GRE studying

[wolfyzheart]

Maybe I'm a little early on being worried about this, but I hear a lot of people start to take it sophomore year so I'm going to ask now anyway. I'm a freshman in college and I'm curious, what did you guys use to study for the GRE? I honestly have no idea whats on it.

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[hazelmoo]

I would download Magoosh apps for vocabulary and math. I started studying vocab casually like a year in advance. When it comes closer time to taking it, I would buy a prep book that has online practice tests. I did okay on the GRE, not great, but I definitely could have studied more! I would focus more on studying math than vocab, because there are thousands of words they could choose from and I had to kinda guess for a lot of them. The math is more study-able IMO. I took around 5 practice tests and I think that was the most helpful thing to prepare me!

 

[finnickthedog]

Practice tests.

I didn't think to studying until about and a half before my test date. I exclusively used free material to study. Some were full length tests, others were little mini quizzes.
I went over some vocabulary (out side of practice questions) but not a whole lot. I ended up doing pretty well as far as I can tell but who knows, maybe I would have done better if I'd allowed myself more time to study.
\

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Maybe I'm a little early on being worried about this, but I hear a lot of people start to take it sophomore year so I'm going to ask now anyway. I'm a freshman in college and I'm curious, what did you guys use to study for the GRE? I honestly have no idea whats on it.

The GRE is vocabulary (I'd consider it fairly advanced), writing and math. For the math portion, it involved trig, geometry, algebra, and maybe some calc concepts (I don't remember it too well). Don't freak out about knowing every last math concept you've learned. The test is designed to test you on how you approach problems and use logic to solve them, not necessarily how well you memorized how to to trig problems. For example, if I give you 1, 3, and 1, you should be able to come up with 5 if I didn't give you 3 and 2 (that's seriously oversimplifying, btw). That doesn't mean you shouldn't prep and try to wing it. At least take practice tests (the ETS service has free prep software) so you get familiar with the way the problems are written and how to approach them. You can find fairly cheap prep material through Amazon as well!

 

[hazelmoo]

I would DEFINITELY know geometry related formulas... Area formulas, angle formulas, etc.

 

[cascadepoultry]

Definitly brush up on your middle/high school math. there is lots of geometry and trig stuff in the math section which got me the first time around as it had been forever since i had taken (or used) most of the concepts they tested on. ETS has a really long free review pdf. I would recommend that for math. I took it a couple years after graduating. Would definitly recommend taking it close to when you graduate even if you anticipate having a few year gap before you apply to school. also figure you might have to take it more than once to get a score that is representative of you actual academic ability.
Check your local library for test prep books. i was able to check out a couple different ones and use them for free,w hich really helped because then you get a feel for the question formats. Definitly look at the schools you want to apply to and their score ranges for recently admitted classes. This will give you an idea of what kind of scores you need in each section. Be aware that schools generally want your scores to be HIGHER than the average for recently admitted classes. I was higher on verbal and writing and right on average for my quantitative and then told me at my file review that my quantitative needed to be higher.

 

[finnickthedog]

ETS has a really long free review pdf. I would recommend that for math

I forgot about this!
Definitely recommend it. It really helped to refresh me on the math that I had forgotten due to lack of use.

 

[katashark]

Studying vocabulary is the surest way to raise your score on the verbal section. Definitely take online practice tests so you get used to taking it on the computer. Also, practice the math without a calculator. And, be sure to time yourself so that you are accustomed to the timing of the sections.

 

[hazelmoo]

I was shocked by how much math I knew thanks to my college pre calculus class. I would have been pretty screwed without that knowledge!

 

[pinkpuppy9]

The GRE will be a blur in a few years lol. All I remember now is "How much fence do you need to enclose this field?" type questions.

If you do decide to take it multiple times, try to start your attempts a little earlier than the summer of your application. It will probably be less stressful that way and give you more time (I think you can only take the test once every 30 days or something like that). Also, make sure to schedule each attempt well. Try to avoid having to go to work later, coming from work/class, whatever. Probably best to go into the test with a clear head

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

https://gre.magoosh.com

 

[Kam325]

Definitely check out the free vocab flashcards from Magoosh. They're literally the only vocab prep tool I used and I scored a 170 V. Find them here: https://gre.magoosh.com/flashcards/vocabulary/decks.

The decks (20 decks of 50 cards each for vocabulary) cover the most commonly tested vocab words, and are adaptive so you don't waste time on the words you already know and can mark words you have trouble remembering for additional review. I ran into a lot of these words on the test, I think it's a very well curated list.

I'd also recommend Khan Academy if you need a refresher on your middle/high school math. ETS has a page mapping the subjects tested to the relevant videos/playlists here: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/khan_academy. They work through tons of example problems to make sure you really get the application down.

 

[cdo96]

Sorry for bringing back a dead post, but I did a search instead of creating a new post.

Has anyone tried Princeton's GRE courses? They have a summer course, 24 hours of guided teaching throughout the summer, and I wanted to see if it was worth it ($799)


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[CynicKitten]

Since it was already revived from the dead, for any future searchers:

I didn't study, except for a little bit of math (literally like an hour's worth). I used my library's GRE resource, which was from ABC Testing & Education Reference Center. I suggesting contacting your local library to see if they have online GRE resources, such as practice tests. In all likelihood they do, as will your undergrad university.

 

[Ashgirl]

Sorry for bringing back a dead post, but I did a search instead of creating a new post.

Has anyone tried Princeton's GRE courses? They have a summer course, 24 hours of guided teaching throughout the summer, and I wanted to see if it was worth it ($799)


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My 2 cents: Unless you are having trouble with the math concepts and need someone to guide you through them, I personally wouldn't take it. You could find oodles and oodles of practice problems and vocab flashcards for wayyyyyyyyyy less than that, so I would look into getting math workbooks/practice problems with explanations rather than taking a very expensive course.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Sorry for bringing back a dead post, but I did a search instead of creating a new post.

Has anyone tried Princeton's GRE courses? They have a summer course, 24 hours of guided teaching throughout the summer, and I wanted to see if it was worth it ($799)


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I didn't take a formal course, but I'm inclined to say a GRE prep course is not worth $800. There are tons of prep materials out there that you can buy and even resell. The MCAT? Sure, a prep course is worth it in some cases. GRE? Not so much.

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

Re-read post #11. Seriously, if you're going to spend some money, just get Magoosh. It's an 1/8th the cost of your program, does the exact same, and custom tailors to your practice.

Just follow their guides which takes the guess work out of setting up study schedules, watch the videos, do the practice problems with video/text explanations after every single one, and watch your score increase.

Come test day, I ended up scoring 5 points higher than my projected in both Q and V. I was given official GRE books for free and I never opened a single one. The summer before when I was all gung-ho about starting to study early, I payed $500 through my university for a course. It sucked balls compared to Magoosh and was a complete waste.

 

[genny]

Sorry for bringing back a dead post, but I did a search instead of creating a new post.

Has anyone tried Princeton's GRE courses? They have a summer course, 24 hours of guided teaching throughout the summer, and I wanted to see if it was worth it ($799)


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If you have parents willing to pay for it and you learn well by having someone review concepts with you, then go for it. I did take a prep course, but I don't remember if it was Princeton Review or Kaplan. They do pretty much the same thing. I found it beneficial because of test anxiety.

If you're trying to scrape together the money on your own, then there are books you can buy for far less that will get you to the same place, as well as free resources.

 

[rockatiel]

Hold the phone, people take GRE sophomore year?
I took it for the first time a month before VMCAS was due. Don't recommend, but still... Lol

 

[KCgophervet]

Hold the phone, people take GRE sophomore year?
I took it for the first time a month before VMCAS was due. Don't recommend, but still... Lol

I feel like its a bad plan to take it that early. GRE scores expire at some places so if you don't get into vet school right away or end up taking a couple gap years or graduating later than expected you could be stuck taking it again...

 

[jcc3sa]

Magoosh is great for material reviews, but I'd really recommend using the ETS Verbal and quant practice books in order to get the most accurate sense of what the test questions will be like. Also, absolutely take the free practice tests that are available on the ETS website. It fully simulates the test day experience and was easily the most valuable thing I did to prepare. I should also note that I mastered the vocabulary by studying poop decks. No, not the kind you find on a ship. I would literally review gre vocabulary cards every single time I went to the restroom.

 

[cdo96]

Hold the phone, people take GRE sophomore year?
I took it for the first time a month before VMCAS was due. Don't recommend, but still... Lol

I technically just finished my sophomore year, and I took it in March, but then again I'm graduating early/ applying this cycle for 2021. But then again, I wouldn't recommend anyone doing this plan either lololol


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[cdo96]

Re-read post #11. Seriously, if you're going to spend some money, just get Magoosh. It's an 1/8th the cost of your program, does the exact same, and custom tailors to your practice.

Just follow their guides which takes the guess work out of setting up study schedules, watch the videos, do the practice problems with video/text explanations after every single one, and watch your score increase.

Come test day, I ended up scoring 5 points higher than my projected in both Q and V. I was given official GRE books for free and I never opened a single one. The summer before when I was all gung-ho about starting to study early, I payed $500 through my university for a course. It sucked balls compared to Magoosh and was a complete waste.

I think I'm going to get Magoosh. It's definitely cheaper than the other- plus it has better reviews. And yeah, I bought GRE books, but I read fast and understand little if I read them too fast. Videos force me to slow down and think about it.


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[Minnerbelle]

Hold the phone, people take GRE sophomore year?
I took it for the first time a month before VMCAS was due. Don't recommend, but still... Lol

Honestly it doesn't matter when you take it as long as it doesn't expire. I mean... It doesn't test you on material that's any more difficult than high school material other than maybe you need to build a little more vocabulary. So best time to take it would be when you have the time to prep for it.


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[Devastating]

I feel like its a bad plan to take it that early. GRE scores expire at some places so if you don't get into vet school right away or end up taking a couple gap years or graduating later than expected you could be stuck taking it again...

Yeah, I used to hear that advice in undergrad too --their reasoning was that you should take it as early as possible so the Quant concepts would still be relatively fresh in your mind (being that it's mostly high-school level stuff), but you're probably better off reviewing anyway so I don't think that's a very strong reason. I'm REALLY glad I waited, not only because of everything you mentioned, but also since in my case if I'd taken it that early it would have been around the time of the score format change. (I also can't imagine I'd do as well on the GRE while having to prioritize a full-time class load, so taking it during summer/a break/less busy time is ideal, saves lot of potential stress)

First time I took it was last February. I admittedly didn't study much, probably no more than 2 hours altogether from two different GRE review books (the only things I paid for), and a practice exam on the free official PowerPrep software from ETS (what @jcc3sa mentioned up there). I got almost 90th percentile on the verbal (they curved my score down 2 points still salty) but didn't do so well on quant because I didn't review enough and ran out of time with unanswered questions in the first couple Q sections. Sooo I'm currently practice-cramming my weaker math concepts tonight for my retake tomorrow...

I also got a bad score on my Writing, because I ran out of time and got cut off mid-sentence on the first opinion essay. Did totally fine on the second part where you analyze an argument, I just suck at writing under a time limit, not sure how to fix that since there unfortunately aren't many resources for that section (I didn't care about it at all for my first GRE attempt since most schools that I know of only look at the V/Q scores, but pretty sure WSU takes all 3 into account so I need to do better this time...)

 

[wheelin2vetmed]

I think I'm going to get Magoosh. It's definitely cheaper than the other- plus it has better reviews. And yeah, I bought GRE books, but I read fast and understand little if I read them too fast. Videos force me to slow down and think about it.

I think you will enjoy it. Get on the Magoosh website and download the corresponding study guide depending on how much time you have until the test. From the beginning of my studying to test day, I increased my scores by 8/10 points. But, with that said, I slacked off big time when it came to vocab, so don't do that.

Just stay current with it, and after awhile you wire your brain to think for the GRE. If I can remember, I think the last week of the study guide points you to the official PowerPrep software. Use that to take 2 practice exams so you can get a feel for the test.

I liked Magoosh. You can sit nakey at your computer and study if you want. I would've got arrested if I did that at the university test prep class.

 

[MarieKL]

I found the magoosh app for vocab very helpful. The verbal section had me more worried than the math so I focused more on that and ended up doing slightly better on the verbal than the math section.
You can also sign up, for free, with Kaplan and they will send you a question everyday.
Khan Academy is also really help for math. It's mostly videos to explain concepts and then questions to see if you understood the material. I did find it helpful for high school math that I had forgotten (geometry/angle stuff mostly)

I probably bought the cheapest GRE question book but it served me well, and I did well on the test.

I started studying occasionally in June and then more intensely in August and wrote my exam in September. I took it once and have no intention on re-taking it as I was very happy with my score.

 

[lianali]

Maybe I'm a little early on being worried about this, but I hear a lot of people start to take it sophomore year so I'm going to ask now anyway. I'm a freshman in college and I'm curious, what did you guys use to study for the GRE? I honestly have no idea whats on it.

Honestly, my vocab is excellent because I read like someone's about to burn all the books. When I speed read, it's at >500 wpm, mostly because I've been an avid reader for the last 15 years. With as much time as you have right now, this is what I would do: Join a book club. Read. Read for fun. Read things that challenge you. Read things that interest you. It will help you with vocabulary, reading comprehension, writing, and analytical thinking. Screw the speed reading courses, learn to love reading.

I took the GRE in 2014 and got a really lopsided score because

1. I read so damn much.
   
2. I haven't taken a non-calculus based math class since 1998.
   
3. I had an awesome high school AP english teacher who taught me to be my own strongest writing critic and editor.

I've forgotten trig and geometry and the more obscure parts of algebra. (For reference, my score is Analytical= 166 Quantitative = 152 Writing = 5.) I'll retake it this summer just to bring up the Quantitative score. I studied for about a month before the exam with my boyfriend.

When I studied, this is what I used:

• Free practice test from Kaplan or Princeton review. I did this to see what my weaknesses were (math) and tried to study appropriately.
  
• Second hand GRE prep book for the practice exams and questions.
  
• Bench Prep - it's an app for the phone where you can pay for a subscription to study. It's decent for the Analytical stuff, and very limited for the Quantitative stuff. My boyfriend, an electrical engineer, noticed issues with the math problems in the Quantitative practice. There's also not that many different math problems.
  
• Score It Now - https://www.dxrgroup.com/cgi-bin/scoreitnow/index.pl - is what I used to gauge my writing for the essays. They told me I was in the 5 to 6 range for essays, and the GRE agreed with them. It's $20 to get your essay scored. I had 2 essays scored and was fine. Writing was not my weak point.
• Lumosity - $70 subscription. I did this because there's a section of math problems that are exactly like the GRE where you compare calculations to see if they are =, >, or <. For example 3*2-1 or 5*2-8 and you have to say if they are =, >, <

I never bothered with any of the online study programs like Kaplan or Princeton Review. On occasion, these programs do come up as discount deals through Ruelala, Groupon, and other websites like that. I might consider taking them when they're heavily discounted for only $200-$300, but I genuinely feel like you can spend just as much on alternate options to improve your own score. It really depends on how self-motivated you are to study.

 

[lianali]

I also got a bad score on my Writing, because I ran out of time and got cut off mid-sentence on the first opinion essay. Did totally fine on the second part where you analyze an argument, I just suck at writing under a time limit, not sure how to fix that since there unfortunately aren't many resources for that section (I didn't care about it at all for my first GRE attempt since most schools that I know of only look at the V/Q scores, but pretty sure WSU takes all 3 into account so I need to do better this time...)

Sooo... I had one of those AP english teachers who made the class harder than the AP exam so it was a breeze to take the test. Honestly, she is the reason I have not taken a writing nor english grammar class since 1999 because I was able to test out of them and continue to do so today. One of the things that worked for me was to teach us to outline our essays and then begin writing to fill them out so you're not wasting precious test time to think "Oh, what was I going to write next?" By the time my pen hits the paper (or fingers start flying over the keyboard), I know what my general argument is going to be, what my supporting arguments will be, and what I want my summary paragraph to emphasize. Then it was tons of practice and grueling review and criticism to say "Well, why is that a non-valid statement? Why is your grammar off? Why did you change tenses here?" She taught me a framework to write, and how to be my own critic and it has literally served me well for years.

Now I have to learn to do science writing, where it's so damn concise. It hurts.

 

[Devastating]

I'm fresh out of my 2nd attempt--my math studying paid off because I raised my score 3 points, yay!! I use a book called "math review for standardized tests" plus official resources. Unfortunately though, I somehow went down 2 points in verbal (???) which brings me to a total (unofficial) score 1 point higher overall, lol. Except this time I actually finished my first essay!! it happened to be one of the prompts from the topic pool that I studied/considered response already. I hope to get a 5, and that the verbal curves are kind to me rather than screwing me over like last year.

 

[twelvetigers]

All this talk about 2 points here and 3 points there is confusing. I have to remind myself that it's not out of 800 points any more, and 3 points is now significant.

 

[mht2k3]

This isn't GRE studying advice BUT, when you do end up taking the GRE, make sure to figure out at least 4 schools you are def applying to and write down the GRE codes they want you to send in.

I didn't do this, since I wasn't sure where I was going to apply to and thought I could just do it later but it turns out they only give you the 4 free ones at the time of taking the test and any school you want to send scores into after the test cost $27 each

 

[cdo96]

This isn't GRE studying advice BUT, when you do end up taking the GRE, make sure to figure out at least 4 schools you are def applying to and write down the GRE codes they want you to send in.

I didn't do this, since I wasn't sure where I was going to apply to and thought I could just do it later but it turns out they only give you the 4 free ones at the time of taking the test and any school you want to send scores into after the test cost $27 each

Haha I was totally the same way. Except when I got to the test mine said to pick now or it'll be a fee later. So I said basically "well ****. I guess it's time to determine where I want to go to vet school." Luckily the codes for the schools I sent it to matched.


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[flameshock]

This isn't GRE studying advice BUT, when you do end up taking the GRE, make sure to figure out at least 4 schools you are def applying to and write down the GRE codes they want you to send in.

I didn't do this, since I wasn't sure where I was going to apply to and thought I could just do it later but it turns out they only give you the 4 free ones at the time of taking the test and any school you want to send scores into after the test cost $27 each

As an aside, they will not let you use your reference paper while in the testing center. I brought mine and they flat out refused to let me look at it even after I had finished my test.

 

[Devastating]

This isn't GRE studying advice BUT, when you do end up taking the GRE, make sure to figure out at least 4 schools you are def applying to and write down the GRE codes they want you to send in.

I didn't do this, since I wasn't sure where I was going to apply to and thought I could just do it later but it turns out they only give you the 4 free ones at the time of taking the test and any school you want to send scores into after the test cost $27 each

YES, so important! I was in this position last year because since it was way before VMCAS opened and my first cycle applying, I hadn't taken an in-depth look at what schools I would be applying to, so I just chose my 4 best guesses. Ended up having to pay like $80 to resend scores to a completely different set of schools...luckily now that I've been through a cycle I know which schools I need to send them to.

Some schools have a separate listing for their CVM in addition to the main campus, so be sure to look though the whole list as well when you're entering the schools. I had to resend one of those scores last year because I sent it to the main school listing when it needed to be sent to the vet school. Ohio State even had "VMCAS" in the title of their vet school listing. Checking the school's app instructions for any special GRE sending instructions would be a good idea.

 

[cdo96]

Last year I bought Barron's pack of 500 vocab cards. So I'm finally forcing myself to learn all 500, 8 cards a day! I'll be finally ready to retake the GRE in late July/ more than 60 days from now! I got a 152 on the verbal and 4.5 on the writing last time and I'm looking to improve that!

 

[cdo96]

(Sorry for the double post). For anyone who used Magoosh: did anyone do the 3 month study schedule? I signed up for it, but I'm having difficulties deciding between the "Beginners" or the "Advanced". The advanced is for people with 310-320's, and I have a 306. How did you decide?