Studying for GRE Writing

[GREatjustgreat]

Ok, so I took the GRE a couple weeks back.  I got Q:170, V:166 and was super excited. Yes! I can focus on the Physics GRE! So today I get my writing score back and I got a 3.5 (that's 38th percentile).  Yeaah... So now I have to retake the test because competitive schools deny applicants without review for a score that low (even though I don't consider timed writing relevant for physics or engineering).

 

My Question: How would you study for the writing section? I have a problem coming up with enough points to write about and end up running out of time (drafting/outlining is too slow).  Is it really just a "practice makes perfect" type deal? Any suggestions would be appreciated.  I don't think I could be any more stressed out.

[victorydance]

Just do practice ones with the same time amount that they give you on the test. It's really that simple. 

[VulpesZerda]

Are you really going to retake it even with a near perfect score in the other sections?

 

Well, that's your choice, but here's my advice on the writing. I just finished a GRE prep course (no, I don't have the $$ for that! It was free as a part of an undergrad fellowship). It would really help to pair up with a friend or two and practice. Read the prompt, work silently for 30 minutes, then review the pro/con lists you each made, or the list of assumptions made, or whatever your outlining strategy might be. This was helpful for me because I was able to get fresh perspectives and see what I missed. It helped me think more broadly, and it helped my friends think more specifically. Good for everyone. It probably helped that I had some philosophy folks in there, so if you know any friends in that major, that wouldn't hurt!

 

As far as the writing itself, I've been told there is a "safe" formula to follow to get you a decent score on the analyze an argument. It's basically the five paragraph essay we learned in like middle school. Intro, point 1, point 2, point 3, conclusion. I've also been told to do six paragraphs, where I list three points, and one counterpoint. But spread them out so it goes intro, point 1, point 3, counterpoint, point 2 (rebuttal to the counterpoint), conclusion. With the analyze an issue, it's not about whether or not you agree. It's pulling apart the assumptions made in the argument. The more you practice the more obvious the assumptions will be. They're usually really bad, for example drawing conclusions from data that doesn't represent the issue.

 

Spend at most 5 minutes brainstorming and outlining. Longer essays are correlated with higher scores so give yourself enough time to write all your thoughts. And spend the last minute or so proofreading for obvious errors. 

 

All the practice essays are on the GRE website. You will not see one on the test that isn't on that website. So practice them from there. Also, although it's obvious, make sure to closely follow the instructions. Apparently the newer GRE has varying instructions from question to question. Some specifically ask you to bring up counterpoints, some ask you to consider what evidence is needed, etc. They vary so just do exactly what it says. 

Edited August 14, 2014 by VulpesZerda

[Vene]

Ok, so I took the GRE a couple weeks back.  I got Q:170, V:166 and was super excited. Yes! I can focus on the Physics GRE! So today I get my writing score back and I got a 3.5 (that's 38th percentile).  Yeaah... So now I have to retake the test because competitive schools deny applicants without review for a score that low (even though I don't consider timed writing relevant for physics or engineering).

 

My Question: How would you study for the writing section? I have a problem coming up with enough points to write about and end up running out of time (drafting/outlining is too slow).  Is it really just a "practice makes perfect" type deal? Any suggestions would be appreciated.  I don't think I could be any more stressed out.

My writing score was that low and I got interviewed at the University of Vermont as well as Minnesota. I don't know what kind of schools you're looking at and I know its a different field. But, we're both in the sciences and I'd be shocked if physics departments cared more about writing than life science departments. So, I'm thinking that depending on where you looking at applying as well as the rest of your application it may not be worth the time and money to retake the GRE.

[Taeyers]

My scores were 166/166/4.0 back when 4.0 was 49th percentile and not 56th like it is now, and not a single person commented on the low writing score. In fact, I got multiple comments on how strong my test scores were. I think as long as that's not the only information they have about your writing abilities (which is likely, because you're submitting at least a SOP if not a writing sample with your application), you'll be fine. I've heard that the GRE graders have very specific ideas of what they want to see in a writing response, and anecdotally I've read about self-described terrible writers getting 6.0 and excellent professional writers getting 4.0 just depending on whether or not they read the guidelines and practiced them.

[xolo]

I highly recommend PeakPerformance, who posts here.  I think Susan has some free-of-charge classes, but I took some individual classes and raised my writing from 4.0 to 5.0 (that's from the 56th percentile to the 93rd).  That 4.0 bothered me not so much because it was terrible, but because I knew I could do better.  I don't know for your program, but 3.5 for humanities is pretty low.  And congratulations on the other scores.

[Nazimova23]

Decaf - Why don't you try writing standard introductory lines, conclusive lines and body introductory line(s) first, and then attempting to develop it into a legitimate essay with what time remains?  It sounds like rather than investigating study options, you should be figuring out how to meditate and get enough rest (or stimulating foods) in you to write in a manner that meets standards for GRE essay organization. 

Edited August 15, 2014 by fuzzylogician
link removed.

[themmases]

I really disagree that outlining is too slow-- it can save you a lot of time. For a standard 5-paragraph essay, your outline can just be a list of the paragraphs: intro, point 1, etc. It may not sound that helpful, but without it you end up just writing and going where your thoughts take you. It's easy to start talking about a new idea that would have made a great second point as just an aside in your first paragraph, wasting that idea and crowding out the original point. If you are just listing points in favor of your argument, it's also a lot easier to see when they are separate ideas and can each be fleshed out.

[GREatjustgreat]

I meant that when I do outlining it takes me a long time.  Coming up with the ideas takes me ten minutes and even then I sometimes don't have three solid talking points.  I think outlining is important, I'm just too slow at it.

[TakeruK]

I think practice makes perfect indeed. However, a 3.5 is not a terrible score for a Physics/Engineering field. My goal score when I took the General GRE was a 4.0 in AW. 

 

Remember that the percentile score is the score compared to all test takers in all fields. You don't need to score in like 80th percentile in every single test against every single graduate student to be competitive for Physics grad schools. I would think that a lot of Physics applicants will have scores in the 3.0 to 5.0 range, so you would probably be closer to the median score of all *physics* applicants. 

 

If you want to take it again, I think a good goal is to aim for 4.5 or so and you can get this by doing the "safe" strategy mentioned above. Just write a very formulaic essay that presents an argument composed of 2 or 3 supporting points and 1 rebuttal. Practice so that you can write faster and read through as many example questions as you can so you can get practice brainstorming the 2 or 3 supporting points faster.

 

I would even say that you want quantity over quality in this case. It's far better to spend 5 minutes thinking up 3 decent points and then spend 25 minutes writing than to take 10 minutes to try to think up 3 excellent points. Quality might separate the 5.0 and 6.0 essays, but we don't really need to score that high! Also, practicing will show that there are some common themes that you can pretty much always draw on to write your essay!