" still play the same roles?Or is this online posting business just a way for people to let all of their aggression out in an anonymous way? Could Seadub and GenomicRepairman / Lily / the medieval lady (et al) end up getting along if they unknowingly found themselves at barstools next to one another?

Also, please dear lord let me not be the only person sick and bored enough to be obsessed with this. . .

PS, to the OP-- I agree with DrFaustus that the Powerprep software is both useful and informative, and though the appearance is a bit outdated, it works.

[UnlikelyGrad]

I've found that people who are complete and utter jerks online are frequently quite nice in person. Probably because they wouldn't dare say such mean things to someone's face.

P.S. One time I was talking to a friend about my "modus operandi" and he got all shocked because he'd never heard someone actually say the phrase out loud. I think people who read a lot tend to use "big words" in normal conversation because they don't know the difference between "everyday" vocab and literature-type vocab. It's not pretentiousness...a better description would be cluelessness!! I say "modicum" in conversations too.

[JerryLandis]

When I encounter smug people like seadub in real life, I never make direct comments about their attitudes but sometimes I'll make subtle snide comments if I get too impatient. Arrogant people who attempt to make others look stupid do so as a means of getting attention, so I figure that denying them that attention is the best way to proceed when possible. However, things get a bit different on the internet (or when I get a few drinks in me). I don't have to deal with the consequences of my actions (except when, for example, seadub stalks me on Google and broadcasts personal information like where I live to everyone reading this board) when making anonymous posts. I don't have to deal with the awkwardness of having to see someone I argued with on a regular basis, and of everyone around me witnessing it. I get to express all the frustration that comes from dealing with smug people in real life, as well as that is generated by this application process, by being slightly bitchy towards seadub. Thankfully he is a truly worthy vessel for me to fill with this bitchiness, otherwise I would feel pretty guilty. Perhaps seadub is a complete gentleman in real life, just as I consider myself to be much nicer in real life than I am being at this moment in time. However, I think it's safer to assume he's not. Just because he has been accepted at institutions he has applied to does not convince me that he is particularly intelligent, not least mature. If anything, it highlights the sorry state of the admissions process in its dependence on statistics. Obviously we are in different fields, but I can safely say that in the arts, admissions committees do indeed have much more important and decisive information than GRE scores with which to judge candidates. These are writing samples, letters of recommendation, and statements of purpose. To discourage people from applying to competitive programs simply because their statistics are not ideal is disgraceful. GRE scores can be an obstacle for some applicants, and we should all certainly be warned about this. However, that does not necessitate telling people that they are hopeless idiots who will never be accepted anywhere. It's not simply your "harsh delivery," seadub, it's the underlying message of condescension and discouragement.

[lily_]

All I can say is that I've tried to be as honest and as straight-forward as possible on here. I don't think it does anyone any good if we can't give honest answers or evaluations to one another about grad school. Maybe you will come across as a "nicer" user if you tell someone they should go ahead and apply to Yale with a 2.8 and 1000 GRE. I would rather be honest and tell him or her to retake the GRE and find a few safety schools.

Maybe if I got rejected from all my top schools I would reevaluate my advice on here. But I didn't. I worked hard to get good grades, develop relationships with professors, and achieve high GRE scores. That hard work evidently paid off. I realize that many people think it is unfair or ridiculous to be judged on a few numbers here or there, but the reality is that admissions committees only have so much information to base their ultimate decisions on. They can't exactly get in your head and follow you for a week to see why you are more deserving than someone else with better "numbers" than you. They are going to make a decision based on what they have in front of them.

The admissions season is a game and you have to play by the rules. Those who are stubborn and try to defy convention will have a much harder time than those who stick with a tried and true winning strategy and follow through.

You're absolutely right. However, I was not smart or lucky enough to realize what I wanted to do with my life until the end of my undergraduate career. I have worked hard over the past four years to improve my record, make connections with professors and important individuals in my field, and am doing everything humanly possible to combat weaknesses on my application. I read the articles you cite about GRE and take your advice as far as researching programs, and I think others do as well. It's ok to be blunt, however some of the things you say are very rude and personally insulting. I'm sure you're not like that in real life. There is a better way to state your opinion, even bluntly, without being rude or insulting to others. I certainly doubt that if that friend asked you for advice you would not call him or her a child or outright laugh in his or her face the way you do on this forum.

don't think it's ridiculous to be judged on numbers, I understand the nature of the beast so to speak. And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be on the same playing field as those with perfect numbers. No matter how well reasoned your advice is, not everyone is going to take it and not everyone is going to agree. That's just life.

There are a lot of examples of people who have failed before they have succeeded throughout history. At the expense of sounding like a cheesy Hallmark greeting card, I'd rather look back on my life and say that I died trying than simply give up and follow the path of least resistance. You're free to think that's foolish or childish, but that's where I'm at in my life. And I'm going to continue to show encouragement to those in my situation, a different situation, a better situation etc. That's just who I am. I don't really feel like this is the type of forum to make personal attacks on one another, there are plenty of other places on the internet to show your intellectual triumph and prowess over others if you feel it necessary to do so.

Best of luck to you, let's end our "feud" and move on. Stepping off my soapbox...now!

[chimerical]

I don't support giving people false hope but it's possible to be frank without being obnoxious or abrasive. There are plenty of people who give honest and accurate advice in these forums without accumulating so much ire.

[UnlikelyGrad]

I don't support giving people false hope but it's possible to be frank without being obnoxious or abrasive. There are plenty of people who give honest and accurate advice in these forums without accumulating so much ire.

This.

It's what you say AND how you say it. If you speak the truth but act like an onager, no one will listen to you.

[JerryLandis]

Jerry Landis is not my real name. It bears no resemblance at all to my real name.

[Genomic Repairman]

I only got acceptances to every school I applied to. poor me.

Once again seadouche you give off the stank of pretentiousness. I too got accepted to every school that I applied but you know what these folks couldn't give a rats doodoo maker. We are all here to get and give information and commiserate about becoming/being a graduate student without smarmy comments by cockbites like you. And herself in a Utopian scenario, seadouche and I could get along at a bar. If he's on his best behaivor and stands in the corner of the bar, I might "accidentally" miss when throwing empty beer bottles at him. But in reality, it would never work and to quote George Thorogood & The Destroyers, "I drink alone!" And herself you are right the powerprep software still looks like that crap runs on DOS (I don't know if this reference is lost on half the folks in here?).

[DrFaustus666]

I've become mildly obsessed with the whole Seadub v. GenomicRepairman / Lily / the medieval lady (et al) ongoing debates in multiple posts on this forum. It is like a bad movie that I know is a waste of my time, but I just can't leave! I keep clicking refresh! Yesterday, I started imagining what it would be like to put everybody in a room (insulters and insulted, 1600 GRE and 1000 GRE, etc.), of course in the live bodies that I imagine you all to have. . . it would be like horrible-slash-awesome reality TV. I'm sorry to have reduced you all to this in my mind, believe me, you are providing me endless hours of entertainment, and in a sick and twisted way, I thank you for it and hope you do not take offense.

Q: what do people think about all of this, are people's personalities the same in "real" life? Would the "good guys" and "bad guys" still play the same roles?Or is this online posting business just a way for people to let all of their aggression out in an anonymous way? Could Seadub and GenomicRepairman / Lily / the medieval lady (et al) end up getting along if they unknowingly found themselves at barstools next to one another?

Also, please dear lord let me not be the only person sick and bored enough to be obsessed with this. . .

PS, to the OP-- I agree with DrFaustus that the Powerprep software is both useful and informative, and though the appearance is a bit outdated, it works.

Ms Elf ... thanks for the nod. Many many people on this forum, in other threads, have also recommended Powerprep, so I can't take any particular credit.

As to obsession ... yes, I feel the same way as you ... I'm watching this drama, mostly from the sidelines (I don't want any mud thrown in my direction if I can help it)... but I'm eagerly following this instead of working.

[JerryLandis]

Seadub, your decision to make a post on this website about where I live verifies my reason for being "paranoid."