Take the GRE for the third time?

[Kabir77]

Hello,

So I need some advice. Last year I applied to Phd programs, and did not get in any of the schools I applied to. I fully admit that I made a lot of mistakes while applying, including not using the best personal statement. I also had a low GRE score(301). So, this past summer I studied even harder to take the GRE again(I studied hard the first time around as well, but I studied harder the second time). I retook the GRE on Sept 28, and got the exact same score, the only difference being that I got one point higher on Math, and one point lower on my verbal. I also got a 4.0 instead of a 4.5 on my AWA. To say I was crushed is an understatement. I currently have a masters degree from a good university in the U.S.A(I am from the USA for what its worth), and I had a high GPA. I feel like I have proven that I am more than capable of doing well in graduate school, and yet I can't seem to do better on the GRE. After I was done sulking, I started redoing my personal statement, and I have a professor that is going to look it over(something I did not do last year). I am the only person in my family to ever graduate high school, let alone go to college, and so at times it is hard to navigate this world. I decided that for the next two weeks my written work is getting my focus, and then I will retake the GRE, but my question is if I should. Truthfully, I studied daily for this exam, and I felt like I was at a place where I would do better, and yet I didn't. I am really overwhelmed and disheartened, and do not know what the best course of action is at this point. 

Any advice would be appreciated,

-Kabir

[GREMasterEMPOWERRichC]

Hi Kabir,

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you're looking for, I'd like to know a bit more about how you studied and your goals:

1) What were your exact scores on your 2 GREs (including the score breakdowns for each section)?

2) How long did you study for each attempt? What study materials did you use?

3) What application deadlines are you facing?

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

Rich

[Kabir77]

Hello,

Thanks for replying! I have answered the questions below:

1. The first time I got Verbal 154, and quant 147, and 4.5 on the essays. The second time it was 153/148 and 4 on the written.

2. The first attempt I studied for 4 months and the second for 5 months. I used a mixture of sources. The main ones were the Manhattan book series along with their class videos, Barrons and Kaplan. I memorized 1,700 words, which were taken from the books, practice exams, and the flash card sets from Manhattan and ETS. I have kept going on the words, but otherwise I am not studying because my focus is on my written materials.

3. The majority of my deadlines are the end of November. 

Thanks again.

[GREMasterEMPOWERRichC]

Hi Kabir77,

PhD Programs tend to be highly competitive - since there are so few slots for the number of applicants. As such, Admissions Committees tend to really 'nitpick' each application. The value of a high GRE score cannot be overlooked in this situation. Since the GRE is a consistent, predictable Exam which can be prepared for, your scores are not particularly impressive. With your prior schooling, you likely could score much higher on the GRE, but you have not properly trained to score at a high level on the Exam. Since your Official GRE scores are essentially identical, "your way" of dealing with the Exam will likely continue to earn you a score at this general level. To significantly improve, you'll need to learn and practice some new Tactics - and that will require that you invest in some new practice materials. In addition, since you've studied for 9 months, you've likely developed some 'bad habits' that will take time to fix (and replace with new 'good habits'). This is all meant to say that you could probably make some big improvements in 2 months of consistent, guided study - and that might exactly what you need to put together a strong application for the Programs that you plan to (re)apply to.

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

Rich

[ashny]

Is it possible for you to study your PHD abroad?  The USA is one of the only countries in the world that require a GRE score. It's insane as it shuts out perfectly good and capable candidates. I have not taken the GRE yet but I have concerns about it as I know I am a good student (always scored in the 95th percentile) but I think the GRE is going to bring me down especially as I have not studied maths in over 20 years.

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

The GRE is more about measuring how you take the exam than the content of the exam. If you've managed to memorize that many words without seeing a verbal score improvement, it sounds more that you haven't studied methods for taking the test effectively, just things that could be on the test. 

For the Quant section, you should know there are a few specific things the GRE tests on though they may test for these things in different ways. You need to study methods for quickly finding the answer (like only testing the answers given in the multiple choice) as one of the biggest problems people have with this section is not finishing. 

For the Qual section it sounds like you need to focus more on the reading comprehension sections (assuming memorizing words actually helped you for the fill in the blank sections). Look at the questions first for these sections before reading. This will help you understand what you're looking for and identify the info more quickly. If you aren't doing better on fill in the blank, focus on memorizing parts of words rather than the entire word. Understanding what a certain prefix or suffix means can help when picking the correct word.

For the Analytical section, how are you going about these essays? For me, I saw the most improvement when I wrote my essays after considering arguments and counter arguments for the prompts and focused on current social issues in my examples. By doing this, I improved my score from a 4.5 to 5.5, though I did get some graduate level writing practice in between test attempts. 

I don't like to study for things like the GRE because it's my way of protesting using them, but I did briefly review what the GRE focuses on and focused my attention during the test on strategies to get to the answers quickly. I ended up with 2 scores above the 90th percentile and a quant score of 156 after not taking math for 8 years.

I hope this helps you prepare for taking the test again (and helps you improve your scores)!

[.letmeinplz//]

1 hour ago, ashny said:

Is it possible for you to study your PHD abroad?  The USA is one of the only countries in the world that require a GRE score. It's insane as it shuts out perfectly good and capable candidates. I have not taken the GRE yet but I have concerns about it as I know I am a good student (always scored in the 95th percentile) but I think the GRE is going to bring me down especially as I have not studied maths in over 20 years.

You are putting much more weight on the GRE than the admission committees do

[ashny]

7 hours ago, .letmeinplz// said:

You are putting much more weight on the GRE than the admission committees do

That's good to know as I have been extremely worried about it. In my case I am applying for a Masters in Speech Pathology which is extremely competitive to get into, so GRE scores are often used to sift out the initial round of candidates.  A many of the schools, hundreds apply but only about 20 get in.

[Navy_GRE]

I'm no expert, but certainly can relate to much of what you're saying having applied to several PhD schools and not making it in (as well as having a stellar GPA in grad school) .  Rich@EMPOWERGRE is correct.  Schools will almost certainly look at your Quant score first and foremost.  If you do not pass their "unspoken" threshold for GMAT/GRE scores, you most likely will not make it in.  For most schools where Quant is underscored in the application, 80th/90th percentile is most likely the minimum.  If you meet that threshold, the ADCOMs will then look more closely at the rest of your application.  I think it's hogwash what other people say that the standardized test scores do not matter.  Sure if it's a program that is non-quant heavy- your Verbal will mean more, but anything associated with math, statistics, management, or STEM PhD programs, you need to cross that 80th percentile barrier on Quant before applying.  I know it's frustrating, but colleges look at the GRE/GMAT as an insurance policy against you failing out because you can't handle the math.  

[LeonidBasin]

Take the GRE for the third time. I am not even where you are (Do not have my Masters), but I think it is wise to keep going, what do you have to lose? I suggest focusing on the correct ways of studying, however. Find the best resources/techniques to do well. 

[akraticfanatic]

Jeez, no. Your scores are decent. Focus your time on the writing sample (I assume there is one for anthro) and personal statement. I'm applying to philosophy programs, but everything I've read says the GRE is the least important part of the app, so don't worry about it. 

[akraticfanatic]

Plus, you said you have a master's with a high GPA, so you'll be absolutely fine if you put effort into the rest of your app instead of the GRE.