I’m applying to grad school in the next month and I just can’t afford to take the GRE.
Therefore, I will apply to 3 of the 4 schools I was considering. I will apply to U of Illinois (Champagne/Urbana), U of Wisconsin (Milwaukee), and Simmons College in Boston. I am applying for a master’s degree in Library (and Information) Science (MLS/MLIS). The University of Washington requires GRE scores regardless of undergraduate GPA, whereas the other three schools only require it if the undergrad GPA is below a certain level. My undergrad GPA was really high, so I can apply to those places without having to take the test.
My first choice at this point is Simmons College, because I can get a Master’s in Children’s Literature there, too. Plus, living in Boston would be fun, I think.
That is all. It’s mundane. It’s pointless. And it means I can return the GRE book I bought last night, because I just can’t afford the test fees right now.
Mlerose - good call. I see soo many students sweating about the GRE’s their senior year. If you do well in undergrad you can go to any number of very good schools for grad work and not have to take the GRE’s. I am an academic advisor for 40 of my students this year. 3 of them I have known for nearly 4 years as students of mine. Only 1 of the 3 are taking the GRE.
I live in CT, and travel up to Boston on a fairly regular basis, maybe 4 times a semester. Simmons College is a wonderful school, you will like living in that part of town, and you will leave with a wondrous education. Fair-thee-well and good luck!
It’s not an option for my area (Biochemistry). All the schools I’m applying to requred them. Took the generals twice, takjing the Biochemistryt Cell and Molecular Biology this Saturday.
I hate them. ETS has a monopoly and can thus get away with outrageous prices and piss-poor service, and I can’t imagine they prove much.
FYI, it’s Urbana-Champaign officially – UIUC for an acronym.
Good luck with getting into to your choices! I totally applaud your decision not to take the GRE. If your college track record doesn’t predict your grad school performance, then why would a standardized test? I took it, but only because I had to, to get into the MA program I was shooting for. The test was expensive and ridiculous.
After the mis-guided & horrible MA, I did the MSLIS at UIUC and found my graduate assistantships working in the library to be really instructive – more so than my classes. But that’s just 'cause I’m a hands-on learner.
Do you know about the Center for Children’s Books at UIUC? It’s in the same building as the library school. Check it out: http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/~ccb/
I also know a lot of people from New England who went to Simmons, and they’re all fine librarians. I know zip about Wisconsin & Washington. Sorry.
Good luck, once again!
Me, too.
I’m applying for an MFA in Theatre Design, and I’ve realized that most programs just aren’t interested in GRE scores.
Yay.
I have a friend in the Simmons MLS/MLIS program. She really likes it. Also she says that almost everyone who applies gets in, because not that many people apply in the first place. And yes, living in Boston is fun.
Good luck
Hey, thanks, guys!
This makes me feel so much better about my decision. I have heard good things about all 3 programs, and I think I would be happy going to any of the schools.
I know the name of the school, Silly Dog. I forgot to preview. I also know about the children’s lit project at UIUC - that’s where I got a lot of the information for my undergraduate honors thesis (it was about children’s literature). I have a friend in law school at UIUC right now, so I may visit her this spring and tour the campus. I have hope that Simmons College will enable me to get better financial aid, because it’s a small private school.
I just realized how much the idea of trying to relearn math I haven’t had in umpteen years was stressing me out, in addition to the money I’d have to shell out for the test. Ugh. I already have to pay application fees and fees for my transcripts from UCB. I went through calculus in HS and tested out of the math requirement for undergrad with my SAT score, so I haven’t taken math since 1995-96! and no algebra/geometry since 1991-92!
One thing I’m definitely glad about is that I didn’t go straight to grad school after undergrad. At that point, I had no idea what I wanted to study. Actually, I had TOO MANY ideas. I kept my grades up just in case I did want to do grad school later, and I’m glad I did that, too. If I’d had the stress of an honors thesis AND having to take the GRE my senior year, I might have exploded. I’ve had enough time at this point (and put in enough time in crappy jobs during this bad economic time) to know better what I want to study and what I want to do with my life.
Thanks again for the feedback, everyone! yay, no GREs!