when to take the GRE

[indalomena]

Perhaps I'm being very stupid about this (I'm not from the US so this test-taking business is completely alien to me!!) but I can't figure out whether I need to rush to get the GRE done very soon or not. I want to apply for admission in fall 2012. If I take the GRE general (I'm aware that it's changing..) and literature subject test in September, will that be in time to send the scores off? On the GRE website it says that if you take the new test, scores won't be ready before November ... does that leave enough time to have them sent to universities?

sorry for the stupid/obvious question, and thank you so much for any helpful replies that come my way!

edit: what if I took it in October? Would that be enough time?

Edited July 19, 2011 by indalomena

[lyonessrampant]

Most schools will take test scores after the deadline for the application. Generally, the subject test is offered in both October and November, and you can take it either date and have your scores on time. As for the general test, you can usually take it through November dates and have the scores be accepted. With the new format, that may affect that timeline. If you're worried, email the grad secretary at the programs you're applying to and ask them about when they want the test scores.

[UnlikelyGrad]

edit: what if I took it in October? Would that be enough time?

I took my subject test in October and they got the scores to the schools before the end of Christmas break, which was good enough.

How much do you plan (or think you need) to study for either the general or the subject test?

[Timshel]

Well, if you take the new GRE General test early, they say the results will be sent November 8th. That should make December 1st deadlines, right?

Edited July 19, 2011 by Timshel

[lyonessrampant]

Definitely. Also, most schools will take test scores after the deadline. A lot of them say this on their website, or you can find out by emailing the program.

[Timshel]

Definitely. Also, most schools will take test scores after the deadline. A lot of them say this on their website, or you can find out by emailing the program.

Good to know! Also, lyoness, I see that you are at the University of Minnesota! I plan on applying there this fall! Any tips?

[indalomena]

thank you SO MUCH for these helpful replies

I am registering to take it late September I think, though looking at the fees made me a little alarmed! I didn't realise how expensive the US application process was -- clearly I have a lot to learn! I probably don't have that much time to study for the test as there is so much else for me to do this summer -- I'll try to do a bit every day until then. *sigh*

any other early modern applicants out there? I'm interested primarily in intersections between literature and science in the seventeenth century. Still not sure which departments are right for me -- my supervisor has suggested Yale but I need some ... erm... realistic options as well.

best of luck to my fellow test-takers!

[Timshel]

thank you SO MUCH for these helpful replies

I am registering to take it late September I think, though looking at the fees made me a little alarmed! I didn't realise how expensive the US application process was -- clearly I have a lot to learn! I probably don't have that much time to study for the test as there is so much else for me to do this summer -- I'll try to do a bit every day until then. *sigh*

any other early modern applicants out there? I'm interested primarily in intersections between literature and science in the seventeenth century. Still not sure which departments are right for me -- my supervisor has suggested Yale but I need some ... erm... realistic options as well.

best of luck to my fellow test-takers!

If you take the revised GRE in August or September it's actually half off. It's normally 160!

[lyonessrampant]

Good to know! Also, lyoness, I see that you are at the University of Minnesota! I plan on applying there this fall! Any tips?

Well, it has a super early deadline (Dec 1) so don't procrastinate! Feel free to PM me and I'll share my SOP with you, in case that might help. I'll know more once I start, but my funding package is great and everyone was super nice. Language background is pretty highly valued there. . .they are pretty strong in critical theory but have a heavy emphasis on intellectual history and close reading. Umm. . .I definitely got the impression that Medieval and early modern (my area) were sort of the bread and butter, but that could just have been the bias of my field and what I was looking for while visiting. Anyway, any specific questions you can think of, I'd be happy to share! I chose between a few schools to go to UMN, and I'm SO excited to start! Best of luck to you!

[and...and...and...]

Well, if you take the new GRE General test early, they say the results will be sent November 8th. That should make December 1st deadlines, right?

By early, Timshel, do you mean the October date?

[Timshel]

By early, Timshel, do you mean the October date?

The GRE website says that if you take the new general test by September 8th, the test results will be mailed out by November 8th. They have an entire schedule showing if you take it at such and such time it will be sent out at such and such time.

[xfgdfrmgpo332]

I don't know if there's anyone still planning to take the old version, cause its only offered for 8 more days, but I just took it and wanted to share. I was really happy with my score and did WAY better than on the practice tests I took (5 Kaplans and 3 or 4 from a random crappy site called 800score.com). I guess it might have helped to do harder questions, but it caused me a lot of undue stress, as I was getting worried about my score - but I ended up doing well.

Maybe I'm not the norm, but I just wanted to share in case anyone is about to take the old test and stressing out from not doing great on practice exams. You will be fine.

[ZeeMore21]

I took my GREs in October and the schools got the scores around December. If I were you, I would take the exams as early as possible, say September. In that way, if you are unhappy with the scores, you can always schedule another exam in October...which gives you another month to prepare.

[Timshel]

Well, all I know is that the ETS site says that if you take the new version by September 8th, the scores will be mailed on November 8th, so that better be enough time for December 1st deadlines!

[bdon19]

I think as long as you take it early enough that your scores are sent in November, you're good. That's what I'm doing.

I finally got my butt in gear and registered. I ended up not being able to take it the day I'd planned, which was the weekend before going back, so now I'm taking it a week from Monday. EEEEKKK!

P.S. I don't really get the new scoring. I know it's basically just out of 40, going from 130-170, but how the heck are we supposed to gauge where our percentiles are going to fall? I know that info isn't really available since the test is so new (and presumably why we have to wait until Nov for our scores?), but it'd be nice if ETS could at least give some sort of ballpark! I've been scoring around 160ish on my practice tests, which I'm guessing is fairly decent, but then I have a panic attacks because I'm not sure. I miss the old GRE, and I never even took it!!

[lolopixie]

If anyone has an adroid phone, there are multiple free apps that are good study aids for vocabulary on the go. I have the Kaplan app downloaded to my phone and use it during my breaks at work to get quick study in. They have all the words from the study books in the app, and it is much easier to tote around. Figured I would share for anyone that is still studying for it.

[dimanche0829]

If I remember correctly, the new scoring system will be functioning on a 2-3 week turnaround by mid-October/early November, so you shouldn't have to wait three months like those who are taking the test this month. Hope this helps, and good luck!

[ahembree]

I think as long as you take it early enough that your scores are sent in November, you're good. That's what I'm doing.

P.S. I don't really get the new scoring. I know it's basically just out of 40, going from 130-170, but how the heck are we supposed to gauge where our percentiles are going to fall? I know that info isn't really available since the test is so new (and presumably why we have to wait until Nov for our scores?), but it'd be nice if ETS could at least give some sort of ballpark! I've been scoring around 160ish on my practice tests, which I'm guessing is fairly decent, but then I have a panic attacks because I'm not sure. I miss the old GRE, and I never even took it!!

The ETS does give a ballpark based on the old test scoring system. I took the new test about a week and a half ago and they gave me a score range for verbal and quantitative. It's a bit frustrating because they gave me a 70 point range for verbal and a 50 point range in quantitative, but it's better than nothing. It does suck to wait until November to know for sure, but I guess that's the only way for them to norm the scoring system.

[lolopixie]

The ETS does give a ballpark based on the old test scoring system. I took the new test about a week and a half ago and they gave me a score range for verbal and quantitative. It's a bit frustrating because they gave me a 70 point range for verbal and a 50 point range in quantitative, but it's better than nothing. It does suck to wait until November to know for sure, but I guess that's the only way for them to norm the scoring system.

You would think ETS would understand there are programs at stake here and that we need to know if we need to retake it. They should have released it earlier. Just another reason to add to my list of why I hate ETS and believe they are just a money making scam. However, I will not go on that tangent any further.

Edited August 25, 2011 by lolopixie

[bdon19]

You would think ETS would understand there are programs at stake here and that we need to know if we need to retake it. They should have released it earlier. Just another reason to add to my list of why I hate ETS and believe they are just a money making scam. However, I will not go on that tangent any further.

Meh, I get what you're saying, but I'm not too bummed about it. They do give us that range, and maybe it's just because I'm happy with my score, but I don't find it that problematic. I think you'll know if you need to retake it based on that range, and you do have enough time between now and November to retake it. Standardized testing will never come close to being perfect, but honestly I think this test was as close to my version of "perfect" as a standardized test could possibly be. Maybe that's because I'm a good tester so I didn't have to stress a lot about it. I felt like it tested more "natural" skills, especially in the verbal (identifying vocab based on context clues, comprehension, etc.) and even to an extent in the quant. Of course you can study for these tests, but for me I didn't see that it did a whole lot of good. It's a natural skill set they're testing, which is what's going to matter more to adcoms than a test you just cram for.

...That being said, I did do a lot of cramming. But I felt like the real payoff in my practice tests was familiarizing myself with the test format and brushing up my math skills. I didn't memorize vocab because I didn't see the point. It may not work for everybody, but it worked for me...along with the concentration skills I get with added stress during the actual test.

[Rupert Pupkin]

I have a related question:

After I take the subject test in October, will my general scores (already taken) be sent immediately upon requesting a score report for both the general and the subject, with the subject scores sent once they are available? Or would I have to wait until the subject test scores are reported to be able to send both sets of scores for one fee?

I am trying to save as much money as I can. I would hate to have to spend two score report fees per school.

[Timshel]

I am going to have to send two score reports because I am taking the subject in October, by my GRE scores (since I'm doing the new one) won't be available until November, so when my October scores are sent, it won't have the general, even though I will have taken it in September.

[runonsentence]

Or would I have to wait until the subject test scores are reported to be able to send both sets of scores for one fee?

This.

[truckbasket]

Unless things have changed since I took the tests last year, you can send your scores to four institutions with no additional charge for each test. However, sending any more from each test incurs its own fee. In other words, they aren't sent together for one price, so if you're applying to six programs, all of which require both scores, you'd send four of the standard and the subject for free and then pay for two additional standard and two additional subject scores to be sent.

[lolopixie]

I haven't looked at the ETS website in a little while for registration purposes. Just logged on to see dates available in September...6 days in my area - all week days. Luckily I have one of those days randomly scheduled off for vacation at work. However, I am now taking the test in 2 weeks. Officially.Freaking.Out.