Anyone taken the GRE?

[leonard109]

I'm a senior this year looking to apply for some graduate schools, so I'm trying to take it around January 2011.
If I prepare for it from now til Jan., would it be enough? actually do you even need to prepare for it?
I haven't done much research + asking around about it.. from just reading the site it sounds exactly like SAT's
from 4 years ago..

So if anyone's taken it, any info would be great:
-time needed to prepare for it
-how early do you have to register for it?
-difficulty, tips, etc

 

[leonard109]

I'm a senior this year looking to apply for some graduate schools, so I'm trying to take it around January 2011.
If I prepare for it from now til Jan., would it be enough? actually do you even need to prepare for it?
I haven't done much research + asking around about it.. from just reading the site it sounds exactly like SAT's
from 4 years ago..

So if anyone's taken it, any info would be great:
-time needed to prepare for it
-how early do you have to register for it?
-difficulty, tips, etc

 

[in yo nostril]

i took it a couple years back. its pretty much like the SAT with a harder verbal section. math is real easy, spend most of your time studying vocab and what not. i dont remember how early you have to register but you can take it almost any day.

 

[in yo nostril]

i took it a couple years back. its pretty much like the SAT with a harder verbal section. math is real easy, spend most of your time studying vocab and what not. i dont remember how early you have to register but you can take it almost any day.

 

[hybridsoldier23]

My girl took it and got in the 98th percentile on the math section I think and got something like a 760 or 780 on the verbal.

There's a written part on it that she described like an AP exam. You type it up at the test center and someone reads it and assigns a score.

She downloaded some prep software literally the night before she was going to take it called Power Prep. She just used to to see the format of the questions and pretty much didn't study at all for it.

 

[k0betw0]

it's pretty similar to the sat. HOWEVER, if you're taking it via computer, the questions actually get more difficult if you get questions correct. if you get questions wrong, the questions get slightly easier. i dunno if nostril took the electronic version or not but thats how it goes. also, you CANNOT skip a question and go back. if u skip, the computer automates it as wrong and gets to the progressively easier questions. also, if you scored well on your sat, don't necessarily assume you will score the same as your sat since in high school you are actually conditioned to study for this test whereas if u were in college you arent.

fyi. i took the test in may of this year and i tutor standardized testing throughout southern california.

 

[k0betw0]

it's pretty similar to the sat. HOWEVER, if you're taking it via computer, the questions actually get more difficult if you get questions correct. if you get questions wrong, the questions get slightly easier. i dunno if nostril took the electronic version or not but thats how it goes. also, you CANNOT skip a question and go back. if u skip, the computer automates it as wrong and gets to the progressively easier questions. also, if you scored well on your sat, don't necessarily assume you will score the same as your sat since in high school you are actually conditioned to study for this test whereas if u were in college you arent.

fyi. i took the test in may of this year and i tutor standardized testing throughout southern california.

 

[hybridsoldier23]

My girl took it and got in the 98th percentile on the math section I think and got something like a 760 or 780 on the verbal.

There's a written part on it that she described like an AP exam. You type it up at the test center and someone reads it and assigns a score.

She downloaded some prep software literally the night before she was going to take it called Power Prep. She just used to to see the format of the questions and pretty much didn't study at all for it.

 

[in yo nostril]

yeah i took it on a computer at a testing center. i dont think its even possible to get a 98th percentile on the math section. an 800 is like the 94th percentile because so many people score high. and a 780 on verbal is pretty hard to believe for someone who didnt study, IMO. you can get like a 720 and be in the 99th percentile for verbal.

 

[in yo nostril]

yeah i took it on a computer at a testing center. i dont think its even possible to get a 98th percentile on the math section. an 800 is like the 94th percentile because so many people score high. and a 780 on verbal is pretty hard to believe for someone who didnt study, IMO. you can get like a 720 and be in the 99th percentile for verbal.

 

[leonard109]

the written part sounds like the SAT's too. when i took it, it was the first year essays were introduced, and it was graded by 2 readers etc.

I read about the progressive difficulty thing on the ETS site.. but what's the point of that? how will that make the scoring comparable for everyone then?

 

[leonard109]

the written part sounds like the SAT's too. when i took it, it was the first year essays were introduced, and it was graded by 2 readers etc.

I read about the progressive difficulty thing on the ETS site.. but what's the point of that? how will that make the scoring comparable for everyone then?

 

[k0betw0]

the written part is just like the sat writing portion (or the sat2 writing if ur old like me)

fyi. the average score for a uci grad student attempting to enter into the masters of education program is 1100. the minimum entrance score for a comp sci grad student at stanford is 1200.

i seriously doubt someone hit 1500+ on the gre. i've tutored gre for the last 2 years. sat for the last 10. the gre and the sat are very similar in material but the mindset of the student is SO DIFFERENT hitting high scores on the gre is virtually nonexistent. and i've tutored smart @++ kids too....

 

[k0betw0]

the written part is just like the sat writing portion (or the sat2 writing if ur old like me)

fyi. the average score for a uci grad student attempting to enter into the masters of education program is 1100. the minimum entrance score for a comp sci grad student at stanford is 1200.

i seriously doubt someone hit 1500+ on the gre. i've tutored gre for the last 2 years. sat for the last 10. the gre and the sat are very similar in material but the mindset of the student is SO DIFFERENT hitting high scores on the gre is virtually nonexistent. and i've tutored smart @++ kids too....

 

[hybridsoldier23]

Originally Posted by In Yo Nostril

yeah i took it on a computer at a testing center. i dont think its even possible to get a 98th percentile on the math section. an 800 is like the 94th percentile because so many people score high. and a 780 on verbal is pretty hard to believe for someone who didnt study, IMO. you can get like a 720 and be in the 99th percentile for verbal.

Yeah you're right, I just checked with her she got a 720 for verbal an 800 for Math and a 5 for the written part. Still, she didn't study just walked in there and took the thing. Then again I consider her disgustingly intelligent. She got accepted into Ph.D. programs at Cal, MIT, Stanford, UCSD, and Cornell.

She said to mention that doing well doesn't necessarily equate to an advantage but you will certainly put you in contention for a program. She also said if you do poorly you can take it again but it depends on the school if they will wipe your previous score of average them.

 

[hybridsoldier23]

Originally Posted by In Yo Nostril

yeah i took it on a computer at a testing center. i dont think its even possible to get a 98th percentile on the math section. an 800 is like the 94th percentile because so many people score high. and a 780 on verbal is pretty hard to believe for someone who didnt study, IMO. you can get like a 720 and be in the 99th percentile for verbal.

Yeah you're right, I just checked with her she got a 720 for verbal an 800 for Math and a 5 for the written part. Still, she didn't study just walked in there and took the thing. Then again I consider her disgustingly intelligent. She got accepted into Ph.D. programs at Cal, MIT, Stanford, UCSD, and Cornell.

She said to mention that doing well doesn't necessarily equate to an advantage but you will certainly put you in contention for a program. She also said if you do poorly you can take it again but it depends on the school if they will wipe your previous score of average them.

 

[in yo nostril]

720 is still a great score, ive never even personally heard of people scoring in the high 700's. i remember just sitting at the computer being super confused during the verbal section. couldnt tell if the questions were getting easier or harder. your score will help you stand out in the application process, or for people like me it will somewhat compensate for a mediocre undergrad GPA.

 

[in yo nostril]

720 is still a great score, ive never even personally heard of people scoring in the high 700's. i remember just sitting at the computer being super confused during the verbal section. couldnt tell if the questions were getting easier or harder. your score will help you stand out in the application process, or for people like me it will somewhat compensate for a mediocre undergrad GPA.

 

[tmak15]

I started studying last week to take it in December, any actual tips?

 

[tmak15]

I started studying last week to take it in December, any actual tips?

 

[kickstart]

*BUMP*

 

[kickstart]

*BUMP*

 

[fugualarmclock]

Took it twice and did worse the second time (after having studied!!!!). Forgot exactly what my scores were but I got in where I applied so that's all that matters.

 

[fugualarmclock]

Took it twice and did worse the second time (after having studied!!!!). Forgot exactly what my scores were but I got in where I applied so that's all that matters.