Too late for me to take the GREs?

[missmusical]

I only recently figured out what I want to do with my life. I have one year left of undergrad. I'm double degree: music and psychology. So I intend on applying for programs for Fall 2016. Is it too late to start prepping for my GREs? Is only giving myself 3 or 4 months to prep sufficient?

[eeee1923]

No it's not too late. You need to have a target score you're aiming for that would make you competetive to the grad programs you're looking at (this varies depending on the institute, but they usually have the stats of their accepted students).

 

First download the GRE powerprep software off of the ETS website and take a whole exam. This should give you an assessment of which areas you need to improve on. Then you can use Magoosh to improve your vocab and maybe the Barrons or Princeton Review GRE material to prep for the quantitative section.

 

There are many prep materials out there, but all I can say is that you'll need to practice quite a bit to score very high scores but don't stress out too much since the GRE is just one section of the application package. Good luck with your preparations.

[Jay's Brain]

Definitely not too late! Like you, I confirmed my career choice in 3rd year of my undergrad. I did my first set of GREs the summer before my 4th and final year of university. I started studying in May, and wrote it in August. This was when I needed to do a long refresher of my rudimentary mathematics and practice my vocabulary more extensively.

During this time, make sure your GRE scores, along with the other parts of your application, are sufficient. 

 

It may seem stressful, but don't worry! I went through the same thing as you not too long ago and now I'll be starting my MA/PhD this coming Fall in Clinical Psychology. 

PM me if you have any other questions!

Edited June 3, 2015 by Jay's Brain

[GREMasterEMPOWERRichC]

Hi missmusical,

 

3+ months of study time is PLENTY for you to properly prepare for the GRE. This won't be like preparing for a midterm or final exam though - you can't "cram" for the GRE, so you have to plan this out over a longer study period. The good news is that the GRE is a predictable, standardized Test, so you CAN train to score at a high level.

 

Do you know which Schools you'll be applying to?

Do you have a goal score in mind?

 

GRE Masters aren't born, they're made,

Rich