GRE on Thursday and I still suck at Verbal...

[bahmed816]

So i've been preparing for the GRE for about 2 months on and off.  I am still in my undergrad, so I had a full class load + finals to worry about while studying. However, now I'm on break and studied for a solid 9-10 days consecutively.  

 

I'm not particularly good at standardized tests.  I've been able to work my way up to a respectable 153Q score (it was once a lot worse)...but my verbal is still lacking.  My practice score was 141V.  I just cant seem to find a way of mastering this portion of the test.  Over the last few days I memorized about 250 common GRE words and that did actually help for 1-2 questions, but nothing drastic. Some other practices sets that I take I either do pretty well on, or terrible.  Honestly, I feel like it comes down to luck as to whether or not my exam has words I recognize or reading passages I can comprehend.

 

I'm applying for Masters in Health Administration programs, and most if not all programs expect you to score above 150 in both sections (per their websites).  Does anyone have advice on how to approach the Verbal section?

 

Also, hypothetically speaking..if I were to score close to what my practice was Quant - 150-154 and Verbal 141-145...Do I cancel my test? My undergraduate degree is in Healthcare Policy and Administration (clearly relevant courses) and I have a 3.4 GPA with a good upward trend + great internship/work experience.  Will that be enough to compensate for a low GRE?

 

Sorry for the long read!  Just a little nervous.....

[123hardasABC]

Woah. Calm down, there. You're gonna have to tell us which practice test you took. I scored around the 140s on the Kaplan, Barron, and Princeton Review tests. They purposely bloat the difficulty on their study guides to convince you that you need their prep courses. The only decently accurate practice exam is the one ETS posted using their actual testing software. Even then, nothing can predict how you're gonna do on the real thing. 

 

Also, it still doesn't hurt to apply. You never know your chances until you try. And in the worst case scenario where you don't get in anywhere, at least you'll have a better understanding of the application process for the next time around. I can tell you that the application process is overwhelming and confusing. So don't fret, it's not the end of the world!

 

 

Long story short: calm down, do your best on the GRE, and apply anyways. 

[bahmed816]

Thanks for the response.  I've been studying Kaplan, but my practice exam was actually the ETS software.  Hopefully all goes well...I really dont want to have to retake the exam.