Low GRE score

[trumpetplayr128]

Hi, I took the GRE and made a 950 which I was obviously very disappointed by. I studied for roughly two weeks before I took it. I am definitely taking it again but I am worried that I will not do well. I have never been the best test taker but I did much better on the SAT. I took 3 CAT tests through the Princeton Review. What else should I do to help? I have considered taking a Kaplan course to help me prepare. Any thoughts? Thanks!

[adaptations]

If you're serious about the GRE and starting with a 950, you'll need to devote some serious time to it. Certainly courses offered by places like Kaplan and Princeton can help, but they also cost quite a bit. You can also just buy their resources and dedicate yourself to regular studying. I know many people (including myself) studied for months.

Having been an instructor for one of the previously mentioned test prep companies, I can suggest that you don't just take practice tests. Really focus on developing the specific skills/knowledge for both the math and verbal, in addition to building your vocabulary (this should involve daily work, drills, flashcards, etc.) If you are applying this fall/winter, you should have at least two months of studying left before you have to take the exam. Best of luck!

[psyched]

My GRE scores were extremely disappointing. However, I know that I do not do well on multiple choice tests, so instead of retaking them, I improved my application my getting some papers submitted for publication and focused on winning funding (SSHRC). After I did that I got into almost every school I applied to, even the schools that said they had high cutoffs for the GREs. Obviously, if you can improve your scores great...if not, it's not the end of the world, there are other ways you can improve your application.

Edited August 17, 2010 by psyched

[rachaelski]

Also, there are more and more programs that no longer require GRE testing. My program, a PhD program in Education, does not call for GRE scores. Nor did my Master's in International Affairs. For the latter, funding applications called for the GRE, though.

[lifetimestudent]

Sorry to hear about your score. I would definitely suggest retaking it. I saw that you listed your score as cumulative (950 total). Most programs only care about one score, verbal/AW or math. Consider what kind of program you are applying to (i.e. sciences or humanities), and which score is most important and focus on that. There is definitely time to retake it. The schools will see the old score but if there is a big improvement that's good for you. And really, a lot of schools only use the GRE scores as a "last tie-breaker." The only real problem with taking it again is that it's expensive... at least that's what I thought when I was retaking it.