Suggestions/advice on GRE Verbal.I messed it up again.

[newlyadmit13]

Hi,

 

Sat GRE again with the hope of improving my scores. I did NOT study/practice Quantitative at all. I only studied Verbal, just verbal. Memorized all the vocab in many books. Guess what happened?

 

Unofficial scores appeared on the screen right after the exam and I got 142 on Verbal. And scored exactly the same Q. score that I had scored on my first taking the exam.

 

What should I do? what is wrong with my Verbal ?  Not to even mention about that I know other languages and English is like my 3th language. Practically, I should have done it way better. But, sadly, I cannot!

 

Could you please advise me what I should do, how I could improve my GRE Verbal score?

 

Do you think it would destroy my application if I sent that that GRE with very low Verbal score to the schools?

 

I don't know what to do, I also cannot afford to pay 250 bucks again because I am not even sure anymore if my scores will improve or not.

 

Thank you beforehand for your advice. I appreciated it.

Best regards.

[Sizzle]

In order for people to provide any real advice, it might help to actually mention what you scored on the quantitative section. Saying that you scored the same as your previous attempt is pretty ambiguous, even though you could have mentioned it in some other thread.

 

Now, as far as the verbal score, a 142 is pretty low. I think it's in the 15th percentile or so. Considering you're applying to engineering programs, and acknowledging that you're an international student, the low score is not absolutely unacceptable.  Some programs may still have a cutoff, and you should investigate that.

 

However, you could improve it by studying vocabulary and taking some practice exams. What's important is not selecting the correct answer, but determining the reasoning behind that conclusion. The nuances of western/American logic can be difficult for someone immersed in a different culture, but taking practice tests from companies like Kaplan can help. Once you answer the questions, they will not only provide you with the correct one, but they will explain the logic behind it. 

 

Moreover, you could study lists of high-frequency vocabulary words, because those can earn you quite a few points on test day.

 

Now, your quantitative score is the most valuable component to someone in your desired field. If you consider yourself prepared, and you've scored equally well on each exam, you shouldn't be too concerned about a drop in that component.

 

If you cannot afford to take the test, then the question is irrelevant. If you're just saying that to justify accepting your scores, I would reconsider. You could study. It make take time, but the GRE is a test that can be studied, and you can get a higher score.

 

Good luck to you.

[newlyadmit13]

Thank you Sizzle for your suggestions. I have GRE Physics score which was 950. It seems like it is above the cut-off for many schools. My Quantitative is 158 (cut-off is 150), but in my field, they put more emphasis on GRE Physics rather than Q. part.

However, since I am international, they ask us to score at least 150 on Verbal and a good score on TOEFL, as well.

 

I will follow your advice and maybe do some part-time job to save money to sit it again.

Thanks. Regards.