The negative thread...

[Mumbet]

I took the GRE once, and I got a 490 on my verbal. It's simple really, I had to do a MAJOR #2 somewhere after question 8. I can't really say that to admissions though can I?

That's yet another stupid thing about the GRE. 1 minute breaks are a joke. How hard is it to give us real breaks so that it's a pure test of intelligence, and not endurance / piss holding / stress level that day / hunger level that day? What a miserable test.

Edited January 18, 2010 by Mumbet

[Mumbet]

Exactly, cpaige; thank you! I have to admit I felt a pang over the comment you quoted, even though that particular mistake was NOT one I made.

This is essentially the "Most Embarrassing Application Moments" thread, intended for catharsis and amusement during a stressful process. Let's keep it supportive!

Don't take it negatively, I was trying to make sure you weren't making a typo you'd later regret. Only here to help.

[katalytik]

Don't take it negatively, I was trying to make sure you weren't making a typo you'd later regret. Only here to help.

Oh, I am nowhere the bullet-proof person that many claim (and may actually) be in this forum. I am biting nails.........being woken up by bad dreams, and can't sleep because the first notifications are coming out in a couple of weeks. I hate this waiting, but sometimes it feels better than some sad ding letter that will come by some impersonal manner. Its not the money so much as the disappointment that "I am not good enough", even though I could keep up with the same admitted crowd. Anyway, that's my rant..........touche!

[Early]

First 60 hours of undergrad left me with a 2.4 gpa. (I did bring it up to a 2.9 though once I got into my major courses)

Writing score wasn't that great.

No official publications, only a submission.

SoP is generic, used basically the same one for every school and I regret it.

Same school for undergrad and grad degrees, unranked school i believe.

General apathy toward school before my graduate career.

Submitted very close to deadlines.

[Katzenmusik]

Don't take it negatively, I was trying to make sure you weren't making a typo you'd later regret. Only here to help.

Ah, okay. It's sometimes hard to interpret text comments on the internet--this form of communication being absent of tone, facial expression, body language, etc.

No hard feelings!

[gnothiseauton]

My GRE scores are simply nothing special at all. I'm a student applying for an MA in Classics, and I took the test twice. First time: V: 580 Q: 440. Second time: V: 540 (?!) Q: 520. Both AW: 4. Anyway, my GPA is steady at a 3.9 and I have great LORs and a solid SOP. I've never really been able to shake standardized test anxiety, and I've appropriately applied to more moderate caliber schools. Any thoughts on my chances from those who have been/are in similar situations? Thanks!

[chemmefatale]

I am pretty sure I made a couple grammatical mistakes on my SOP.

I forgot to contact professors before I turned in my applications, although I have gotten better about it now.

I finished my undergraduate BS in Chemistry with a 2.7. It was literally impossible for me to get higher than a B in any of my major classes so I finished with mostly Cs and Ds

I worked for four years which is where most of my recs come from. I have no publications but tons of fodder for my SOP.

I got a 560 on my Subject GRE in chemistry and my GRE's are 720(Q) and 660(V).

[RH7]

That's yet another stupid thing about the GRE. 1 minute breaks are a joke. How hard is it to give us real breaks so that it's a pure test of intelligence, and not endurance / piss holding / stress level that day / hunger level that day? What a miserable test.

Even if they did give us longer breaks, it's still not a pure test of intelligence... I have yet to come across one in academia.

Edited January 19, 2010 by Drive Like June

[Mumbet]

Even if they did give us longer breaks, it's still not a pure test of intelligence... I have yet to come across one in academia.

Just sayin, I totally failed the "not peeing" section of both the GREs I took, as well as the "stare at a screen for 3 straight hours without blinking" section and the "stress out for 3 continuous break-less hours without getting overwhelmed" section. Those really shouldn't have been on the test. Regardless of whatever the GRE tests, I could have really used some meaningful breaks during that infernal thing, god forbid.

I didn't even take my one-minute breaks. One minute's not enough to even wind down. One minute forces you to sit and attentively watch the timer because you literally have SECONDS left, instead of relaxing and collecting your thoughts for a bit. My stomach's clenching up just thinking about it.

They need optional ten-minute breaks after every section, and possibly a "time-out" feature for the middle of sections so you can regain your composure after a disappointing problem. The written GREs need to have mandatory breaks.

Anyway, this is turning into a tangent, but I can totally relate on the not doing well on the GRE because of how it can't accomodate simple bodily needs.

Edited January 20, 2010 by Mumbet

[red_crayons]

I remember having time to get up, go to the bathroom, eat cookies and down half a bottle of water, at least once during the GRE. I also finished WAY before time on all but one math section, so maybe that's why...? It was so traumatic that I don't have a good memory of the whole ordeal. I ended up with 710V/660Q/5.0A, which is good enough. Verbal was 98th percentile.

The GRE was definitely my least favorite part. I had to do it in secret early on a Saturday morning because I was embarrassed to tell work I was applying at that point, and between renting a car, driving an hour and a half each way, and the test fee, it was a HUGE pain in the butt.

[rev IT]

wow, this place is really fun. i'm so scared right now. i laugh a lot when i come here. thank u guys.

my weakness is that frankly i didn't put in much effort in my junior year(when the classes were easy and i could've got plenty As). i finally caught up in my senior year but it was too late. the classes were tough and my GPA went south. i did well on my GRE and i'm only applying to MEng program and 2 phds in average schools.

[iWILLgetin]

Hmmm.... i should have done this earlier so i could use my positive thread post to bring my spirits up.

research is not in my intended area, and it is really my advisors project, not mine.

C in complex variables (still kicking myself for that one)

SoP is more generic than you can imagine, with at least one grammatical error... I can't write about myself for some reason.

1 LoR was late to some programs

Small, unranked liberal arts school with no engineering program (I am applying to biomedical engineering PhD programs)

Edited January 24, 2010 by iWILLgetin

[Mumbet]

Isn't that sentence still missing an article?

I thought this was a pretty innocuous question, why is my reputation -11 now? I would want to be asked that if it was me, so I could be sure any of my future SOPs would be typo-free.

[katalytik]

I thought this was a pretty innocuous question, why is my reputation -11 now? I would want to be asked that if it was me, so I could be sure any of my future SOPs would be typo-free.

Ah the social nature of forums! I wouldn't read much into it. I commented on one thread and people shot me down for having an opinion.........its not a problem. Feel free to express yourself! We are anonymous here.....

[mathapples]

I didn't apply. Too pessimistic

[astroturf]

This is nice, seeing that many people have a few weaknesses and it's not just myself...

- My GRE scores are underwhelming. The day I took the test was a really bad day, and then the testing center was so hard to find I was in a panic by the time I got there. I was taking a lot of hours at the time to finish my undergrad degree, and just didn't think I'd have the time to study and re-take the GRE before the first applications were due. I regret that decision now.

- I double majored with a minor during undergrad. I explained in my SOP how the other major and minor are relevant to what I want to study, but now I'm doubting if I explained as well as I wanted to and I'm afraid it'll come off like I don't really know what I want to do.

- One school wanted a SOP and a Personal Statement and I just felt completely stalled on the Personal Statement. I finished it up last minute and while I thought it was pretty good, I think it may have come off more casual than I was intending.

[red_crayons]

- I double majored with a minor during undergrad. I explained in my SOP how the other major and minor are relevant to what I want to study, but now I'm doubting if I explained as well as I wanted to and I'm afraid it'll come off like I don't really know what I want to do.

- One school wanted a SOP and a Personal Statement and I just felt completely stalled on the Personal Statement. I finished it up last minute and while I thought it was pretty good, I think it may have come off more casual than I was intending.

Yeah, I wonder about both of these things, too. More and more as time passes...

[Diverchica]

This is fun. I also have crappy GRE scores... I took them twice, and my verbal went down 100 points! Gah! and since I absolutely refuse to give that company more money, I'll have to deal with the outcome. Also, I second on that MAJOR #2 business during the test. Test anxiety will do a number to the bowels.

I applied last year, and got rejected across the board.

FINALLY, I want to go into marine science, but I'm getting married and moving with my husband inland to the Army base where he's stationed. Therefore, i'm geographically limited to ONE state, three grad schools. Not to mention, the main marine labs are 3 hours away from where he'll live! meaning, the first year I can commute an hour every day if I take classes at main campus, but, any way you slice it, I'm living apart from him for a year (possibly the only year he's not facing a 12 month deployment and will be home).

[coffeeandtoast]

I'm applying to sociology PhD programs and I only took one sociology class in undergrad. I'm a chemical engineer with a masters in Theology.

I'm a mixed bag!!!

[papayadance]

Wow, thanks so much to whomever started this thread. Misery loves company! I am going mad mad mad with this waiting process. Every time I check this site and see a school name pop up, my heart skips a beat...til I read on and see it's someone talking about Engineering or some totally unrelated field. GAH.

GRE was an agonizing experience for me. I studied for 2 months, took it over the summer and still BOMBED....Then re-took it abroad in the country where i am doing fieldwork.

I traveled 1hr to the site. I was the only person at the test center. A power brown-out occurred as they were signing me in for the exam. The toilet was outside the building. FML.

Ended up with 700V (97%), 640Q (57%...ugh), 5.0 AW (81%).

My GPA and other shit is good, but I realize now how over-ambitious I was with the caliber schools I applied for. Ugh.

[red_crayons]

GRE was an agonizing experience for me. I studied for 2 months, took it over the summer and still BOMBED....Then re-took it abroad in the country where i am doing fieldwork.

I traveled 1hr to the site. I was the only person at the test center. A power brown-out occurred as they were signing me in for the exam. The toilet was outside the building. FML.

I would think that this story makes up for the score, especially in anthropology...?

[missesENG]

I've been lurking on this thread but I feel an overwhelming need to share my misery now.

What I'm most worried about are my underwhelming GRE scores from 3 years ago. I was finishing up my MA and preparing to move to the other side of the world so the thought to retake them wasn't at the forefront of my mind. By the time my apps were rolling out I was in a country without a testing site even remotely close. I have so many other positive things to my apps but I'm now starting to worry that I reached too high on 4 of my 10 apps. I was initially applying to moderate schools and my prof, who saw everything except my GRE, asked why I wasn't aiming a bit higher so I added to my list. Now I wonder if he would've said the same thing knowing my scores.

I like to think that schools will see the other shining parts of my app but I'm not so sure it'll even get through the screening process

[chocker]

There are so many people with better profile than mine.

I don't think I have a chance in any of the schools I have applied.

[circumfession]

I have no publications, nothing even close to a publication, and it seems that's a must for would-be English PhDs.

When I gave my adviser the list of schools, she asked my GPA. When I told her, I could hear her jaw drop over the phone (and not in a good way).

After sending my SOP to about 80% of the schools I'm applying to, I've realized that it's terribly verbose in the last paragraph and could have been much better had I devoted a few minutes to breaking those sentences up correctly.

Here's to $2000 worth of rejection letters! (What an investment... )

Apologies for inserting a semi-serious comment into a wonderfully comic thread, but this is ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE for English PhD programs. My partner attends a top-5 English PhD program. Less than 10% of his first year cohort has been published. In fact, many of the second-years in his cohort have yet to publish. NO ONE in my cohort has a publication either and I'm no longer a first year. I won't get into the complicated reasons for this, but many (possibly a majority? hard to say) English academics seem to believe that it's better to publish late (say, as a 4th or 5th year) than to publish badly...either in a less-than-prestigious journal, or simply submit a piece that's considerably weaker than your potential. While not everyone subscribes to this philosophy, most of my advisers have recommended that I should aim for top journals and exercise a bit of patience, rather than pushing my work out there too early. Certainly, I know of professors in R1, tenure-track jobs (or comparable lib arts TT jobs) who lacked publications when they were hired.

One should aim, I think, for publication-quality writing (and the level thinking, research, sophistication that goes with it) when one puts together the writing sample...but that's a goal rather than a necessary accomplishment--almost all first year PhD's, even at top schools, have substantial weakness--and by no means suggest that every PhD applicant needs to be published. It's the cherry on the sundae. (And as I alluded to earlier, if you sacrifice quality for a publication now--if such a trade-off is necessary, it can come back to bite you when you enter the job market later on. The jury is still out on this one).

I hope that this is reassuring.

[strokeofmidnight]

I failed the same language course 4 times. Granted, 2 of those occasions were in high school. None of the college ones show up on my transcripts, but I do have funny gaps to explain.