Kate22192 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Hey guys. Still a long way away from applying, but I'm currently prepping for the GRE, and I'm really....bad, at quantitative. Does anyone have experience with average quant scores that are good enough to get into grad school for SLP? In particular, does anyone have NJ experience with scores? Thanks!
NSSLHANerd Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 I don't have NJ experience but I got a 140Q and I got an interview (haven't heard back from any other schools). I had a high Verbal and above average AW score so as long as you balance a lower score out it is typically okay. I have never been even decent with numbers and I knew that no matter what, my Q score would never be impressive. Luckily I have a great verbal/writing skills, a huge asset in the SLP field. I would not be as concerned with a low Q score as I would be a low AW or V score. Also just a warning, many of my peers re-took the GRE and went up a point or two in one area and down a point or two in another, basically evening out. Unless you have sufficient time to re-take (at least a solid month of legitimate studying) I would advise against re-taking it. Like I said, I had a horrible Q score and chose not to re-take because I know myself and I know that my Q would not have gone up enough to make the $200 stress test worth it. I also knew that the rest of my application was strong. This application process works in your favor if you know yourself. Know what you have to offer, where you compare to others, what kinds of schools would be likely to accept you based on their past acceptances, and make sure you have more than just good grades. I had numerous extra-curriculars/research/field related work experience/leadership positions to offset a lower GPA (believe it or not a 3.57 cum is considered low in this field). Focus on your in major classes over general courses, those will be looked at with more scrutiny. Hope this helps, and good luck! I was in your shoes a year ago (I assume) and it was really exciting and scary but we all get through it. phaedra 1
koukla19 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Hey guys. Still a long way away from applying, but I'm currently prepping for the GRE, and I'm really....bad, at quantitative. Does anyone have experience with average quant scores that are good enough to get into grad school for SLP? In particular, does anyone have NJ experience with scores? Thank In all honesty it is becoming more and more difficult to get into any graduate school. I noticed far more acceptances were rewarded to those that broke 150. If you can afford to take it a second time and devote the time to study hard, I would take it again.
Kate22192 Posted March 6, 2015 Author Posted March 6, 2015 Hey guys, thanks for your input! I actually haven't taken it yet. However, I've always hated math and though I'm studying a LOT, my practice tests on quant are not good. I'm worried that if I take it in about 3 months and do indeed do poorly on quant, I won't get accepted. I have a 4.0 undergrad major in psychology, and have been working full time in mental health now since December 2013. I'm still undecided on whether or not I'm doing a post-bacc, but if I do, that's of course an opportunity to make myself look better. I just worry about post-baccs because I've heard some schools (particularly Montclair, one of the ones I'd like to go to), reserve half their positions for students with no speech background, so in a way, doing a post-bacc can actually HURT...
koukla19 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Hey guys, thanks for your input! I actually haven't taken it yet. However, I've always hated math and though I'm studying a LOT, my practice tests on quant are not good. I'm worried that if I take it in about 3 months and do indeed do poorly on quant, I won't get accepted. I have a 4.0 undergrad major in psychology, and have been working full time in mental health now since December 2013. I'm still undecided on whether or not I'm doing a post-bacc, but if I do, that's of course an opportunity to make myself look better. I just worry about post-baccs because I've heard some schools (particularly Montclair, one of the ones I'd like to go to), reserve half their positions for students with no speech background, so in a way, doing a post-bacc can actually HURT... I'm not a sugar coater as I'm a second year applicant but study HARD. Get your sleep the night before and have a balanced meal as I feel its also a test of your mental strength. You have to find the right schools, like Montclair that prefer no speech backgrounds. I wish you the best of luck!
slplivin Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 I have also never been good with numbers/math. After my first practice test I scored a 142 on the Q section and above average on V and AW. Knowing this, I chose to take a GRE prep course that strictly focused on the Q version of the test as well as used the Magoosh online practice tests. I ended up making a 153 on Q during my actual test and have been accepted into a few of my top choices already! So putting in the extra effort was definitely worth it! Good luck! phaedra 1
LlamaMama Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 If you look up schools on Edfind, most list the actual range of GRE scores and GPAs of accepted students.
anslpaday Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 (edited) I'd highly recommend getting the princeton review prep book. It not only helps you with what to know and generally improving/reviewing your math/verbal/writing skills, but also helps you with how you take the test and simply by improving your test taking skills. After going through that book almost in its entirety, I walked into the test with a method and a strategy to find the right choice in the multiple choice answers, instead of spending pesky time solving the problems. The quantitative section of the GRE isn't about solving the problem, but finding the correct answer. There is a difference. You can totally do that! Edited March 6, 2015 by anslpaday
SLP9207 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 I was very nervous for the Q section on the GRE as math has never been my best subject. I took the Kaplan course last summer and it was by far the best choice I've made throughout this whole process! I went to an actual class (vs. online) twice a week for three hours and it helped me so much to have an instructor that I could talk to about strategies and what not. My practice Q score was never over a 147 but on the actual test I got a 153. You're already headed in the right direction by preparing now! Good luck!!
SLPosteriorCricoarytenoid Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 I am somewhat similar to yourself. I have a bachelor's in psychology and quite a few relevant experiences and leadership on my CV. I am currently completing a post-bacc year of courses. It is important to note that in our field of SLP, the verbal and writing sections are what really needs to be focused on. Many programs don't pay much attention to the quantitive section (in my experience). I am and always have been bad at math. I scored 149 on the quant section and chose to leave it at that. I was told point blank by one of my program's department heads that they don't even look at quant. I also did not score too high on verbal but I feel like the rest of my application makes up for my GRE. Application strength is really a balancing act. You could have stellar GREs and be rejected due to lack of related experiences, grades, etc. as many people find out. So if you don't score a 170, don't fret. So many programs see you as a whole person and not just a number. So far my theory is working well, as I have had two interviews (waiting to hear back on decisions from those) and one acceptance this far out of the 6 programs I applied to. As for study books, I found that the Princeton Review was pretty helpful. They have a whole list of vocab words that really came in handy for studying. I also had a Kaplan book that I really liked. I did not have the book published by the ETS, but since it is made by the makers of the GRE I'm sure it would be wonderful.
MonicaSLP Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 I also found Kaplan VERY helpful. You need to put in the work on your own time in addition to the class, but their online resources are great and really help you focus on your specific areas that need help. Even with math concepts that still confused me, I was able to make very educated guesses when necessary.
Kate22192 Posted March 8, 2015 Author Posted March 8, 2015 Thanks, everyone! Right now, I'm using Magoosh resources in conjunction with the ETS book. I've heard good things about Kaplan and Princeton, too, so maybe those could help supplement. Is it largely agreed that a post-bacc is a definite HELP in getting in? I thought it was for the most part, until I heard that some schools (Montclair) reserve a bunch of spots for out-of-fielders without pre-reqs, so it is advised not to do a post-bacc. Such a frustrating place to be in!!
limegin Posted March 8, 2015 Posted March 8, 2015 Thanks, everyone! Right now, I'm using Magoosh resources in conjunction with the ETS book. I've heard good things about Kaplan and Princeton, too, so maybe those could help supplement. Is it largely agreed that a post-bacc is a definite HELP in getting in? I thought it was for the most part, until I heard that some schools (Montclair) reserve a bunch of spots for out-of-fielders without pre-reqs, so it is advised not to do a post-bacc. Such a frustrating place to be in!! I'm finishing a post-bacc right now and have found it enormously helpful, especially as an out of field applicant. I absolutely recommend it, although of course it depends on the policies of the schools you want to attend. Almost all of mine required that the pre-reqs be completed before I started the grad program. I got to explore the field, boost my GPA, take a research position, work with professors etc. Message me if you have any specific questions! Oh an done thing: take the GRE if you can before you start the post-bacc. I took it for the first time this fall right when I was starting the post-bacc and it was absolutely exhausting.
toriec Posted March 9, 2015 Posted March 9, 2015 I just got an acceptance letter a few days ago (woooh!!!) and my quant score was 146. I truly thought I was going to have to retake it, and I was terrified, because I studied hard for 4 months and still got that awful score! I did tons of practice tests and I the best I ever got was 50%! My qualitative reasoning score was 164, though, and my AW was 4.5. I think it ended up balancing out; I would have been a lot more worried if I hadn't done fairly well on the other parts of the test.
coffeeandtea Posted March 9, 2015 Posted March 9, 2015 Just study study study. You're lucky with math, the tend to be relatively predictable types of questions. Just study your formulas and basic geometry and practice different word problems. I know with CSUN, they look at your combined Verbal and Math scores, so as long as you can balance it out, you're ok
spedtospeech Posted March 21, 2015 Posted March 21, 2015 Can anyone recommend a good word list to study or a GRE book that worked really well for them? Thanks!
lakegirl92 Posted March 21, 2015 Posted March 21, 2015 I bought Magoosh online and my GRE scores went up 8 points (which is kind of a lot). I studied about 8 hours a week, but I'm sure if you put in more effort you will do really well with it! They provide tons of practice and practice tests! Buy it when it's on sale (I think I bought it when it was $100), but it was worth it!
neucool Posted March 21, 2015 Posted March 21, 2015 Can anyone recommend a good word list to study or a GRE book that worked really well for them? Thanks! Magoosh has a free app of vocab lists that was helpful for me. Other than that, I used the Kaplan book and practice tests.
rubyslp23 Posted March 21, 2015 Posted March 21, 2015 I also recommend Magoosh!!! I am awful with numbers and managed to pull a 153, which I was very happy with!
Holly44 Posted March 21, 2015 Posted March 21, 2015 Can we all just agree that the GRE sucks and is not indicative of anything? I did ok on the verbal portion, but my quant score is also less than stellar. If I don't get in anywhere, I'm definitely going to have to retake this beast of an exam! Thanks for all of the tips, I'll have to check out magoosh! mo~, phaedra and Holly44 2 1
jpiccolo Posted March 21, 2015 Posted March 21, 2015 Can we all just agree that the GRE sucks and is not indicative of anything? I did ok on the verbal portion, but my quant score is also less than stellar. If I don't get in anywhere, I'm definitely going to have to retake this beast of an exam! Thanks for all of the tips, I'll have to check out magoosh! Amen. Hate that test. I took it twice and definitely improved the second time. The nice thing about Magoosh and retaking the test is that they guarantee a certain number of increase in points or a refund. Pretty worth it! The videos are way helpful and soooo many practice questions. Check it out. Arcanelady27 and graceSLP 2
spedtospeech Posted March 22, 2015 Posted March 22, 2015 Thanks you guys. I took the Princeton review class online it was ok but focused way more on the math. I got a 147 verbal 138 quant and 4 on my aw. This is my 2nd go around with grad school and its not looking good ,so looks like I will be re-taking the GRE (3rd times a charm??)
LlamaMama Posted March 23, 2015 Posted March 23, 2015 Magoosh is great. Also, the Manhattan Prep books are really really good, and if you buy one, you get access to 6 scored online practice tests.
SpeechieAsh Posted March 24, 2015 Posted March 24, 2015 Ughhh the GRE. The source of so many nightmares! I have taken it twice, and I don't think there is anything in the world that makes me feel as miserable as math does. I tried Magoosh my first time, and it is an awesome website! It has really helpful videos explaining how to complete the problems step by step. I personally found it overwhelming because I hadn't taken a math class in almost 5 years, and I don't even know how that specific class qualified as math (I was a journalism major at the time, so I had really lax math requirements), so I literally needed to re-learn EVERYTHING. My first try, I got a 144Q, 151V, and 3.0AW. I ended up getting a math tutor for my second attempt because my math-challenged self needed a TON of extra help. I got my Q score up to 150 which I felt good about... It honestly wasn't going to get much better than that
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