GRE Advice?

[PsyDStar]

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Greetings SDN Psyc board...

I am currently on a waiting list at the school I most wish to enroll in... the problem with my application? Low Verbal GRE score (also a mediocre writing score).

I am engaging in thourough reading on a daily basis and plan on taking the test again within a month... any advice for me? I am generally a competent and effective writer (particularly analytical writing)... the issue essay wasn't too good when I took it last time and my vocab for some of that GRE language can be lacking.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[laxyhead]

The Verbal GRE relies on vocabulary that they expect college students or individuals to pick up during their college education.

I would say - memorize as much as possible - word roots and various lists that appear in the Princeton Review or Kaplan books. If you google GRE Vocab - sometimes you can get a compiled list of words that people have put together.

Overall, acing the written portion relies on your ability to write clearly, concisely in an organized fashion. Always have a main idea and build all your supporting points off of that outline.

Good luck! The GRE's just take diligence =) You can do it!

 

[SaraL124]

For GRE vocab, make flash cards and memorize which words are synonyms or antonyms of which other words...the word root thing is also a good idea.


For writing, if you can get a Kaplan book learn their writing stategies...I read their books and practiced the writing sample only like once or twice and I got a 5.5 (out of 6).

Basically, you have to remember to pick a side and just defend it. On the analytical essay, I think their strategy was to point out flaws in the persons opinion or argument. You know say things like, Well, this would have been substantiated if the perosn had reasoned X, but he reasoned Y instead and that wasn't effective.

 

[PsyDStar]

Thanks for the replays... I will likely just take it again with some vocab prep via reading and review... there were some irregularities when I took it last time... such as loud people just outside the testing area... and I gues I don't want to enter the program if I am incapable of keeping up...

Thanks again.