BrianM Posted March 14, 2010 Posted March 14, 2010 My god, I just took the Powerprep practice test and got a combined 700!!! Christ almighty. I am horrible at math and no matter how much help I get it just doesn't help. I did poorly on the english too, my answers that were wrong could actually have been right, just one of the aspects that pisses me off about the GRE. If this happened to be my score sent to grad schools, given my undergrad record in another thread which is very good, what would be my chances of getting into grad school?
prolixity Posted March 14, 2010 Posted March 14, 2010 My god, I just took the Powerprep practice test and got a combined 700!!! Christ almighty. I am horrible at math and no matter how much help I get it just doesn't help. I did poorly on the english too, my answers that were wrong could actually have been right, just one of the aspects that pisses me off about the GRE. If this happened to be my score sent to grad schools, given my undergrad record in another thread which is very good, what would be my chances of getting into grad school? The only correct answer is, "it depends"... on many factors. Some people have relatively low GREs and get into the best schools.. some have stellar GREs and don't. I kind of think GREs are more or less a formality as long as you're not an outlier skewing left.
JustChill Posted March 14, 2010 Posted March 14, 2010 It depends on TONS of factors, but overall I would recommend studying more and getting those scores higher. But, don't be too discouraged, I got into Stanford and Harvard with 480 quantitative (24th percentile or something)!
lily_ Posted March 14, 2010 Posted March 14, 2010 There are many factors that go into the admissions process, and GRE is usually overshadowed by UGPA, a strong SOP, good LORs, and CV demonstrating your independent abilities in your field. That said, I would strongly suggested studying and taking a practice exam again. I talked to a lot of departments before applying this year (in the social sciences) and they all said that they use the GRE to eliminate people who score very low (below 1000 or below 1200). Brush up on your math skills (it's all math you have already taken anyway) and make yourself some flash cards. Relax, and just work on it, take a few more tests and try to raise your score. However, I have heard many varying things about GRE. Depending on your field, some departments might overlook it. Other departments might eliminate you without even considering all the other aspects of your application that make you a great candidate for grad school. I would start researching and asking direct questions prior to applying if you are unable to raise it. Also, are you a foreign student? It appears that GRE scores are less important for applicants who are not native English speakers, so long as their TOEFL scores are competitive. Best of luck!!!
BrianM Posted March 14, 2010 Author Posted March 14, 2010 There are many factors that go into the admissions process, and GRE is usually overshadowed by UGPA, a strong SOP, good LORs, and CV demonstrating your independent abilities in your field. That said, I would strongly suggested studying and taking a practice exam again. I talked to a lot of departments before applying this year (in the social sciences) and they all said that they use the GRE to eliminate people who score very low (below 1000 or below 1200). Brush up on your math skills (it's all math you have already taken anyway) and make yourself some flash cards. Relax, and just work on it, take a few more tests and try to raise your score. However, I have heard many varying things about GRE. Depending on your field, some departments might overlook it. Other departments might eliminate you without even considering all the other aspects of your application that make you a great candidate for grad school. I would start researching and asking direct questions prior to applying if you are unable to raise it. Also, are you a foreign student? It appears that GRE scores are less important for applicants who are not native English speakers, so long as their TOEFL scores are competitive. Best of luck!!! No I'm not a foreign student. I know someone who used to work in the Montclair U. graduate committee and he said with my undergrad record I should be fine, even with a less than stellar score...I'm sure on my analytical section I did at least a 5.0. I'm very good at writing so I hope that can be seen as a strong point.
lily_ Posted March 14, 2010 Posted March 14, 2010 No I'm not a foreign student. I know someone who used to work in the Montclair U. graduate committee and he said with my undergrad record I should be fine, even with a less than stellar score...I'm sure on my analytical section I did at least a 5.0. I'm very good at writing so I hope that can be seen as a strong point. I apologize, I didn't want to come off as anything but giving advice. In the arts, humanities, and social sciences GRE is less of a deciding factor as it is in the "hard" sciences and engineering. Plus a lot of admissions committees are aware that the only thing the GRE is useful for is testing your ability to take the GRE. Hope all works out, and most departments certainly weigh more on the other aspects of your application.
joro Posted March 15, 2010 Posted March 15, 2010 (edited) Don't be too discouraged about a practice GRE score. When I took a practice test from Kaplan I ended up with about an 800 total. I studied a month before the actual test and my total bumped up to a 1250. If I had studied for 3 - 4 months like I had initially planned, I think I could have at least a 1400+. Edited March 15, 2010 by joro
HelloKaty37 Posted March 15, 2010 Posted March 15, 2010 My god, I just took the Powerprep practice test and got a combined 700!!! Christ almighty. I am horrible at math and no matter how much help I get it just doesn't help. I did poorly on the english too, my answers that were wrong could actually have been right, just one of the aspects that pisses me off about the GRE. If this happened to be my score sent to grad schools, given my undergrad record in another thread which is very good, what would be my chances of getting into grad school? I notice you're a psych major (which I was briefly so I know a lot of people who are applying to grad school in that discipline). Have you considered taking the GRE subject test? If your general test scores don't come up much, you may be able to make up for that with a more specialized set of scores. It may not matter much, but it can't hurt to demonstrate your strength in the relevant area. Also, I hear the psych subject test is much better for studying for than the regular GRE is, since it is more fact-based and less "memorize as many words as possible and hope they show up on test day".
anxiousapplicant Posted March 15, 2010 Posted March 15, 2010 (edited) I don't understand why everyone is acting like this is acceptable. No, your undergrad record is not enough if they throw out your application. Trust me, I would know. I scored a 1330 and they didn't even read my application (I emailed a school and asked why I was rejected). I have a >3.98 GPA, so in the intial cutoff when they throw out apps based on GRE and GPA, I know it was not my GPA. So I would suggest you take your practice score as a very strong warning and work your ass off. I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, I'm trying to be realistic with you so you don't think it's acceptable to not do well on the GRE and hope the rest of your app makes up for it. Because you are competing with students with stellar records and stellar GRE scores. Edited March 15, 2010 by anxiousapplicant fadeindreams, lily_, anxiousapplicant and 3 others 5 1
BrianM Posted March 15, 2010 Author Posted March 15, 2010 Lilly, no reason to apologize! I've had a grad student at William Paterson tell me I would have a great chance of making it even with low gre scores, same with montclair. HelloKaty-None of the programs I am applying to require it so I'm not bothering, I think my undergrad record speaks for itself. And AnxiousApp- Thanks for the dose of reality! That sucks, what was your major!? Your GPA is phenomenal, I'm surprised it didn't get you in!
anxiousapplicant Posted March 15, 2010 Posted March 15, 2010 Lilly, no reason to apologize! I've had a grad student at William Paterson tell me I would have a great chance of making it even with low gre scores, same with montclair. HelloKaty-None of the programs I am applying to require it so I'm not bothering, I think my undergrad record speaks for itself. And AnxiousApp- Thanks for the dose of reality! That sucks, what was your major!? Your GPA is phenomenal, I'm surprised it didn't get you in! Political Science and Philosophy. Bear in mind I applied to a tippity-top school. The point I am trying to make is that GRE scores can easily keep you out of top schools. Remember that where you earn your degree sort of sets the bar for where you will earn employment. You tend to go down in rank from your Ph.D when you land a job, not up. So you want to try to get into the best programs possible so you have the best job prospects as possible. You've got your scores now, so you've got plenty of time to study and practice. Good luck and work hard, it'll pay off. anxiousapplicant and herself the elf 2
pizzapie Posted March 17, 2010 Posted March 17, 2010 Just keep studying, and I'm sure you'll be able to raise that. I took a practice Kaplan test without studying or anything and that's about what I got on my first practice test. I dedicated the summer (along with a part-time internship) to studying, and I was able to raise my score to a 1210. Math is really important in psychology, so if that's your weakness try to work really hard on that (and if possible, take a class or get a tutor). You are going to need to raise the score, even if you're going for a masters. Generally, (at least what my psyc grad school prep teacher told me) to get into a Psyc masters program, you have to have at least a 1000 GRE score. Don't give up with studying for the GRE! It takes a lot of time and dedication, but if you're able to put in that time, you'll see a raise in your score and a better chance of getting in. lily_ 1
carpecc Posted March 25, 2010 Posted March 25, 2010 Don't give up with studying for the GRE! It takes a lot of time and dedication, but if you're able to put in that time, you'll see a raise in your score and a better chance of getting in. I agree. If you're getting that low, just start with fundamentals. Drill your multiplication and division tables, review algebra and geography. Review the words you got wrong and practice those sections. Start moving up to the harder questions as you master the easier ones.
Jae B. Posted March 26, 2010 Posted March 26, 2010 Don't worry about a first test. It just shows you what you need to work on. If you've got limited time, focus on studying for the part that means the most to your schools. It sounds like you need math books, to brush up. You could be surprised how quickly things come back to you. Some books talk about strategies to rule out the wrong answers rather than than figuring out the right one, since you don't exactly have time to do the math long-hand.... The first time I took a GRE practice test, I was shocked that my highest score was in math, not verbal. (I am totally a verbal person....) Fortunately, the verbal part is easiest to study for, in my opinion. Plenty of books have the words you need. And some people have suggested playing Freerice to study. I caught up on the verbal part really fast, but I didn't end up needing to take the GRE.
gsams Posted March 29, 2010 Posted March 29, 2010 GRE scores most certainly DO matter. However, they matter some places more than others. State schools (even well-ranked ones) didn't mind my (just above a 1200 and 6 analytical) scores. However, Ivies were not too keen. If I cared that much about Ivies and top 10 programs, I would have re-taken and applied. That said, I managed to get into a good program that fits me well regardless. My record taking the exam was not good. I never took a practice (wasn't in the states when they were offering them and then didn't have time). I took it the first time a week after having swine flu and being off school for a week and got about an 1100 - not a death sentence, but not top. I took it again a month later (bought two new books and studied an hour a day) and increased my score by 110 points. I took that exam with food poisoning, so it was amazing I did that well and didn't get sick. I was chugging pepto during the break, I kid you not. I am not a "math person" either, OP. I don't mind math when it is applied to a problem. If it is a word problem, I am fine. The biggest issue for me was the A, B, C, D questions when you had to choose greater, less, equal, neither or something like that. The word problems and geometry I did great on. My english score was fine and I didn't study much at all. This is by FAR harder to change for some. If your vocabulary is lacking, study those words NOW. I recommend the flash card sites that allow you to try words out. There are a bunch of recommendations on this forum, just look around. I didn't study at all for the analytical and got a 6, so I did fine on that. Seems like you did fine at that, though. Don't rush yourself and be prepared to take it two times. Yes, it is expensive, but your score DOES matter. For some people, it matters more than others. I did very well with my applications and didn't have an absolutely STELLAR score like many on here, but I did fine. However, those scores most CERTAINLY matter!
Shan Posted April 1, 2010 Posted April 1, 2010 That's fine. Don't worry~~~ I also get really poor score in GRE practice. My verbal score is too low... I have no idea... Maybe because I am a foreigner...
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