GRE- HELP

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hgtv2015

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I just took the GRE for the first time and got 144 on verbal and 150 on quantitative. I know these aren't good scores and am planning on retaking it, but I'm worried that I will not be able to significantly improve my scores. My GPA is 3.93, so I know that area of my application is strong but am concerned about my GRE scores. Any suggestions on how to improve my score next time? Should I be worried about my chances of getting into PT school? Thanks.
 
I just took the GRE for the first time and got 144 on verbal and 150 on quantitative. I know these aren't good scores and am planning on retaking it, but I'm worried that I will not be able to significantly improve my scores. My GPA is 3.93, so I know that area of my application is strong but am concerned about my GRE scores. Any suggestions on how to improve my score next time? Should I be worried about my chances of getting into PT school? Thanks.

Thank you!!! Someone who is in the same exact position as me. Just took my GRE too and I got a 150 on my math and 148 on my verbal. Not sure about my essay yet though. My GPA is also about the same (3.8). So basically I am not going to retake the GRE but if you are going to retake yours you must actually believe that you can do better. If you haven't even started studying again, then you can't go in with that unsure mindset. As long as every other part of your application looks great, you should be fine. Your GPA is going to help you out a lot and just make sure you have some good references and kill your interview.

I have a couple friends who got into pharmacy programs with a 42 on PCATS and 3.2 GPA when the minimum PCAT score was 50. Different program but same principle.

Just my opinion but hope it helped.
 
I just took the GRE for the first time and got 144 on verbal and 150 on quantitative. I know these aren't good scores and am planning on retaking it, but I'm worried that I will not be able to significantly improve my scores. My GPA is 3.93, so I know that area of my application is strong but am concerned about my GRE scores. Any suggestions on how to improve my score next time? Should I be worried about my chances of getting into PT school? Thanks.

To optimize your chances, I would suggest retaking it. A lot of programs have a minimum score (some are just a combined 300, others require at least 150 on verbal and quantitative), and if you don't meet them I don't see why you would apply. Just check out the programs you're interested in, it may not matter.
 
If you can't manage to improve it, then look into one of the schools that doesn't require the GRE or doesn't have a minimum score. Your GPA is great, but if they don't look at your application because your GRE was below the minimum then the GPA doesn't help you. There are good odds you can improve it. Look at what you did wrong and why to figure out what you need to do. If it was problems with the unfamiliar format or timing things then just practicing a lot helps. If certain types of problems screw you up then review the heck out of that. Especially on quantitative there are certain types of problems that pop up all the time and figuring out how to game those questions can raise a score a lot.
 
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For verbal, it depends on what is giving you problems. Memorizing vocabulary can help. It might help to find someone who is strong at verbal tests to talk to about it (English majors aren't completely wasted after all 🙂) Seeing how someone else reasons a verbal question might give you some clues about how to approach it. And read. A lot. Honestly, I think the best thing to do well on the verbal test is to just have a lot of practice reading difficult texts so that you can comprehend dense material fairly quickly.
 
To optimize your chances, I would suggest retaking it. A lot of programs have a minimum score (some are just a combined 300, others require at least 150 on verbal and quantitative), and if you don't meet them I don't see why you would apply. Just check out the programs you're interested in, it may not matter.

A lot of the programs I am looking at in Ohio list the average GRE score that they accept, so will that help my chances since they don't give a minimum score required?
 
A lot of the programs I am looking at in Ohio list the average GRE score that they accept, so will that help my chances since they don't give a minimum score required?

Well you have zero chances if you don't meet the minimum GRE requirements at those programs, so you will at least have a chance at the schools that don't have a minimum. How do your scores compare to the averages? I don't think a low GRE is an app killer, especially since you have such a high GPA, but it will be a bit harder to get in since it's low.
 
Well you have zero chances if you don't meet the minimum GRE requirements at those programs, so you will at least have a chance at the schools that don't have a minimum. How do your scores compare to the averages? I don't think a low GRE is an app killer, especially since you have such a high GPA, but it will be a bit harder to get in since it's low.
My scores are roughly 5 points below the averages.
 
My scores are roughly 5 points below the averages.

Gotcha. Well nobody here can tell you what your chances are at those schools, but your GRE doesn't seem too far below the averages, and your GPA is probably much higher than the averages.
 
Retake it. Don't take the risk in hoping your GPA will save you here. If you really want to go to PT school so bad, you would do anything right? Just study a bit more and get over 300. The school that I got accepted only looked at those who had a 300 average and 4.0 AW. I had a 145v and 157q so I took that chance and I was fine. Friends who applied and had a 298 average with a high GPA didn't get an interview.
 
Retake it. Don't take the risk in hoping your GPA will save you here. If you really want to go to PT school so bad, you would do anything right? Just study a bit more and get over 300. The school that I got accepted only looked at those who had a 300 average and 4.0 AW. I had a 145v and 157q so I took that chance and I was fine. Friends who applied and had a 298 average with a high GPA didn't get an interview.
Thanks, that helps.
 
Did you study for your first time taking it? If not, study up and take it again. You have a great GPA, and improving your GRE will open up your options of places to apply.
 
Did you study for your first time taking it? If not, study up and take it again. You have a great GPA, and improving your GRE will open up your options of places to apply.
No, I did not study at all for it. Any suggestions of books to purchase to help me study?
 
No, I did not study at all for it. Any suggestions of books to purchase to help me study?

I used Princeton Review and the ETS software they have available for download mostly. I did the same as you on the Q, but to be honest, that was better than my initial practice scores. I did get a 164 on the V and a 5.5 on AW, and I feel that the Princeton Review was helpful there for strategies on tackling vocabulary and essay writing. I also used the pool of topics you can find on the ETS website, and wrote several practice essays.

I have heard a lot of people really like Magoosh as well, though I have no personal experience with it.
 
I used Princeton Review and the ETS software they have available for download mostly. I did the same as you on the Q, but to be honest, that was better than my initial practice scores. I did get a 164 on the V and a 5.5 on AW, and I feel that the Princeton Review was helpful there for strategies on tackling vocabulary and essay writing. I also used the pool of topics you can find on the ETS website, and wrote several practice essays.

I have heard a lot of people really like Magoosh as well, though I have no personal experience with it.

I used Magoosh and it was very helpful. It helps with both actual content and test taking strategies. They also have several study plans based on how much time you have to prepare for the test. There are also some practice tests that appear to be slightly harder than the actual GRE.

My only warning about using Magoosh is that there is content on all topics that could POSSIBLY be on the test, so you could easily end up studying a topic that only appears once on the GRE.
 
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