PhD in Sociology in the US without GRE

[Werner]

Hi!

 

I am a German student, graduating this July, and I'm considering a PhD in the US. As this is the first time, I'm thinking about the US as a possible location, I came across this GRE exam, which obviously contains a lot of Math. 

 

Now, I am a straight A student, and I'll graduate with summa cum laude (cultural sciences), but I am very close to a retard concerning Math (in Europe, social or cultural MA programs usually don't contain statistics, and you don't necessarily have to take your final exams in Math at high school to get your high school diploma, and to be honest, I don't know much about the American education system). So my question is: Does anyone know a university in the US where you can get around this GRE, or should I better bury my PhD plans for the US?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Tahoma]

Sorry, but there's no escaping it. You need to take the GRE. However--and I say this as a fellow mathematically challenged person--the GRE is very learnable. The math section is below college-level, and mostly just relies on mastering a few simple tricks. If you put a couple of months of study into the GRE, you'll do fine.

[Werner]

Define "mathematically challenged"... I'm having problems adding up my groceries without a calculator while shopping... I've read that NYU doesn't automatically disqualify you, if you do bad at the GRE. I hope that when I'm doing good at the other parts, they'll somehow excuse my complete failure at Math. Looks like, I have to go through this and just try.

Edited June 20, 2013 by Werner

[ohgoodness]

As a fellow European who had no idea about the GRE and had never done standardized tests before; do not quit before you start.

 

If you are a straight A student in the german system then you should be able to hone your math skills to the level where you pass minimum requirements and then some.   Just do your best on the GRE and work on perfecting all the other things (such as finding good recommendations who are well-known in the U.S.)

[Werner]

@Mocha:

 

As I said, in the German system, you have the possibility to avoid certain subjects. In the German version of Highschool (means 11th, 12th and 13th grade), you have a 15 point mark system, and you need to get at least 5 points to pass and at least 2 points in order to not have to repeat the whole year. I was good at almost everything, but I kept receiving Fs (means 1 point) at Math, so I came to an agreement with my Math teacher that she will give me 2 points and I'll just be present (meaning: attending the classes, but not doing anything)  in order not to screw up my Highschool diploma, as it would be stupid not to pass just because of one subject. And, as I said, at university, any field of studies not involving Physics, Math, Biology, Chemistry or Economics has no need and no contact with Math whatsoever (which is the main reason why I am a straight A student).

 

This means that I lack the very basics of what would be required to pass the Math part of the GRE exam (I took a look at it, and you could as well give me the task to write a summary of Macbeth in Chinese). However, I will try, as you said, to get some good recommendations and do the writing parts as good as possible. I hope that'll do it.

[La_Di_Da]

Apart from the GRE, something else you should seriously consider is the fact that most sociology graduate programs will require you to take one or two (sometimes three) statistics courses. Many social science programs -- anthropology, sociology, and psychology included -- require stats. If you wish to avoid math altogether, and you cannot find a school where stats and the GRE are not required, you may want to consider a graduate program in the humanities, such as cultural studies.

Wishing you all the best, both on the GRE and in your program search. Keep us posted on your progress.
 

[avatarmomo]

The New School does not require GRE, but scholarships are very limited.

[gilbertrollins]

More important than the entry-barrier to a US PhD program, is the long term consideration.  One cannot operate as a professional sociologist without at least a pedestrian comprehension of statistical methods, even if you do not yourself use the methods in your own work.  

 

The GRE involves high school level math.  The real challenge is practicing to learn how to do the problems quickly within the time limits, and getting used to solving them strategically.  Like @ohgoodness said, don't stop before you've started.  The GRE practice books are very good.  

[Mikeden]

It's important to realize that some programs put a greater emphasis on qualitative analyses while other put an emphasis on quantitative analyses. Other programs give you a choice. If you feel you are stronger in qualitative analyses, maybe you should look into programs that emphasize qualitative analyses. Brandeis, for example, specializes in qualitative (http://www.brandeis.edu/departments/sociology/).That said, quantitative analyses and statistics are very important to comprehend in sociology, both to produce your own research and to understand the research of others.

 

Of course, statistics and "math" (like calculus) are very different. Math also isn't my strongest subject (the highest math course I ever took, which was over 10 years ago, was calculus I) but I did pretty well in statistics courses because I had great professors and because the math in the required stats classes that I took isn't higher than 10th grade math...it's mostly comprehending concepts and understanding how everything works together. Higher level stats does require calc knowledge and gets VERY complex but the math in most required stats classes (probably even at the PhD level) is pretty basic. Most of your work will probably be on the computer anyway. 

 

I wouldn't worry that much about the GRE - the math isn't too hard (again, when I took it, back in 2011, it wasn't higher than 10th grade math) and I found the Kaplan review books very easy to understand and helpful. The GRE software is also VERY helpful...and I found the practice materials from Kaplan to be much more challenging than the actual GRE.

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

 

[pendragon]

Hi Werner,

 

I signed into this blog simply because of you there are very many (high quality too) universities in the USA where GRE may not be considered. I am in the same position as you and I have applied to many given to me by this wonderful who is helping people like you and I - check out her website and see for yourself the number of people who want to avoid GRE. I certainly want to avoid it, I do not at all see the relevance. 100% of people who study the same subjects in Europe for which GRE is required in the US do perfectly well after their studies if not better in many subjects. I do not see the relevance of GRE when Maths is not needed in your career - although Maths may well be important as a subject but having to pay so much dollars for an unnecessary GRE that may well determine the grade you may eventually get for graduation I think is unnecessary. It is also not cheap when you consider that like you if you're not good in Maths you may have to take tuition which is not cheap at all in any country or buy GRE tuition manuals etc which might set you back at least $500 - 700 to be able to bush up to the level to be accepted at the universities you may like in the US. Please check this lady's website, all subjects are covered and whatever you do not know she will go all out to find it for you and reply back too in 24hrs less. http://ainsleydiduca.com/grad-schools-dont-require-gre/

I have even applied to a course at MIT which is one of the most prestigious Universities in the world for a course that does not require any GRE and you will be fully funded as well if accepted on the PhD course. Good luck. P

Good luck. Patrick

[breaks0]

I don't mean to be that guy, but I'm probably going to be seen that way anyway. The gre math probably is learnable, but if you're mathematically challenged, no it is not easy because it's a trick test. Let's be honest here, the test is a tool to weed out applicants as any hr dept where you apply for a job does the same thing, trying to weed you out. The test is full of biases and does not test your intelligence, so it lacks any educational value. It tests your ability to pass a standardized exam of analytical writing, english verbal skills and algebra, geometry, trig and a little stats by throwing questions designed to trip you up. In a format that's harder than if it were on paper, as it used to be way back in the day. It isn't right, it isn't fair, but it's there and unforunately you have to deal w/it here. It was an ordeal for me, I didn't do well, despite giving it everything I had for 3 months and even though for me my score was good. But it was relatively poor (compared to other applicants) and your percentile rank is probably more important than the raw score, for some programs anyway.  You probably can do better than me and my guess is I'll have to take it again next year... just do the work and get through as best you can, hopefully that will help you get in somewhere.