Taking the GRE
Many graduate student prospectives see the GRE as the most daunting part of the application process. However, given how much weight is put into the scores (usually not much), you shouldn't worry to much. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the GRE:
- What score do I need to get?
If your program publishes statistics for admitted students, use these. If they don't, you can call or e-mail professors directly if you're unsure. In general, though, there is no direct answer to this question. Occasionally programs do have a "cut-off" required score, but usually they warn you about this, and often it's much lower than the average score for their admitted students anyhow. Not surprisingly, most humanities programs will care more about the verbal score, and most science programs will care more about the math score. Schools vary in how much they care about the writing score.
As a very general rule of thumb, for PhD programs it is a good idea to shoot for at least a 1300 combined Q+V and a 5.0 on the writing. For most programs it seems as though there are two rough cut-off points. The first one is lower and it's for adequate scores to be accepted to the program. If you score much above this amount your application won't be significantly enhanced. Then there is another threshold you can aim for if you're a spectacular test-taker and you have excellent credentials elsewhere in your application. That is the "fellowship" threshold, in which schools generally choose their top 1-2 applicants to award extra money to.
If you've already taken the GRE and you're debating whether to take it again, ask your professors and graduate students in your field for advice.
- What study supplies do I need?
This really depends on your particular studying style/skills as well as your finances. I do think that courses like the one Kaplan teaches are beneficial, but they cost a fortune and aren't worth it unless you have money to burn and you lack the discipline to study on your own. If you do have discipline to study on your own, you should buy study guides by Kaplan and Princeton review. However, the best preparation of all is to use the supplies that ETS gives you when you register for the test. They come with real CATs (computer adaptive tests) as well as practice questions and tutorials. Plus, they're free (with your $130+ test registration.) The catch is that they don't send the supplies until you have already registered, so you have to register far enough in advance to use them (or use your friend's who already took the test.) If you are planning way ahead and you want to know the best way to build your vocabulary for the verbal section, the answer is read.
- How long do I need to study?
Unless you have a long way to go, two months is probably the ideal amount of study time. If you have less time than that, you can cram in the essentials. If you have more time than that, focus the first bit on building skills like reading for learning vocab, and spending some time building your mental math skills. At around three months you can start into actually preparing for the test itself.
- Can I take the test on paper?
The short answer? No. You just need to practice taking it on the computer and getting used to not being able to go back to previous questions, not being able to take notes on the reading comp passages themselves, etc. The test prep services generally have lots of good tips on how to overcome these difficulties. If you're hell-bent on taking the test on paper, there are still some countries that administer it that way. So, you need to go to one of those countries and register for it there. In the US you are not allowed to take a paper test.
- Why is my math percentile so low?
The math and verbal sections are scaled differently. You might get a score above 700 in math but get a percentile in the 70s or lower. The same 700+ verbal score will give you a percentile in the high 90s. Don't worry; programs realize this and won't hold it against you. On the other hand, this means that if you're applying to a science or a social science program, they would like you to score in the 700s.
The corallary to this question is "why is my verbal score so low?" The answer is that even humanities programs won't expect you to score in the 700s. Science programs will often let you get away with scoring below 600. So, know how to interpret your scores. Look at the averages for programs you're considering in each section.
- Why is the GRE so expensive?
ETS is a scam. If you have a major problem with it, I believe there are scholarships you can apply for that will waive your fee. Also, try to take the test just once!
- Wait, and then we have to pay to send scores?
If you are applying to more than 4 programs, then you will have to pay to send your scores. However, when you take the test, you get your first 4 score reports free. Use these wisely! Before you take the test, decide on your top four programs. Then, look up where to send the scores within these schools. This step is important. Some schools want you to send the scores to the department; others to the graduate school as a whole. If you send them to the wrong place, you will have to resend the scores for a fee.
- When should I take the test?
Generally, people have more time to prepare and take tests over the summer. The summer before you apply to grad school is a good time, but if you know you want to go to grad school even earlier, then two summers before grad school can be even better (so you can spend time on things like your personal statement the summer before.) However, keep in mind that if you take the test too early, you might be less able to take advantage of those first four free score reports. Try to avoid taking the test in the fall when you're applying to graduate school, because you'll have too much to do. Also, this doesn't give you time to take it again if you're dissatisfied with your scores, and it might cause you to pay ETS more money to rush your scores.
- What about the subject test?
The importance and difficulty of the subject test varies widely from discipline to discipline. However, within a field, usually these factors remain consistent. In psychology, the subject test is rarely considered important, nor is it difficult to study for, because it just tests memorization. In fact, most programs didn't require or even recommend that you take it. In other fields the test is more difficult, and it matters more for admission. For example, I believe the computer science subject test measures actual programming skills and isn't something you can memorize your way out of. Because of this, admissions committees give the score a bit more weight. Ask around to find out how much your subject test matters.
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