GRE - Who is applying this fall and still has to take it.

[pdjy]

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On top of the 4 classes I'm taking this summer, volunteering and shadowing 2 vets ... I have to take the GREs. ARGH! I'm thinking of signing up to take them in late July/early August ... What's up with OSU and UGA wanting GRE BIO as well?

Who else has to take their GRE? I know you're out here ...

link to dates for GREs, etc: http://www.aavmc.org/vmcas/Requirements.htm

 

[Silvane]

I am! I'm not taking classes, but I'm doing a lot of volunteering/interning. I'm planning to take them late July/early August as well, and hoping to get a good score to balance out my less-than-stellar GPA. 😛 And not wanting to study at after graduating...

 

[APBT]

I need to take it, as well. I'm not the greatest at "math" exams, so I need to spend some time studying that...vocab I should be okay, and I *can* write well when not just rambling on a forum. I don't know when I am going to take them yet. I can't believe it's almost July already.

 

[turquoisewolves]

On top of the 4 classes I'm taking this summer, volunteering and shadowing 2 vets ... I have to take the GREs. ARGH! I'm thinking of signing up to take them in late July/early August ... What's up with OSU and UGA wanting GRE BIO as well?

Who else has to take their GRE? I know you're out here ...

link to dates for GREs, etc: http://www.aavmc.org/vmcas/Requirements.htm

Me too!!!!
Mine is scheduled for July.

 

[JtotheL]

I'm taking it too. Early August. I figure that'll give me enough time to be a little lazy in June, start really studying in July, and take it over again if I completely bomb it. I'll also be taking the bio GRE for RVC, which from what their website says, will be offered the day after my birthday. Happy birthday to me?

 

[bonaparte]

I'm going to try and take the GRE next month! Gah, haven't started studying for it yet (aside from doing a few practice problems here and there). Only worried about the english section as my vocabulary is bit subpar...

I can't believe it's almost July already.

I agree! It's quite unbelievable....

And not wanting to study at after graduating...

A fellow graduate -- I feel your pain (or, rather, sluggishness 😛),

 

[DVMDream]

I will be taking the GRE this summer too (for the third time. 😡) The GRE and I are mutual enemies (well only the verbal part, the rest of the exam and I seem to get along ok.) I am planning on taking it sometime either in early August or mid-August (I am not too worried about taking it later; I need as much time possible to study).

 

[der2002]

take the GRE as soon as you can!! I waited until the end of August last year and missed the cutoff dates for Illinois and NCstate (which was especially bad on my part since the 2 vets who wrote me reqs went to Illinois-- can you say awkward?). I still got into vet school, but I really wish I hadn't saved my GRE's to the last minute. just a thought...

 

[that redhead]

Technically I've already taken it once. I went in cold AND I realized half-way through the verbal section that I was misreading the questions👎 Needless to say I didn't do very well. I'm scheduled to take it again July 24, which gives me time to squeeze in one more test if the July test goes miserably.

I completely feel you, though. I'm taking orgo I and a communications class, working and preparing for my ALAT test. Don't worry, you aren't alone. Good luck! 🙂

 

[ckd816]

Count me in. I'm still not sure when I'm going to take it... Definitely before the end of August though. I'm volunteering a lot and taking Physics 2 right now, but the class ends July 21st. Then I'll be out of the country from August 7th-20th for a VIDA trip. So that leaves me a window from July 21st-August 7th and August 21st-30th. I'm probably going to have to wait until the late August window just so I have enough time to study and then still have time for an emergency September test date if I do terribly. Here's to hoping I won't need it...

 

[Armymutt25A]

I waited until the end of August last year and missed the cutoff dates for Illinois and NCstate

This concerns me greatly. How long does it take them to get the scores out? I don't remember it taking that long with the pencil/paper test. I plan to take it at the end of July/early August, but want some padding in case it doesn't go well. Spending all of July studying in the evenings. Can't get much studying done around here right now.

 

[168135]

I'll be taking mine the 31st of August! I have to start studying... it's been difficult! 😛

 

[twelvetigers]

... What's up with OSU and UGA wanting GRE BIO as well?

What about it? I'm not sure why, but they do. Are you thinking about applying to either of these schools? I think it's worth it for applying to OKSU, but UGA doesn't accept many OOS students so... probably just for OKSU.

As I've said a billion times, it's not THAT bad. And the avg. for OKSU's matriculated class isn't super high. It's just an extra hoop to jump through (a $140 hoop).

As for the general GRE, I'm taking it within a month - probably July 13th, 14th, something like that. It'll be my fourth time, sadly. I had decent score, BAD score and should have canceled the test, and pretty good score. I'm aiming for a WOW HOLY CRAP score.

 

[chyactnate]

I am taking them July 20th. This will be my second time taking them. SO i have been studying more...on top of just starting a kennel job (only 2-3 days a week), taking physics I&II, shadowing two vets, going to horse shows 😍, and riding in general (which I LOVE), ohhh and trying to convince my parents to get me this lovely mare that is in foal to Redwine (who is my FAVORITE stud)but that is a whole nother story..lol. This is going to be such a fun summer!!!

 

[MilkyWayAngel1]

I still haven't taken them yet :-/ And I haven't started studying either- between my two internships and my online class, I just can't seem to bring myself to study. I'm most worried about the vocab section so I really need to get to work on learning more words. Any tips?

 

[twelvetigers]

Kaplans GRE flash cards! I really like them.

 

[BlacKAT33]

kaplans gre flash cards! I really like them.

wellll i put a super happy smiley face but i think SDN is messed up cuz it comes out looking like a tongue sticking out face lol

 

[BlacKAT33]

This concerns me greatly. How long does it take them to get the scores out? I don't remember it taking that long with the pencil/paper test. I plan to take it at the end of July/early August, but want some padding in case it doesn't go well. Spending all of July studying in the evenings. Can't get much studying done around here right now.

I took it around end of July and it was a good time. I was able to send my scores out early to all the schools and i wasnt stressed. The good thing is that if you do bad you can take it again early Aug! altho, you wont have too much time to study so it depends if you did bad because of a stupid mistake or if you need a lot more studying.

You can send out hmm i think 5 scores when you get there. But then you have to wait until you get your scores in the mail (including written score) and then you can send out scores to the rest of the schools. They give you paper to do it, but it says on there you can do it electronically!! i almost missed that lol I forgot how long it took to get the written score but like i said, i took them end of july and i was not rushed with sending it in to schools

 

[der2002]

This concerns me greatly. How long does it take them to get the scores out? I don't remember it taking that long with the pencil/paper test. I plan to take it at the end of July/early August, but want some padding in case it doesn't go well. Spending all of July studying in the evenings. Can't get much studying done around here right now.

Clarification: Illinois GRE deadline is Aug. 31 and NCstate is Sep. 1. Armymutt, will you be taking the GRE overseas or back in the states? If you take a computerized exam at a testing center stateside, it usually takes at least 2 weeks for your scores to reach admissions offices. I would be extra careful about deadlines if you plan on taking the pencil and paper form of the exam...

 

[BlacKAT33]

Clarification: Illinois GRE deadline is Aug. 31 and NCstate is Sep. 1. Armymutt, will you be taking the GRE overseas or back in the states? If you take a computerized exam at a testing center stateside, it usually takes at least 2 weeks for your scores to reach admissions offices. I would be extra careful about deadlines if you plan on taking the pencil and paper form of the exam...

oh i thought he was talking about doing practice paper/pencil versions lol Armymutt-if you're taking the real test with pencil/paper then ignore my other post! i have no clue how long that takes.
But if you take the regular electronic one, i did apply to IL so that deadline was fine. You should put IL as one of the 5 free ones so it goes there sooner if you're worried

 

[ckd816]

So I took a free practice GRE at my school a couple of weeks ago and I just got my score report in the mail today... I did terribly! I was slayed by the evil verbal section. I went in totally cold though. I guess it's nice to know where I need to work the most and I know I need to start prepping NOW! It was good motivation at least. Sigh. 🙁

 

[KKibo]

Took it once a month ago, didn't do bad, but I know I can do better so I'm probably going to take it again in august.

Ugh, just because I want to say it, I hate VMCAS. 😡

 

[gilch]

So I took a free practice GRE at my school a couple of weeks ago and I just got my score report in the mail today... I did terribly! I was slayed by the evil verbal section. I went in totally cold though. I guess it's nice to know where I need to work the most and I know I need to start prepping NOW! It was good motivation at least. Sigh. 🙁

Was it a Kaplan test? I took one of those and I scored about 500 points lower than I did on the actual. I did a great deal more studying in the meantime, true, but I don't think that it was in anyway an accurate measure of my ability at the time. I think they make it super hard so people will be more likely to pay a thousand dollars for a class.

 

[rileydog]

Kaplans GRE flash cards! I really like them.

I liked them as well. They and the GRE seemed to be geared to business majors (or maybe pre allo) There was a "plethora" of synonyms to words like slacker and bootlicker (actual flashcard words).

If you make your own flashcards, I would recommend color coding them. Try grouping words that are synonyms and make them the same color cards/writing. Or for words with a certain connotation, make "positive" words green and "negative" words red. That way, during the test, if you cannot remember the exact definition but you can remember the color associated with it, it can give you a general idea of what the word means. Helps with antonyms and analogies by at least narrowing down the answers.

For math, it takes some practicing to get used to not using a calculator. You don't realize how dependent you are on them until you try it without. I had to review a lot of rules and tricks to doing math quickly in my head or on paper. Good luck everyone that needs to take it 🙂

 

[ckd816]

Was it a Kaplan test? I took one of those and I scored about 500 points lower than I did on the actual. I did a great deal more studying in the meantime, true, but I don't think that it was in anyway an accurate measure of my ability at the time. I think they make it super hard so people will be more likely to pay a thousand dollars for a class.

It was from The Princeton Review, but it's the same idea... they want you to sign up for their classes. I think I'll try studying my vocab words and then taking a practice test on my own and see where that gets me!

 

[der2002]

to be honest, the best way to study for the verbal section of the GRE is to read!! books (real literature, that is), articles, etc. And push yourself: look up the words you don't know. Understand how to break a word into its root components. Then go back and find a meaning that fits the context. It's so much easier remembering the definitions of words when you can situate them in a particular context. Be careful with words that have multiple meanings (ETS loves those). Look for words that most commonly appear on the GRE's and try to use them in a sentence. And ultimately, don't feel bad if you don't know some of the words they throw at you on the test. It's multiple choice for a reason (so practice good test taking skills!)

also, for those of you with smart phones: there is a good flashcard app that one of my friends used with her iphone. worth checking out...

 

[fishbones]

I'll be taking it this July. As for resources, I really recommend freerice.com. You're not only practicing mental math or vocab words, but also donating rice to charity at the same time.

http://freerice.com/

A teacher of mine checked up on the site, and apparently it does actually donate the rice.

Good luck everyone!

 

[fishbones]

And by the way--you can send your scores for free to four schools. Each additional school is another $20.

 

[WIvet]

Hi everyone! First post here 🙂 I was just wondering if anyone has any study tips for the GRE? I took it once already and didn't do horrible, but I'm retaking it to try and get a higher score...Thanks!!

 

[twelvetigers]

Try doing an advanced search (an option under 'search' in the bar at top) under just the veterinary section, and search for 'GRE study' and see what you get.

 

[that redhead]

I'll be taking it this July. As for resources, I really recommend freerice.com. You're not only practicing mental math or vocab words, but also donating rice to charity at the same time.

http://freerice.com/

A teacher of mine checked up on the site, and apparently it does actually donate the rice.

Good luck everyone!

I love this site. I didn't know there was a math component? I'll have to investigate!

 

[nyanko]

wellll i put a super happy smiley face but i think SDN is messed up cuz it comes out looking like a tongue sticking out face lol

If you write a post in all caps the forum automatically changes it to all lowercase.

:D

That's the code for 😀 and it counts as all caps, so it gets changed.

:d

That's the code for and what it ends up being.

The more you know...

 

[AUillinoisan]

take the GRE as soon as you can!! I waited until the end of August last year and missed the cutoff dates for Illinois and NCstate (which was especially bad on my part since the 2 vets who wrote me reqs went to Illinois-- can you say awkward?). I still got into vet school, but I really wish I hadn't saved my GRE's to the last minute. just a thought...

That's weird. I took mine August 29th last year and Illinois took it (obviously since they let me in 😛 ) The deadline was just for the date you took the test, I thought, not for when they received the scores. I'm pretty sure all that mattered was the date you TOOK the test. I wouldn't advise waiting that long to do it, though! I little nerve wracking since there was no time to fix it if it had gone terribly.

 

[mrpricklepants]

I got the kaplan vocab flashcards as well, I was wondering how many vocabulary words I should study within a day? So far I've been studying 5 words per day

 

[ckd816]

The more you know...

 

[gone2dogs]

I got the kaplan vocab flashcards as well, I was wondering how many vocabulary words I should study within a day? So far I've been studying 5 words per day

I think that depends on how many days you have... I can't speak from experience, but what if you take the number of words you want to learn (500?) and divide by number of days? But be sure to go over the words you think you have learned periodically to make sure you don't forget them.

I will say that since I am still contemplating taking it again and generally enjoy learning new words, I forked over a few dollars for the Kaplan word app for my phone and I think it is great! It has about 500 words divided into 3 sets based on difficulty. After you go through a whole stack it will give you the ones you missed back, with a few added in for practice. If I decide to take the test again, this will definitely be part of my study plan! And no, I wasn't paid by them. Even if I don't take the test again, it has provided me hours of entertainment and some new words to use already😀.

 

[fishbones]

Everything is under the "subjects" tab on the top bar. It's pretty simple stuff, but good for honing your mental math!

 

[BlacKAT33]

If you write a post in all caps the forum automatically changes it to all lowercase.

:D

That's the code for 😀 and it counts as all caps, so it gets changed.

:d

That's the code for and what it ends up being.

The more you know...

OOOOOOOOooo ok. wow, i would have NEVER figured that out lol

 

[marinemammal]

Haha. Seems like you all have the jump on me. I'm not taking the GRE until the next round. I'm looking at the November one. It seems like the think to do for the verbal section is read and bore new terms into your head!😉 Any tips for the math section? Has anyone found any useful sites/books/reviews?

 

[twelvetigers]

Subject GREs are offered at specific times, but for the general GRE, there is no 'November' one. It's offered year round. Just letting you know!

 

[pdjy]

I came across a GRE tutor on craigslist and he actually does it online via WizIQ. Good guy and a good tutor from what I've learned in the first session.

Anyway, I think his tips will help me to cut down on prep time allowing me to do my best come August. He's not a Kaplan or a PR, but I feel I'm getting the same value if not more because of the one-on-one interaction.

Yeah, it's a bit different since he's online (ie he sets up a whiteboard and you "talk" through the microphone and speaker on your computer), but this allows you to get around scheduling issues ... ie I did it at 630a on the west coast while it was 930a in his time zone ...

Scorewise, I'm shooting for 1300, what is everyone else's target?

 

[168135]

I've started working through the Kaplan Vocabulary worksheet and I feel CLUELESS after doing the practice tests 🙁

 

[pdjy]

I've started working through the Kaplan Vocabulary worksheet and I feel CLUELESS after doing the practice tests 🙁

as you do the practice tests, are you taking note of the words you don't know? I'll write them down and then afterwords, google the words to make sure I know what they mean ...

 

[168135]

I've kinda been doing that when taking the practice tests, but I'll start doing it for everything. I have the kaplan vocabulary flashcards that I've started flipping though. I'm feeling kind of overwhelmed... but I have 2 months until I take the test!

 

[goldielocks137]

What are people thinking of the new GRE versus the old one? I'm trying to decide if I should retake it before it switches, but I don't know if it will really make a difference. From what I've gathered it just seems like the way the test is conducted is changing (ie letting you skip over questions and come back) but studying for either of them should be the same? Not sure if it really matters at all which one I take, but I wanted some opinions on it.

 

[twelvetigers]

I'm pretty sure that the material the test covers will change a little bit too. Didn't someone say that calculators will be allowed? You have to imagine that the math would get a bit harder as a result. I think the vocab may change a bit as well.

One thing to consider would be.... the study materials that exist now are very thorough. How will the study books be for the new test right off the bat? Will there be enough time for Kaplan to make a new review of the test before you want to take it, and how good would the material be?

 

[NStarz]

Does anyone know when the switch is supposed to happen? I have to time my GRE taking around a summer class, but I definitely want to take the old one.

 

[goldielocks137]

The new one is supposed to start in August. I'm pretty sure at the beginning of the month

 

[NStarz]

The new one is supposed to start in August. I'm pretty sure at the beginning of the month

Ugh. Shoot. Thanks.

ETA: Oh wait, ETS says "Starting August 1, 2011, the GRE® revised General Test will replace the current GRE General Test, giving you the advantage of a better test experience — and new types of questions that help show your readiness for graduate-level work."

Looks like the changes will be happening starting August of next year.

 

[JtotheL]

Awesome, so even if I don't get in this year I can take it next year without having to deal with the new system. I was not looking forward to being a guinea pig. Especially if the math is going to be harder. 😛