Few days left and VERY BAD at math. Should I just focus on Verbal?

[newdisplayname]

Hey guys, I´m a disaster at math (haven´t taking a math class since high school!) and I know that I´ll do terrible. Test is in 10 days. Should I just focus on my Verbal? What if I explain my situation with math in my SOP? What would be my best bet?

I´m applying to 10 programs in Nonprofit Management and/or International Development, some of them top schools. Any suggestions?

[cunninlynguist]

No. As a minimum, it would behoove you to review general algebraic expressions, number properties, and geometry formulas (e.g. lengths of 45-45-90 right isosceles triangles, area of a parallelogram, etc.). If you go over some basic principles, it's at least something to draw on when you're taking the test.

[emmm]

Agreed -- your program does not sound like one that would overlook a dismal Q score. Anything relating to management or development sounds like it would involve budgets etc.

Edited December 6, 2012 by emmm

[okProteus]

The above advice sounds good to me. If you don't know much of anything at this point, you may be able to pluck a substantial amount of the lowest lying fruit by selectively focusing on what you can handle and working until you get it down. You could either focus on a few question types & concepts and try to learn them well, or try to pack in a lot of general concepts that you could use across the board. To decide whether you won't to focus on learning a few things well or several things sort of, take one or a few practice tests. Manhattan offers a free computer-adaptive one online; that's where I'd start.

[midnight]

Go to the bookstore and leaf through Princeton Review's Cracking the GRE. Some of the process of elimination tricks may help you on the math.

My test last month included a significant amount of questions (possibly six or more?) about mean/mode/median/range, standard deviation, and basic probability--all easy enough concepts that you can quickly review.

Do some practice graph/chart questions, too.

[newdisplayname]

Thank you all so much. I`ll follow the advice and hopefully I´ll get something above the 150´s.... Thanks again!

[okProteus]

I would agree that the graph/chart problems may be a good place to focus. IMO, these are the easiest to solve if you're familiar with them, but may be difficult if you struggle with math and are unfamiliar with their form.