Tell me about the GRE

In My Humble Opinion
1

One of the managers at my tutoring center is going to quit so she can get her Master’s Degree. She had been on the fence about it for a while, and applied to graduate school. Well, recently she got accepted, and this chain of events started the rusty, cobwebby wheels in my head turning.

Full-time employees at this company get either free or at least heavily discounted GRE test prep lessons. If I got hired there as a manager (Which I am crossing my fingers about right now) I would likely take them if they were so cheap or totally free. Then, since I took the test prep classes, I might as well sign up and take the GRE.

Why? Because I opted out of trying to get into graduate school on the stupid notion that I wasn’t disciplined enough and because my GPA was too low. But if I dedicated myself toward doing well on the GRE, perhaps I would re-think graduate school. Any feedback on this? Could I even just take the GRE for kicks? Would it be a total waste of my time to do well on the GRE but not go into graduate school due to an unsatisfactory undergraduate GPA?

When I think back on college, I really realize that I was selling myself short. I could have done much better than I did. I did well enough to graduate, but the mentality of ‘Just put in the minimum effort to graduate’ stunted my chances at graduate school. I then became kind of convinced that my mistakes were irreversible; that it took me 5 years to figure out how to operate at my capacity in college, just in time to finish it and move on. :frowning:

But now I am thinking that I should at least try to find every avenue of possibility. Perhaps I’m not totally screwed, I don’t know; I won’t know until I exhaust every opportunity in this.

2

GRE scores are “good” for 5 years. So you can take the test just for kicks, knowing that if you get a good score, you have 5 years to decide about grad school on the basis of that score.

Basically, it’s a lot like the old SAT, with the added “Analytical” section which is those annoying questions that go “Bob, Mary and Sue are speaking at a Conference. Bob wants to speak after Sue. Mary can only speak on Tuesday…” etc. Bleh. I took the GRE just to keep my options open around the time I graduated college. I made the descision not to enter graduate school later. So, personally I don’t see anything wrong or “a waste” to take a test that can open the possibilities up.

3

They finally got rid of the stupid “Analytical” questions and replaced it with essay questions where you make an argument and criticise an argument. Unlike the old SATs, you take the test at a computer with other people taking other tests around you on different schedules, which I didn’t like. I didn’t take any review course, though I probably could have used it on the math section, but I have to feel like those things are kind of a scam. I mean, you know it or you don’t.

4

Yeah, but honestly I haven’t done any math-related school stuff in quite some time (since junior college) and it would really help me refresh my memory at the very least. Also, since the test prep classes may wind up being FREE, the only thing wasted is time.

What kind of scores do graduate schools typically look at for applicants? My boss had suggested that maybe a high GRE scoure might ‘counter’ a lower GPA as far as admissions are concerned. If anything, it would tell me where I stand academics-wise.

5

I’m looking into this right now, also. I talked to a friend who works graduate admissions at a university and she told me, it really depends on what type of graduate degree you’re wanting to go for. If you’re hoping to get into a humanities type of field, they look more at language comprehension; social work and psychology fields tend to look at the whole score; while science and math fields tend to look at math and analytical. Which brings me to my question–when did they change the analytical portiion to essay? I think I’m going to have to pick up a newer GRE book.

Incubus, I don’t think it’s a waste of time and if your company is willing to foot the bill, I say go for it. Good luck.

6

I took the GRE back in '95, so clearly things have changed if they don’t have an analytical section anymore. However, here is what I did (and succeeded rather spectacularly).

I bought several Princeton Review/ETS practice books, and took lots of them. This brought me up to speed, in particular on the math portion, as I hadn’t done ANYTHING with highschool level math in almost 20 years. This practice upped my scores in all the areas, but especially in the math, where I improved my scores by over 150 points.

For the subject matter specific GRE (which you may not have to take), I got a freshman level text book and read it about 5 times in a row in the month or so before the test. This was in Psychology, and probably would not serve for anything that needed actual skills or in-depth knowledge, such as the hard sciences. But for any of the social sciences, my guess is that this would still be a very effective approach.

The end result was 780s and 790s (2 of each). I also had a 3.98 GPA. And I did NOT get into graduate school. Whatever they wanted in the Clinical Psych program, I didn’t have it, and my high grades and scores didn’t make one bit of difference. In fact, my high scores may actually have hurt me - on one of the two interviews I managed to get, one of the Professors said “Great GREs!” beat. Semi-muttered -“Better than mine.” If I were to do it all again, I’d shoot for the 650-700 range if I possibly could target it, probably by stopping my prep work /practice when I reached that point.

I would think that yes, GREs will help overcome a low-ish GPA. Certainly SATs do. They’re viewed as less subjective and therefore in some ways a better test of your actual knowledge than your grades. On the other hand, the GREs, except for the subject-specific ones, are really very little different from the SATs in kind, difficulty or level, so I’m not sure that they really indicate that you learned a damned thing in school.

If you feel like it, take 'em. Just don’t waste your time and money on training, when you can buy some cheap practice tests and pick up plenty of strategy tips on the internet for free.

7

The GRE itself - the test fee and the fee to report it to schools - is prohibitively expensive. I ended up paying probably over 200$ Canadian.

The test itself is okay. The essays are fundamentally stupid, however.

8

I took the GRE 12 years ago, back when there was the analytical section, so I can’t comment on how it is today. To me, it was like a slightly more difficult SAT. I even got almost the same scores; my math GRE was 20 lower, and my verbal 20 higher, than what I got on the sAT.

I second the recommendation for the Princeton Review guides. They helped me a lot with both the SAT and the GRE.

9

I doubt very much that high scores will hurt your application. Some schools and programs are more competitive than others. A particular program may want you to have more coursework in a particular area or may value extracurricular or practical experience. For examply, some MS programs in Genetic Counseling require you to have prior counseling experience. High GRE scores can help compensate for lower GPA, within limits: many programs have a minimum GPA either for the entirety of your bachelor’s work or for the last N semester hours attempted.

To judge the value of the prep courses, you may want to look at some sample tests and commercial prep books. If you don’t have to pay for the courses, they are probably worth it for the materials and the practice tests alone. And while the prep courses aren’t going to make up for gross deficiencies in your background, there are some test taking strategies that can help make you more comfortable and confident if nothing else.

10

Another thing about the GRE, just for reference–the math section is easier, and the verbal section much harder, than what is on the SATs. You also have to be careful to gear your essays toward what the graders are looking for. I’m no slouch when it comes to writing, but my score on the essay section was just embarrassing.

My impression from talking to people who did admissions for my program is that 1) a high GRE score can help counter a less-than-stellar GPA, but 2) your personal statement (or the like) is really what gets you in once they know you are capable of doing the work.

11

In my experience, there are two type of students going into grad school: those straight out of undergrad and those who “took time off” (i.e.-they worked). For those straight out of undergrad, scores (both GRE and GPA) become very important, mostly because there’s very little else to evaluate. For people who have worked, GREs and GPAs can be a little lower if they are balanced by good work experience. Also, flighty, goal-less time will reduce your chances of getting in to grad school.

I’ve gotten a doctorate in microbiology and I am applying to vet school (which now requires the GRE). In both cases, a very predominant factor in admissions is how committed to the career you seem. If the committee gets the idea that you are applying to grad school because you don’t know what else to do, you won’t get in. Grad school is hard, intellectually, emotionally and financially. They want to know you are going to stick it out. Students leaving the program is ultimately more detrimental than taking on less than stellar students.

If you can take the tests at a reduced price, I’d say go for it.

12

I took the GRE right out of college and even applied to some graduate programs. Thank the laude I did not get in, or I might be in a different career. I’m not sorry I took the GRE – it gave me options for several years until I decided on a professional school instead of graduate school (hello, LSAT). But my advice to you is to decide what you want to do first. You can take the GRE as easily next year as this (or 5 years from now, for that matter).

And ditto Red Stilettos: the people who took several years off before graduate school were perceived as being more committed to graduate school (as opposed to those who went straight through, who ran the risk of being perceived as refugees from real life). Find a job you like, make plans for a career you’ll like, and if your career path takes you to grad school, then go for it.

But don’t rush – you have all the time in the world. One of my classmates in law school was in her forties; another was in his fifties. And if grad school is what you need to get into a career that you are meant to be in, then go for it. Don’t let your fears about grades hold you back.

13

I agree that you shouldn’t rush things: hopefully you aren’t planning on becoming a manger at your job, getting the test prep, and then quitting, so take your time and do some research.

Some graduate programs specify a minimum undergraduate GPA, but it never hurts to call the school to find out how strict they are: my program requirements called for a 3.0 minimum, but I was encouraged to apply despite my 2.9 average (and I was accepted). Also, not every graduate program requires the GRE. Mine didn’t.

Your prep may be free, but you will still have to pay for the test: I can’t imagine going through the time, expense, and stress of such an exam unless I was absolutely certain that I wanted – and needed – to.

Whatever you decide, good luck! :slight_smile:

14

In a way, I kind of wish I was in a better position to go to grad school. Not necessarily to do it right off the bat, but just to have that option. As it is, I would probably have to take several semesters worth of classes to restore my GPA. As I said, it took me a long time to figure out how to succeed and be motivated in school. I know that if I had another year to work on it, it would be the best year I ever did in college, because I now have the confidence to know I can excel. Sadly, I can no longer afford to do that, so for now I plan on dedicating myself to my career and saving money to plan to hopefully come back to school.