School Psychology and the GRE?

[jlee306]

Hi, I was wondering if any of you knew which is valued more when applying to a Specialist in School Psychology program...the verbal or math section of the GRE? Thank you!

[LTee]

I hope neither because I just bombed the test yesterday. Im also applying to Ed.S level school psych programs for the second time. I hope this time around is better. Where are you applying?

[jlee306]

I hope neither because I just bombed the test yesterday. Im also applying to Ed.S level school psych programs for the second time. I hope this time around is better. Where are you applying?

I am taking the GRE on the 27th (Thursday after next) and I am soooooo scared! I am only applying in Texas because I have sick parents and can't leave them...there also aren't that many schools here that offer this degree that are also NASP approved. These are the only ones in Texas that aren't Ph.D level: Abilene Christian University, Sam Houston State University, Stephen F. Austin State University, Texas State University, Texas Woman's University, Trinity University, and University of Houston-Clear Lake. I am for sure applying to Texas Woman's University, Texas State University, and Abliene Christian University. I might end up applying to all, but honestly...I can only see myself going to Texas Woman's University. I was only going to apply there and to no others but I decided that might not be a good idea; however, even if I get in to the others, I don't see myself moving that far away from my parents. So I hope and pray I get into TWU...it is the best program for LSSPs in Texas in my opinion anyways.

Where are you applying?

Maybe you are a good person to ask this to since you and I are hopefully going into the same type of program: I do volunteer work at a pregnancy center and I counsel the young women who just found out that they are pregnant (most of them are 15-20 years old...some are older...had one 11 year old but thankfully her test came back negative). Anyways, I wanted to say something about this in my SOP but I don't know how I can relate it to School Psychology? Maybe you can help me out here. I am having a really hard time with my SOP...I don't know where to start!

Thank you for replying to this post...I really appreciate it! Hope to hear back from ya soon!

[psych1]

Taking my GRE tomorrow too...haven't been able to concentrate on very much else with my app, so I'm glad when it is over with. I know with a PhD it matters more how high your score is, but even applying to MA/Specialist, I hope to have a decent number.

Good Luck to anyone else taking it this month!

[jlee306]

Taking my GRE tomorrow too...haven't been able to concentrate on very much else with my app, so I'm glad when it is over with. I know with a PhD it matters more how high your score is, but even applying to MA/Specialist, I hope to have a decent number.

Good Luck to anyone else taking it this month!

Good Luck to you too! I have been hitting the books hard all day in hopes of doing well tomorrow! (Bites my nails)

[psych1]

Well after 2 hours sleep (anxiety?) I didn't do as well as I thought. My verbal was better on my practice tests but my math was over 600, which was similar. I don't know if I will re-take, I'll decide at school. I wont be able to study the words like I did at home, but I know I could do better. I was so tired and afterwards slept for 5 hours.

From what I could see most masters programs don't have high GRE scores and as long as I keep my GPA up and try to be a well-rounded applicant, I'll give it my all.

I hope others did well and are relieved it is behind you.

[jlee306]

Oh geez, that test should be killed!! I am terrible at math and somehow I made a much, much higher grade in the math than I did the verbal...which is STRANGE!!! I know I could have done better as well and will probably retest (but first I'm going to talk to the program I want to get into about it and see what they say). Out of all my practice tests, today on the real test I made the lowest I've made yet in the verbal and the highest I've made yet in the math...so weird!

[psych1]

Me too, I used power prep and Kaplan and some of it was very hard, but I scored higher.I know being tired took points from the verbal, but the average GRE scores are around 500, so many don't ace it. I think Math can be higher for many because the vocab is so ridiculous, you have to memorize so much. I suppose they feel they have to make it challenging to help eliminate people but I don't think it is given as much weight by everyone. I also looked at School Psych programs and except for 2 of them, I am okay, but I'd like to be better.

Are you applying to a lot of schools? I'm not applying to a large number myself.

[LTee]

I ALSO received a higher math gre score than verbal, which was VERY surprising. Ive taken it twice and got virtually the same score. I hope its not the deciding factor in my apps. Hey has anyone heard of the "conditional admissions?" Ive read about it in few of the schools admission sites that Ive applied. Basically they say that if you dont meet ALL of their requirements (gre, gpa), but still show the ability to succeed, they will grant you admissions but you have to get a certain GPA for the first year or so. Anyone heard of this? And is it even real?

[jlee306]

Me too, I used power prep and Kaplan and some of it was very hard, but I scored higher.I know being tired took points from the verbal, but the average GRE scores are around 500, so many don't ace it. I think Math can be higher for many because the vocab is so ridiculous, you have to memorize so much. I suppose they feel they have to make it challenging to help eliminate people but I don't think it is given as much weight by everyone. I also looked at School Psych programs and except for 2 of them, I am okay, but I'd like to be better.

Are you applying to a lot of schools? I'm not applying to a large number myself.

No, I am probably going to apply to 3 schools. However, even though ppl say you should apply to more, I really only want to apply to one. Like I said, I need to stay in TX due to family reasons. There aren't many schools here that offer just the Specialist degree in School Psychology but out of them all I narrowed it down to the three. The only one I want to go to is the one I am currently an undergrad at and is an hour and a half away (I'm a commuter). The next closest is about 3 hours away but is a private school and very expensive. The last is 5 and half hours away. Even if I get in to them, I can only see myself going to the one, so I don't know!

I ALSO received a higher math gre score than verbal, which was VERY surprising. Ive taken it twice and got virtually the same score. I hope its not the deciding factor in my apps. Hey has anyone heard of the "conditional admissions?" Ive read about it in few of the schools admission sites that Ive applied. Basically they say that if you dont meet ALL of their requirements (gre, gpa), but still show the ability to succeed, they will grant you admissions but you have to get a certain GPA for the first year or so. Anyone heard of this? And is it even real?

My friend took the GRE one week before me and did poorly and was feeling so bad about it that she went to an advisor in the program she wanted to get into to. Although I don't know the exact scores she made, the advisor told her that she would still have a chance of getting in, but if she did, she would be on probation. I had never heard of this before and I am assuming it is the same as the conditional admissions you are talking about. She is going into Library Science though. I am going to talk to the ppl in the School Psyc department and see if they have the same thing because that sounds better than no admission to me!

[psych1]

No, I am probably going to apply to 3 schools. However, even though ppl say you should apply to more, I really only want to apply to one. Like I said, I need to stay in TX due to family reasons. There aren't many schools here that offer just the Specialist degree in School Psychology but out of them all I narrowed it down to the three. The only one I want to go to is the one I am currently an undergrad at and is an hour and a half away (I'm a commuter). The next closest is about 3 hours away but is a private school and very expensive. The last is 5 and half hours away. Even if I get in to them, I can only see myself going to the one, so I don't know!

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I feel the same way, I can't apply too far away and if I got in, lets say a college in Ohio and they didn't give me any money, the debt would be too great. I have 4 colleges in CT that have School Pscyh programs now, (Fairfield is new) and 2 are state schools. I have one that is 10 minutes away, one that is an hour and the others are in-between. NY is an 1 1/2 train ride and I know people have commuted, although it is hard. It all comes down to money for me, I wont take out loans to add to my undergrad loans unless it's necessary. I am going to apply to one school in PA because of a program they have and maybe Delaware, but I read their GRE scores are above mine because they fully fund.

[jlee306]

Yea, why does life have to get so complicated? Remember the gool 'ole days when our parents did everything for us? Haha, oh well, it will all work out in the end!

[psych1]

Re, sending GRE scores, I sent mine to 2, but if I retake and do better, I will send them to more. If I don't do better, the first 2 don't have to know, but the others will see all my scores.

Did you send your scores to the colleges you are interested in?

[lookitssara]

In my reading, it seems to me that both are weighted equally. When programs give minimum and/or average scores, they seem to be comparable (that is to say, higher quant scores because people generally score higher on that). As a reference, I scored 710Q and 620V, and was accepted immediately to the only program I applied to (Michigan State University).

[jlee306]

Re, sending GRE scores, I sent mine to 2, but if I retake and do better, I will send them to more. If I don't do better, the first 2 don't have to know, but the others will see all my scores.

Did you send your scores to the colleges you are interested in?

Yeah, I am sooo mad at myself about sending the scores! I sent mine to the three schools like an idiot and kept telling myself afterwards that I should have not sent them to the school I am most interested in! I should have waited till I retested to send the new scores! Oh well, you live and you learn!

[jlee306]

In my reading, it seems to me that both are weighted equally. When programs give minimum and/or average scores, they seem to be comparable (that is to say, higher quant scores because people generally score higher on that). As a reference, I scored 710Q and 620V, and was accepted immediately to the only program I applied to (Michigan State University).

That is good to know!