Should I even worry about this?

[lowShoulder]

I got an exceedingly low GRE score (1060 combined) after studying pretty hard for about a month last year. I have a solid GPA (3.66 overall/3.89 cog sci), 3 glowing recommendation letters from respected researchers, 3 semesters of RA experience, and an independent research project that culminated in a senior thesis. While everything else besides the GRE score may be decent, the fact of the matter is that GRE scores are used to screen out applicants in the initial stages and they may have not even seen the other components of my application. I applied to schools that were almost all a step down from my undergraduate institution. I am a minority, but I feel like this doesn't carry as much weight as it used to.

By this point, I don't think I'm going to be receiving any interview invitations, so I think I'm done worrying about this.

So, what's my plan B? I'll probably look into doing some kind of trade because we all know how worthless a liberal arts bachelor's is in this day and age, haha. In the meantime, I'll just continue working as a package handler at FedEx.

[neuropsych76]

I got an exceedingly low GRE score (1060 combined) after studying pretty hard for about a month last year. I have a solid GPA (3.66 overall/3.89 cog sci), 3 glowing recommendation letters from respected researchers, 3 semesters of RA experience, and an independent research project that culminated in a senior thesis. While everything else besides the GRE score may be decent, the fact of the matter is that GRE scores are used to screen out applicants in the initial stages and they may have not even seen the other components of my application. I applied to schools that were almost all a step down from my undergraduate institution. I am a minority, but I feel like this doesn't carry as much weight as it used to.

By this point, I don't think I'm going to be receiving any interview invitations, so I think I'm done worrying about this.

So, what's my plan B? I'll probably look into doing some kind of trade because we all know how worthless a liberal arts bachelor's is in this day and age, haha. In the meantime, I'll just continue working as a package handler at FedEx.

Unfortunately, a 1060 probably did get you screened out of a lot of programs. (I got an 1170 and I know it screened me out of some too) But all is not lost, if that is the only non-excellent part of your application you can simply retake it and reapply next year. Good luck!

[lowShoulder]

Unfortunately, a 1060 probably did get you screened out of a lot of programs. (I got an 1170 and I know it screened me out of some too) But all is not lost, if that is the only non-excellent part of your application you can simply retake it and reapply next year. Good luck!

Eh, I already took a year off after graduation. I don't really feel like letting another year of my life go by without moving forward. I'd love to do academia, but perhaps having a non-verbal learning disability is going to hold me back. I should be happy I even got this far. They had me placed in entirely special ed classes in high school and it's probably a miracle I could even comprehend scientific literature at the level needed to create independent research. My IQ is somewhere between 95 and 100. The first time I took the GRE, I received a 660 combined, haha.

This was delusional thinking at best, I probably shouldn't have even gone to college considering how useless a liberal arts degree is if you don't go on to academia. It's actually prevented me from getting jobs. At least, instead of not having a social life and studying until my eyes fell out, I could've enjoyed the social life college affords people and partied hard like everybody else around my IQ. Oh well.

Edited February 17, 2011 by lowShoulder

[Mr. Tea]

Study more and retake the GRE if it's something you want. Not getting into a program during a ridiculously competitive application season is not a good reason to give up if you really want to go on in academia. Think about the rest of your life, not just the current application season.

Study more than a month for the GRE. I studied for about three months at a steady pace (in no way was it consuming my life, but I took time to spread it out) and raised my score by over 200 points by using the Kaplan book to study the verbal section and the GRE website math review to study for the quant section. Take the practice tests around the time that you re-take the GRE to get a better idea of what you need to focus on during the last few weeks of preparation.

As long as the rest of what you mentioned have been quality experiences, raising your GRE score would make you a very competitive applicant if you don't get in during this season (hopefully you will). Just do that and make sure you emphasize your fit with specific programs (don't brag about your stats, which it seems like a lot of people do), and you'll probably get into a program. But this is all only worth it if it's something you really desire (which I assume you do).

[whitecarnation]

Wow - I am in the exact same situation!

I got an exceedingly low GRE score (1060 combined) after studying pretty hard for about a month last year. I have a solid GPA (3.66 overall/3.89 cog sci), 3 glowing recommendation letters from respected researchers, 3 semesters of RA experience, and an independent research project that culminated in a senior thesis. While everything else besides the GRE score may be decent, the fact of the matter is that GRE scores are used to screen out applicants in the initial stages and they may have not even seen the other components of my application. I applied to schools that were almost all a step down from my undergraduate institution. I am a minority, but I feel like this doesn't carry as much weight as it used to.

By this point, I don't think I'm going to be receiving any interview invitations, so I think I'm done worrying about this.

So, what's my plan B? I'll probably look into doing some kind of trade because we all know how worthless a liberal arts bachelor's is in this day and age, haha. In the meantime, I'll just continue working as a package handler at FedEx.

[lowShoulder]

Well, ASU rejected me, but Merced is going to do a phone interview with me soon. I haven't heard back from FSU yet.

[Saik]

Dude, it sounds like you've already overcome some pretty significant hurdles to get where you are. Don't let all that go to waste just because your GRE score sucks. I studied for three months as well, and my initial powerprep diagnostic test score and my final score when I took it 'live' increased pretty significantly. I'm talking about 5 hours a week, an hour a day 5 days a week for three months. That's doable.

Don't sell yourself short. In the words of Rob Schneider and Ice Cube, "You can do it!"

[neuropsych76]

Eh, I already took a year off after graduation. I don't really feel like letting another year of my life go by without moving forward. I'd love to do academia, but perhaps having a non-verbal learning disability is going to hold me back. I should be happy I even got this far. They had me placed in entirely special ed classes in high school and it's probably a miracle I could even comprehend scientific literature at the level needed to create independent research. My IQ is somewhere between 95 and 100. The first time I took the GRE, I received a 660 combined, haha.

This was delusional thinking at best, I probably shouldn't have even gone to college considering how useless a liberal arts degree is if you don't go on to academia. It's actually prevented me from getting jobs. At least, instead of not having a social life and studying until my eyes fell out, I could've enjoyed the social life college affords people and partied hard like everybody else around my IQ. Oh well.

If you are really passionate about academia I would not let one standardized test hold you back. You got a phone interview which means the rest of your app is pretty solid including the low GRE score. A lot of people take multiple years off between undergrad and grad school so don't worry about "wasting time." As other posters said, you might need to study for the GRE more than a month. I studied 3000 vocab words for 3 months to get a halfway decent verbal score. It's an awful and boring process but its a hurdle that I think you can get over!