GRE-Takeover?

[Annakei]

I took the GREs last year and peformed poorly....I scored in the 800s and got a 3 on the writing portion. I have heard that Psyd programs (well some) dont focus heavily on GE scores and moreso on experience. Is that true? Should I retake the GRE?

Here's my background:

-Graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice (3.2 GPA)
-Currently working at a mental health agency as a Clinical Case Manager and experience working with domestic violence shelters and juvenile advocacy.
-Taking classes in counseling to keep abreast of clinical skills and keep Sallie Mae and Uncle Sam (govt) off my back for loan repayment.

1. Will my experience outshine me lousy GREs? Or should I take them over?
2. What can I do to make my application better?

I am interested in applying to:

GWU
La Salle
Loyola
NOVA Southeastern
FIT
Carolos Alibizu (Miami)
George Mason (PHD-but they do have a clinical emphasis and they are in the DC metro area)
Marywood?
Argosy Atlanta (SAFETY SCHOOL-still up in the air)

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[cmuhooligan]

well here is my two cents:

Unfortunatly the GRE is used and most schools it is one of the most important factors, not the only one but it is important, and i know the PsyD programs arnt not as sticklers on the GRE as Phd programs are, that being said, i think you should for sure retake the GRE, you need to at least get above the 1000 mark, your gpa isnt great but as long as its over a 3.0 and looking at some of the school you are looking to apply to you should be fine there and it is great that you are getting clinical experience, that will help for sure, and now that im thinking about this more some lower tiered psyd programs may accept you with you GRE, so i guess it depends where you wanna go, sorry i cant be that helpful i dont know too much about psyd programs, especially the lower ranked ones, but goodluck!

 

[twiggers]

I would recommend retaking them. Hopefully you can score higher. I think if you limit yourself with 800s you might not have very many choices.
Study study study and try to get them up to 1000, and the writing up to around a 4-4.5.
I think your GPA probably wouldn't be bad for a psyD program.
Even if you retake and you stay around the same at least you'll know you tried your best.
definitely continue with the clinical experience, that will be very important!

 

[amimi]

I'd also recommend retaking the GREs. I applied and interviewed at George Mason for clinical PhD and I think most similar programs won't look at you till you hit a GRE of 1200 (this is for clinical PhD, I'm not sure about PsyD). But ONLY retake the test after you have studied ALOT and are sure you can raise your score significantly. I had to retake my GREs, and I was warned that if you take them again and make similar scores, it just looks like you're going in there consistently unprepared and it makes an overwhelmingly negative impression. You're bound to score slightly higher when you retake them just because you'll have had the experience before. I've only had to comment on my retaking of the GRE once or twice--people want to know why it was low in the first place, what you did to make it higher and why, etc.

 

[winnie]

I agree with everyone else that you should retake them if possible. Getting into a good, affordable PsyD program will be quite a challenge -- but not improssible -- otherwise.

Of the progs you mentioned, the only one I'm familiar with is Loyola MD. My impression is that they put more emphasis on the GRE than anything else. Average stats there last year were 1200+ (including around 700 in the Quant).

Best of luck. Raising your scores is really not that hard if you practice, and it will broaden your options considerably.

 

[Annakei]

Thanks everyone! I do agree that I should take the GREs over.... that said...does anyone know of any GOOD GRE prep programs out there? I am in the DC metro area....books, courses...anything that would be of good assistance.

 

[Deslok]

Thanks everyone! I do agree that I should take the GREs over.... that said...does anyone know of any GOOD GRE prep programs out there? I am in the DC metro area....books, courses...anything that would be of good assistance.

I used this book based on recommendations, and it seemed to be pretty good. I haven't actually taken the exam yet though.

 

[twiggers]

For the general GRE I would highly recommend Princeton (I've been told Kaplan is good). If studying and motivating yourself is a problem then paying for a Kaplan course might not be a bad idea.
Also use the CDROM that ETS gives you, it has two tests on it and I found them to be a more reliable predictor of your performance than the Princeton book, but nevertheless the study book is good.
I also used the study book that ETS put out (about 25$). A little harder questions, but again more predictive of what might actually be on the test.

TO raise your writing score you can pay $10 and send in one of the essays to ETS and they will score it for you and give feedback (although if you pay for a course I imagine they would do that as part of the course).

Out in California we also have a place called Sherwood Test Prep that gives courses that are cheaper than Kaplan, I don't know if they have that out in your area.

Give yourself at least 3 months to study for the test.

I'm not sure if you'll have to take the psych GRE for a psyD program, but if so then the Princeton/Kaplan books are good for that one (avoid Barrons for the psyych GRE).

 

[edieb]

I would definitely take the GRE again. Not to be pessimistic or fatalistic, but studying for the GRE is unlikely to raise your scores. The reason is that the GRE loads very heavily onto I.Q., which is pretty much crystallized. At least this is my understanding.

All programs, including Psy.D. programs, weigh the GRE at the number one criterion for admission. It sounds like you are a very hard worker and would be a great graduate student! Have you thought of applying to a social work program and becoming a LCSW or maybe a counseling program? Both are very good careers.

Good Luck

For the general GRE I would highly recommend Princeton (I've been told Kaplan is good). If studying and motivating yourself is a problem then paying for a Kaplan course might not be a bad idea.
Also use the CDROM that ETS gives you, it has two tests on it and I found them to be a more reliable predictor of your performance than the Princeton book, but nevertheless the study book is good.
I also used the study book that ETS put out (about 25$). A little harder questions, but again more predictive of what might actually be on the test.

TO raise your writing score you can pay $10 and send in one of the essays to ETS and they will score it for you and give feedback (although if you pay for a course I imagine they would do that as part of the course).

Out in California we also have a place called Sherwood Test Prep that gives courses that are cheaper than Kaplan, I don't know if they have that out in your area.

Give yourself at least 3 months to study for the test.

I'm not sure if you'll have to take the psych GRE for a psyD program, but if so then the Princeton/Kaplan books are good for that one (avoid Barrons for the psyych GRE).

 

[jengle]

I am going to have to disagree with the previous poster. The only thing the GRE tests is your ability to take a standardized test. It is not a good test of I.Q., and statistically is only a weak predictor of future success in graduate school.
That being said, I would recommend studying hard for a few months with either a practice book or a class. It is definitely possible to raise your score if you work at it. I raised mine by 200 points by taking a GRE prep class. If you could get your score to around 1000 it would give you a lot more options in the future.
Good Luck!

 

[Annakei]

I happen to disagree also. I know of MANY PEOPLE who scored poorly on standardized tests such as the GREs and went on to do well, be it in college or grad school (law, medical). For me the GRE represents an antiquated method of measuring student's against each other for ranking purposes. Still, it is a necessary evil. Just like the LSAT one CAN improve their score, afterall it tests vocabulary and math skills. Anyone who has the dedication and memory skills can score well on this test. There have been many studies that prove standardized tests dont even come close to predicting one's success on college or grad school.

I am currently a social worker and while it is an option that I don't look down upon I would rather go for the PsyD.

I am going to have to disagree with the previous poster. The only thing the GRE tests is your ability to take a standardized test. It is not a good test of I.Q., and statistically is only a weak predictor of future success in graduate school.
That being said, I would recommend studying hard for a few months with either a practice book or a class. It is definitely possible to raise your score if you work at it. I raised mine by 200 points by taking a GRE prep class. If you could get your score to around 1000 it would give you a lot more options in the future.
Good Luck!

 

[psychapp]

Agree with Jengle-the previous poster is very wrong. The GRE does NOT test I.Q. and studying for it will likely increase your scores, although by how much is highly variable. My first time taking it I did not study at all, and scored average. However, one month of INTENSIVE studying (using prep books) allowed me to increase my score by 230 points!!!!!!

Also, just re-taking the exam isn't likely to increase your score, although it may. I thought this, and actually scored lower my second time taking it (Yes, I've taken it three times).

You will need to bring that score up to at least a 1000 for many PsyD programs, and higher for more prestigious university-based PsyD programs. Good luck-you can definitely do it with some hard work.

 

[edieb]

Do a litsearch on psycihnfo; the GRE loads at like a .8 onto IQ.... Seeing this, I wish I had done better : (

 

[Annakei]

Moving on...

Does anyone have any other suggestions for improving GRE scores? I am headed to Amazon this weekend to browse the test prep sections...

 

[twiggers]

Make notecards for the vocab. I put the word on one side, the definition on the other and tested myself all the time. Carry them with you...study them on breaks, etc.

For the math...make sure you understand the basic concepts before wasting the practice tests....you only get so many practice tests and you really want them to assess your ability and your weaknesses.

 

[laxyhead]

I used a book that I bought through the ETS website that helped a lot.

"Practicing the GRE's 10th ed." -- published by the ETS.
basically, it is a book of actual tests given by ETS -- who has the only authority to reprint the REAL test questions.

Start memorizing vocab and refreshing on math concepts. -- With a little willpower and determination - you can do it!!

I applied to GWU (ph.d though) this year - got an interview and offer
if you have more detailed questions PM me. Or ask -- El Capitan (i think he applied to their psy.D program) If you don't mind me mentioning you El Capitan.

Good luck!

 

[kermitdfrog]

Personally, I wouldn't waste the time or money on test prep that is not put out by ETS. Not saying that it doesn't work, but in my opinion a far better way is to download the practice test from the ETS website (or you should have recieved a CD version when you registered for the test), and retake that thing over and over. From my experience the practice test was practically identical to the actual test. The practice questions also change slightly each time you retake it, so you can retake it many times. If you find yourself having trouble with certain math sections, review those areas. Unless you have a good amount of time before the test, chances are you can't raise your verbal too much, because it is near impossible to learn that many new words. But, there are serveral websites out there with good basic suggestions on helpful hints for both the math and verbal sections. I think the $10 spent on the ETS practice writing section is well worth it, as my actual test score was identical to that I recieved on the practice (6). Look at the examples of "6" essays and try and tailor your writing to look like those essays. It doesn't mean that those are the only way to write a good essay, but remember it is a standardized test so you have to play their game. A trick I used was to start each essay off with an interesting catch phrase like "Come on seven, daddy needs a new pair of shoes" and some how tie that to my essay. What that does is catches the readers attention. Also ETS publishes all the possible essay topics, so if you have time definetely look over those and make sure you can answer them in a logical manner. If you have the money and time, by all means use Kaplan or Princeton Review, but if both of those things are issues, I feel the best thing to do is go on the ETS website and use all of the resources they make available to you. Practice, Practice, Practice, I can't say enough about practice tests.

Moving on...

Does anyone have any other suggestions for improving GRE scores? I am headed to Amazon this weekend to browse the test prep sections...

 

[SFS]

I am trying to decide the MSW route vs reapplying. I thought my GRE scores were ok coming in 570 (v), 750 (m), 4.5 (aw) and 700 (psych). I applied to 9 schools (7 PhD, 2 PsyD) and had 3 interviews, was rejected from one, wait-listed at another, and have yet to hear from the 3rd. Most people that I have spoken to suggested that the only reason they could see for this outcome was that I am a career changing with Psych recently becoming a focus (Nov 2003 it started). They have suggested that I may need to show a longer dedication to the field. Any ideas if I would need to retake the GREs if I reapply?

 

[Annakei]

I am surprised as you are that you havent received more responses. Then again I dont know which schools you applied, background, clinical/research experience, personal statement, research interests. Ive learned as of late that all these things are taken into account and its really not about numbers. To make the mark it is but to further the process it really isnt.

I have also applied to a Counseling program in my area as a back up but am pretty gung ho on applying to a doctoral program. I feel that if I really study for the GRE (I have until October) and retake then I can make the grade. I have an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice, minored in Psych...will have about 2-3 years of clinical experience by the time I apply in different settings and hopefully research experience as I work for a research psychologist and getting the courage to ask her to work on her current project.

All in all I plan to apply to about schools 10 PSyD and 5 PHD so we will see what happens.

I dont believe you need to re take the GRE but I do think you should call each school and ask them their opinion on what was lacking in your application. Was it something in your PS? Lacking research/clinical skills? GPA? Neutral recommendations? Look over all aspects of your application with a fine tooth comb. Reapply next year with some MSW programs as safeties.

Still you have a chance with the school that hasnt responded yet! I wouldnt give up hope...

 

[Ratch1980]

Thanks everyone! I do agree that I should take the GREs over.... that said...does anyone know of any GOOD GRE prep programs out there? I am in the DC metro area....books, courses...anything that would be of good assistance.

I also live in DC. I took a class at Kaplan on M street. It was pricey ($1000) but VERY helpful. I know that they offer cheaper classes at US Dept of Agriculture's grad school (http://www.grad.usda.gov).

I took the GREs 3 times before I was happy with my scores. It was annoying and stressful, but definitely worth it.

Good Luck!

 

[Annakei]

THANKS!!!! You just saved me ALOT of money Ratch!! Do you know anyone who has taken the course? Currently Im considering taking a course with Transemantics in DC and also one at George MAson HS in Arlington. They are both in the $600 price range so hopefully the Dept of Agriculture's school is worth the savings.

Let me know if you have any other information on this program such as anyone who might have taken it and their opinion..

I also live in DC. I took a class at Kaplan on M street. It was pricey ($1000) but VERY helpful. I know that they offer cheaper classes at US Dept of Agriculture's grad school (http://www.grad.usda.gov).

I took the GREs 3 times before I was happy with my scores. It was annoying and stressful, but definitely worth it.

Good Luck!