How long did you take to prepare for the GRE?

[Daniel M. Pitta]

I am looking to apply in the summer for Fall '17 admission. My goal is to begin preparing for the exam this week, focusing primarily on the math portion because writing and reading comprehension are my strong suits (Print Journalism major in undergrad). I have spoken to a few people that only took a few weeks to prepare and scored fairly well, and others who took months. I am taking a few more prereqs in the spring semester (beginning in 3 weeks) and don't want to rush it. As of now, it looks like I'll probably end up taking it in the summer. I have the Kaplan book with 6 practice tests, which got decent reviews.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated; thanks.

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[Phyline]

3 weeks?

I mostly perused example questions looking for patterns on what the question writers are looking for. Went through the writing examples, noted the structure, winged the content. Used the free Magoosh app for vocabulary flashcards, saw some new words on the real exam. Reviewed math formulas. 162V, 167Q, 4.5AW, but my writing skills kind of suck.

Identify your weaknesses and understand how to improve; no point in doing countless practice problems imo, since they're all similar anyway. Instead, focus on the intro section of your book that explains common mistakes and how to tackle the questions. Accept that some verbal questions are going to be ******ed (I'm looking at you, "which statement most accurately reflects the author's views on X? Here's 4 incredibly similar options!"). One book and free resources is plenty.

 

[scrawnyguy]

I think I spent 3 weeks or so of serious studying. I was more than a decade removed from my last serious math course, so I really needed to brush up on the quant section. I honestly didn't do much studying as far as the verbal goes, but it was my higher score. I used Magoosh as my primary tool and I think the small cost was well worth it. For me the videos and loads of practice questions were much more helpful than simply studying from a book.

 

[steveyk]

I feel like I've spoken to you about this matter in more than 3 threads LOL, but yeah definitely go with the Magoosh for $80 (buy it now). From what I've heard, Kaplan's GRE books prepare you to do very average on the Math portion (not challenging, bluntly said). If you want to score high on the Math, you definitely need to go with Magoosh. I only studied about two weeks when I was funemployed, but I studied 12-14 hours a day. All I did was watch Magoosh tutorials and Magoosh practice problems alllll dayyyyyy. (I followed their general study plan). Also, I was always pretty good with math since grade school so if you take a little longer than two weeks, that's fine. Since you will be in school while you study for the GRE's, I recommend following their 2-3 month math focused study plan http://magoosh.com/gre/2012/90-day-gre-study-plan-math-focused/ you don't have to limit yourself to each day. Based on how fast you are, you can do 2 or 3 days worth of studying in 1 day (free to go at your own pace). Regardless of how good you are with math, Magoosh works really well for everyone since it really breaks down each concept simply but thoroughly. And the 500+ practice questions for each section is excellent for preparing for the actual exam. I think Magoosh needs to pay me...

If you TL;DR -
For GRE's 2 essentials: 1) ETS GRE Book 2nd ed 2) Magoosh GRE prep

Good luck brother. I know this has been a long process for you (been seeing your profile on SDN for months) and I hope things work out.

 

[Javi450]

I used the same Kaplan books and they worked out well for me I was able to get 159Q and 158V. I studied for about three weeks a couple of hours a day, spending most of the time doing the practice tests in the book and online. Best advice I can give you is try to familiarize yourself with the type of questions the GRE likes to ask the most; you'll notice as you do practice tests that studying all the content in the Kaplan book is overkill and that you can narrow your focus on specific topics that the test will always ask.

 

[Daniel M. Pitta]

3 weeks?

I mostly perused example questions looking for patterns on what the question writers are looking for. Went through the writing examples, noted the structure, winged the content. Used the free Magoosh app for vocabulary flashcards, saw some new words on the real exam. Reviewed math formulas. 162V, 167Q, 4.5AW, but my writing skills kind of suck.

Identify your weaknesses and understand how to improve; no point in doing countless practice problems imo, since they're all similar anyway. Instead, focus on the intro section of your book that explains common mistakes and how to tackle the questions. Accept that some verbal questions are going to be ******ed (I'm looking at you, "which statement most accurately reflects the author's views on X? Here's 4 incredibly similar options!"). One book and free resources is plenty.

Do they still have the free Magoosh app for the flashcards? I'll have to look into that.

 

[Daniel M. Pitta]

I think I spent 3 weeks or so of serious studying. I was more than a decade removed from my last serious math course, so I really needed to brush up on the quant section. I honestly didn't do much studying as far as the verbal goes, but it was my higher score. I used Magoosh as my primary tool and I think the small cost was well worth it. For me the videos and loads of practice questions were much more helpful than simply studying from a book.

What were your scores?

 

[Bossman88]

I am actually prepping for the GRE now, scheduled to retake it by Jan 30th. I've been studying intensely for 2 weeks now and feeling great about it. I will be taking this in 3 weeks so literally a month and some change. I'm using the Magoosh prep and Kaplan Verbal . As someone mentioned above their math is very helpful especially if that is your weak point then I'll recommend you sign up for magoosh. I study atleast 6-8 hours a day and been going over 500+ flash cards so I make sure I go over atleast 50 flash cards a day and believe me Magoosh is the way to go. I plan on devoting time on the practice test the last 2 weeks before I take the exam but for now I am just going through the videos to get a better understanding of the material. Good luck!

 

[scrawnyguy]

What were your scores?

157 Q/162 V

 

[Phyline]

Do they still have the free Magoosh app for the flashcards? I'll have to look into that.

Yeah! I used the one called "GRE Vocabulary Flashcards from Magoosh", but there's a bunch more free ones (I think one for math and one with videos?) on the iOS and Google Play Store, all very highly rated.
Take a practice exam, see how you do. Don't spend extra money, unless you ~really~ need all the practice you can get.

 

[LUSB777]

Just hold off and take it when you feel fully prepared. I took mine at the most inconvenient time and only spent 2 days memorizing math formulas.... I regret rushing it. My scores were poor in my opinion. Good luck!

 

[Daniel M. Pitta]

Just hold off and take it when you feel fully prepared. I took mine at the most inconvenient time and only spent 2 days memorizing math formulas.... I regret rushing it. My scores were poor in my opinion. Good luck!

Are you planning to retake it?

 

[LUSB777]

Are you planning to retake it?

Thankfully, no. My scores were high enough to BARELY get into most schools. I had already got accepted into a couple schools, but I would have retaken it if the schools I wanted to get into required a higher score.

 

[OptimusBear]

I took about 4 - 5 weeks in the summer to study for the GRE. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the PowerPrep II program offered by ETS (https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/powerprep2), but it offers two free graded tests. I took one to figure out what I was likely to get and which section I was weak in. The first 2 - 3 weeks I did practice problems for each section and towards the last week or two, I was taking tests almost everyday.

My study materials included a Kaplan GRE book from 2012 at a Goodwills, ordered a Kaplan GRE 2015 book, and got free study material online (also from Kaplan).

For me personally, my math scores fluctuated a lot while my verbal score pretty much stayed the same so I did a lot more work on my math. I also used the Magoosh vocab app, but didn't have too much success with it as I never really learned the words in context. I didn't practice the writing section, and I got really lucky on the topics I had to write about. ETS has a whole list of essay topics on their website (https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/issue/pool) so I would look into at the very least. I took the second practice test 2 days prior to taking the exam and relaxed the day before. My scores were Q: 161 V: 159 A:4.0

I hope this helps you with figuring out what would work best with you, and feel free to message me if you have any other questions concerning the GRE.

Good luck!

 

[Daniel M. Pitta]

I took about 4 - 5 weeks in the summer to study for the GRE. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the PowerPrep II program offered by ETS (https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/powerprep2), but it offers two free graded tests. I took one to figure out what I was likely to get and which section I was weak in. The first 2 - 3 weeks I did practice problems for each section and towards the last week or two, I was taking tests almost everyday.

My study materials included a Kaplan GRE book from 2012 at a Goodwills, ordered a Kaplan GRE 2015 book, and got free study material online (also from Kaplan).

For me personally, my math scores fluctuated a lot while my verbal score pretty much stayed the same so I did a lot more work on my math. I also used the Magoosh vocab app, but didn't have too much success with it as I never really learned the words in context. I didn't practice the writing section, and I got really lucky on the topics I had to write about. ETS has a whole list of essay topics on their website (https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/issue/pool) so I would look into at the very least. I took the second practice test 2 days prior to taking the exam and relaxed the day before. My scores were Q: 161 V: 159 A:4.0

I hope this helps you with figuring out what would work best with you, and feel free to message me if you have any other questions concerning the GRE.

Good luck!

Nice, yea I just have the Kaplan GRE Premier 2016 book, and have been doing some of the verbal sets while watching youtube videos for the Math section. I just finished the diagnostic test without studying beforehand, and got a brutal score. The verbal is actually much more challenging that I would've thought, and I also need to spend a lot of time focusing on the math. I haven't had to do any type of geometry in over 10 years.

I was hoping to try to take the exam sometime in the next few weeks, but it's clear that I need a lot more time. My concern with waiting until the summer is that I will only have one shot at the exam before PTCAS opens and I need to get my apps out ASAP. So that puts a lot of pressure on that one attempt. If I don't score well in the summer, that could be damning to my application.

 

[squirrellyOCPT]

I wish someone told me early on that however long you 'think' you'd like to allocate to study for the GRE, double that time (unless you're a math wiz, which I most definitely am not). It's been ages since I took standardized tests so I allocated 3 dedicated months - 3 months was worth the sacrifice as there is no sense in spending the time and money taking pre-reqs only to half-a** on the GRE. I agree with those that recommended Magoosh. What I liked about Magoosh was their focus on math 'strategies' to answer the questions in the shortest amount of time possible. They also gave great strategies on answering the verbal questions and processes of elimination. Using their essay writing tips got me a 5.5 on the writing. The best way I found to improve my verbal/vocab was reading multiple NYT articles and New Yorker daily (there are great student discounts for those publications and before you subscribe to New Yorker, ask around to see who kept their magazines).

Someone gave me this helpful tip which helped me improve over time: when you're studying, spend a great portion of time doing practice questions first, and, less dedicated "subject study/review" time reviewing weak subjects. This way, you end up learning what's the most important: how to TAKE the test....and you end up learning your weak-subjects anyway (in Magoosh, there's a video explanation for every study question with links to the subject).

 

[Wiscoguy]

I am looking to apply in the summer for Fall '17 admission. My goal is to begin preparing for the exam this week, focusing primarily on the math portion because writing and reading comprehension are my strong suits (Print Journalism major in undergrad). I have spoken to a few people that only took a few weeks to prepare and scored fairly well, and others who took months. I am taking a few more prereqs in the spring semester (beginning in 3 weeks) and don't want to rush it. As of now, it looks like I'll probably end up taking it in the summer. I have the Kaplan book with 6 practice tests, which got decent reviews.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated; thanks.

I also used the Kaplan book with the online program and I thought it was pretty good. I studied over the course of the summer (couple days a week for maybe an hour per day) and took it at the end of August. I definitely recommend just practicing the question types through the tests and quizzes. Also, read through the whole book! I thought it was quite helpful. Lastly, don't overlook practicing the writing section a couple times and use the method Kaplan talks about for the writing section. Good luck!

 

[Super Handsome and Humble]

I did 10 days of studying with Magoosh and got a 161 verbal, 154 Quant-don't have the writing scores back. I highly recommend studying for as long as you can. Do full 4 hour practice tests. I underestimated how drained I would be after the essay sections. I totally choked on quant and now I have to retake the test at some point.
Best to do it right the first time.

 

[Daniel M. Pitta]

I also used the Kaplan book with the online program and I thought it was pretty good. I studied over the course of the summer (couple days a week for maybe an hour per day) and took it at the end of August. I definitely recommend just practicing the question types through the tests and quizzes. Also, read through the whole book! I thought it was quite helpful. Lastly, don't overlook practicing the writing section a couple times and use the method Kaplan talks about for the writing section. Good luck!

Thanks...what were your scores? How exactly do they score the Writing section? I've just started studying for it and took the diagnostic test on Saturday, but I don't understand if you're graded on how long it takes you to answer the question, the length of the essay, or both.

 

[Daniel M. Pitta]

I did 10 days of studying with Magoosh and got a 161 verbal, 154 Quant-don't have the writing scores back. I highly recommend studying for as long as you can. Do full 4 hour practice tests. I underestimated how drained I would be after the essay sections. I totally choked on quant and now I have to retake the test at some point.
Best to do it right the first time.

Those scores are good...why would you have to re-take the exam? If I score a 154 on the quant I'll take that every time. I scored a 141 on the math and 154 on the verbal on my diagnostic without studying beforehand.

 

[Phyline]

How exactly do they score the Writing section? I've just started studying for it and took the diagnostic test on Saturday, but I don't understand if you're graded on how long it takes you to answer the question, the length of the essay, or both.

You're not graded on how long it took you to write the essay - there's a time limit just like in all other sections. You're graded on structure and content, which includes length. The prep books might have sample writing questions and sample answers of what kind of essay would score a 1, 2, 3, etc.

 

[Wiscoguy]

Thanks...what were your scores? How exactly do they score the Writing section? I've just started studying for it and took the diagnostic test on Saturday, but I don't understand if you're graded on how long it takes you to answer the question, the length of the essay, or both.

If I recall correctly my diagnostic test came out to be 149 verbal and 148 quantitative. After studying, my actual exam scores were 155 V and 154 Q and a 4.0 on the writing and I am very satisfied with those scores!
From what I understand the written section is basically graded on form (making an argument and supporting it with examples), grammar/spelling (but small mistakes wont hurt you!), and to some extent length/detail. If you follow the Kaplan method of short intro with thesis, 1-3 body paragraphs with examples, and a short conclusion you should be able to get at least a 4.0! And yes it is timed. 30 minutes per essay I think. For most people that is not nearly enough time to write a very good essay. If you practice a few times with the time limit and follow the method you will be ok! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask! I was very anxious as well when I was preparing for the GRE too.

 

[jdnguyen11]

I wanted to have studied for months before the exam but realistically, I only really really really studied about two weeks before the exam. I think I was able to do pretty well because I do a lot of reading so the section I was really worried about (vocabulary) I had been preparing for subconsciously. Mostly for studying, I reviewed practice questions (especially for the writing), reviewed old math concepts since the math is pretty basic, and studied vocabulary as much as I could. I tried to familiarize myself with the question types mostly because conceptually, all of it was stuff I had learned before. I really procrastinated though and hardcore crammed two days before. I did the practice tests found on the GRE website the night before and then had a good night's rest. Scored a 159 V / 161 Q / and a 5.0 on the writing section.

The GRE is like the SAT on crack. You just need to learn to recognize the questions and figure out what they want and you'll be okay. Good luck!

 

[ptforgamers]

I studied a few hours a week during the time I signed up, but then forgot I had the GRE coming up. When I got my calendar notification, I upped it to 8-10 hours a day for around 5 days before the test but realistically was more like 2-3 hours. I haven't taken a math class since 5 years ago, so every problem I had to look back at even the simplest math concepts. I used Magoosh. They're very good. My math score suffered, but I did fairly well in Writing and Verbal. Overall, I got 149, 165, 4.0. As long as you've been actively looking at critical questions ( I took some philosophy classes the semester before which really helped my language, writing, and logic), I think you'll do fine. My math score didn't deter any schools. I went 4/4 in terms of interview invitations, 2/3 acceptance, 1/3 waitlist. The GRE itself is not a huge deal, but will define your application if your grades aren't on par with your application cohort.

 

[steveyk]

I used Magoosh for about two and a half weeks. Followed their general study plan, but completed several days worth in one day. Studied/watched instructional videos/did practice problems for about 10-12 hours a day. Scored a 152V, 160Q, 4.5W. I think as long as you're productive, you only need a few weeks of intensive studying for the GREs especially if you're on break from school or funemployed, like me at the time.

 

[butterscotchxx]

I used the Princeton review book and studied for about a month-ish, but super casually. Honestly, if you get above a 300 combined score you should be fine. And a 4 on the writing section is pretty safe.

 

[steveyk]

I used the Princeton review book and studied for about a month-ish, but super casually. Honestly, if you get above a 300 combined score you should be fine. And a 4 on the writing section is pretty safe.

I agree, but only if you have an acceptable GPA. I dunno, maybe a 3.3ish and above? But if an applicant is hovering at around a 3.0 or even lower, I think you have to break 310 or your chances are low.

 

[butterscotchxx]

Yes, I completely agree. @steveyk

 

[Daniel M. Pitta]

I studied a few hours a week during the time I signed up, but then forgot I had the GRE coming up. When I got my calendar notification, I upped it to 8-10 hours a day for around 5 days before the test but realistically was more like 2-3 hours. I haven't taken a math class since 5 years ago, so every problem I had to look back at even the simplest math concepts. I used Magoosh. They're very good. My math score suffered, but I did fairly well in Writing and Verbal. Overall, I got 149, 165, 4.0. As long as you've been actively looking at critical questions ( I took some philosophy classes the semester before which really helped my language, writing, and logic), I think you'll do fine. My math score didn't deter any schools. I went 4/4 in terms of interview invitations, 2/3 acceptance, 1/3 waitlist. The GRE itself is not a huge deal, but will define your application if your grades aren't on par with your application cohort.

What was your GPA? My prereq GPA will be above a 3.6 at the end of this semester, but my cumulative from undergrad was a 3.0. I was a non-traditional student and took all of my prereqs postgrad so I'm trying to gauge how high my scores need to be. I studied pretty intensely for about a month and am taking the test on the 15th. Honestly, anything above a 150 on the quantitative and I'll be happy, because math is definitely not my strong suit and I haven't taken a math course in like a decade. The verbal and writing I'm fairly confident in, since I was a print journalism major and writing/grammar is my wheelhouse.

 

[katelly]

I did about 5-6 hours every weekend for a couple of months, and then did a couple hours a day for two weeks before the exam. I only used the free resources I could find online. Magoosh has a bunch of videos with step by step instructions for math concepts. And I found a few websites that are designed for grade schoolers who are first learning the concepts. (When I took it I had taken one semester of physics but that was all the math I had had in over ten years, so these basics were key for me.) Magoosh also has a free vocab app that I would use for a few minutes at a time, like during a break at work or when I was on the bus. I did all of the test prep materials that ETS provides on their website. I spent a lot of time googling resources, but I was really tight on money and didn't want to spend anything on test prep services. I figured that if I did run out of resources I would buy something, but I kept finding more useful stuff. I also only studied when I was focused and quit as soon as my mind started wandering. I figured there was no use in studying for endless hours if I was only going to focus for the first couple hours of a study session. In the end I got 162V, 152Q, and 5.0W. One of my schools told me I should retake it to improve my Q score if I was going to reapply; they would not discount my strong scores from this test even if I didn't do as well on those sections.

 

[ptforgamers]

What was your GPA? My prereq GPA will be above a 3.6 at the end of this semester, but my cumulative from undergrad was a 3.0. I was a non-traditional student and took all of my prereqs postgrad so I'm trying to gauge how high my scores need to be. I studied pretty intensely for about a month and am taking the test on the 15th. Honestly, anything above a 150 on the quantitative and I'll be happy, because math is definitely not my strong suit and I haven't taken a math course in like a decade. The verbal and writing I'm fairly confident in, since I was a print journalism major and writing/grammar is my wheelhouse.

At the time, it was a 3.86 for both prereq and cumulative. I think you'll do fine with a 3.6 prereq GPA if you score really well in the analytical writing portion.

 

[j12813145]

I am looking to apply in the summer for Fall '17 admission. My goal is to begin preparing for the exam this week, focusing primarily on the math portion because writing and reading comprehension are my strong suits (Print Journalism major in undergrad). I have spoken to a few people that only took a few weeks to prepare and scored fairly well, and others who took months. I am taking a few more prereqs in the spring semester (beginning in 3 weeks) and don't want to rush it. As of now, it looks like I'll probably end up taking it in the summer. I have the Kaplan book with 6 practice tests, which got decent reviews.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated; thanks.

I didn't study nearly as much as I should have, I had a lot going on at the time and just wanted to get it over with. That being said, Magoosh was a great resource to use! They have an explanation video for every problem you encounter so if you're diligent you can learn a lot. I did it in about a month or so which made it overwhelming, but i think a few months of diligent study will allow you to milk Magoosh for all it is worth.

 

[Daniel M. Pitta]

I didn't study nearly as much as I should have, I had a lot going on at the time and just wanted to get it over with. That being said, Magoosh was a great resource to use! They have an explanation video for every problem you encounter so if you're diligent you can learn a lot. I did it in about a month or so which made it overwhelming, but i think a few months of diligent study will allow you to milk Magoosh for all it is worth.

At the time, it was a 3.86 for both prereq and cumulative. I think you'll do fine with a 3.6 prereq GPA if you score really well in the analytical writing portion.

I took the test last Tuesday and scored a 308 overall, 157 Verbal + 151 Quant. I'm still waiting to hear back re: my Writing score but I'm anticipating at least a 5.0 since that is my wheelhouse as a former Journalism major and writer. I can't see myself taking the exam again. The quant is just brutal for me, and there were a lot of very complex geometry questions thrown at me. My goal was to get at least a 150 on the math and above a 305 overall so I'm okay with that. The only issue is that I really want to go to PT school in Florida, as I have a lot of family and friends there, but all of the programs are uber competitive compared to every other state I've looked at.

That said, Magoosh was a great resource and way more valuable than Kaplan for me. I would definitely recommend them to anyone preparing for the GRE.

 

[steveyk]

came a long way brother! congrats on exceeding your goals! as long as you apply to the right programs, I think you'll have a good shot with those scores! good luck to ya

 

[Daniel M. Pitta]

Somehow I ended up with a 3.5 on the writing...wtf. I don't know how else I could've answered the extremely random questions that they asked. Perfect grammar and well thought out responses, I thought for sure I would've gotten a 4 or 5. I don't even understand what criteria they base their grading on for this section? It's especially frustrating because there is a 0% chance I re-take the exam.

 

[redrose424]

Somehow I ended up with a 3.5 on the writing...wtf. I don't know how else I could've answered the extremely random questions that they asked. Perfect grammar and well thought out responses, I thought for sure I would've gotten a 4 or 5. I don't even understand what criteria they base their grading on for this section? It's especially frustrating because there is a 0% chance I re-take the exam.

Grammar is relatively unimportant in the writing section from all the prep I read. The only time it makes a difference is if it is so bad that it actually detracts from the thoughts of the essay. They typically grade the essay on complexity of analysis. For the Argument essay, for example, you are to analyze the provided prompt (which is often an opinion piece). They want you to provide both positive and negative analysis - what the essay did well and also some logically flawed features the essay had - and back up your reasoning with specific examples from the prompt. For the Issue essay you needed to present your view on a topic with solid examples - often examples that you have seen in literature or contemporary texts (personal examples are not well-received). It was also important in that essay to provide some possible critiques of your viewpoint and a rebuttal to those critiques.

Overall, they were looking for complexity of your analysis and sentences, rather than just decent grammar.

 

[Daniel M. Pitta]

Grammar is relatively unimportant in the writing section from all the prep I read. The only time it makes a difference is if it is so bad that it actually detracts from the thoughts of the essay. They typically grade the essay on complexity of analysis. For the Argument essay, for example, you are to analyze the provided prompt (which is often an opinion piece). They want you to provide both positive and negative analysis - what the essay did well and also some logically flawed features the essay had - and back up your reasoning with specific examples from the prompt. For the Issue essay you needed to present your view on a topic with solid examples - often examples that you have seen in literature or contemporary texts (personal examples are not well-received). It was also important in that essay to provide some possible critiques of your viewpoint and a rebuttal to those critiques.

Overall, they were looking for complexity of your analysis and sentences, rather than just decent grammar.

I thought that my my sentences and analysis were complex enough, especially given the complete randomness of the questions and time limit. I wish I could see some feedback as to what I could improve upon. I really hated everything about this test.

 

[redrose424]

I thought that my my sentences and analysis were complex enough, especially given the complete randomness of the questions and time limit. I wish I could see some feedback as to what I could improve upon. I really hated everything about this test.

Princeton Review has online practice tests you can submit where detailed feedback is given. You scores are fine and since you aren't retaking there isn't much to worry about though.

 

[mn977]

I remember when I took the GRE course at Manhattan Prep. They said that there was a significant correlation between the length of essay and the score of the essay especially once you get to the 5 and 6 score range. I received a 5 on my essays. Imo 3.5 is too low. Anything 4+ is good. Also I've heard from PT schools that I went to visit personally that they don't consider the math grade as highly compared to the verbal and analytical scores which are better predictors of student success in PT school.

 

[redrose424]

I remember when I took the GRE course at Manhattan Prep. They said that there was a significant correlation between the length of essay and the score of the essay especially once you get to the 5 and 6 score range. I received a 5 on my essays. Imo 3.5 is too low. Anything 4+ is good. Also I've heard from PT schools that I went to visit personally that they don't consider the math grade as highly compared to the verbal and analytical scores which are better predictors of student success in PT school.

Agree with most of what you say, but, if a person's GPA is good a 3.5 vs 4 on the writing isn't really going to matter. It meets the 3.0 minimum.

 

[dpt_13]

I only studied a week for the exam. I don't suggest it, I'd say to take some more time than that since everyone learns differently. I would 100% reccomend buying the Kaplan book since they are the ones to create the exam. Go through every section of the verbal portion and write on a blank piece of paper every word that you are not 100% certain of its meaning. I did this and when it came to the GRE 90% of the words were on my exam and I only knew what they meant because I did this. I studied all week with my PT trying to learn those words and he told me I'd probably only see one or two on the exam but I ended up seeing almost every single one at some point in the exam. The math portion I didn't use the Kaplan book since I only had a week to study and just bought the verbal Kaplan book, so I cannot say how much it helps, but for the verbal portion do the Kaplan book. Especially for the writing section, I scored a perfect score only because I read how they want you to answer the questions 30 minutes before taking the exam! I would reccomend that book to anyone!

 

[Cheezy89]

Somehow I ended up with a 3.5 on the writing...wtf. I don't know how else I could've answered the extremely random questions that they asked. Perfect grammar and well thought out responses, I thought for sure I would've gotten a 4 or 5. I don't even understand what criteria they base their grading on for this section? It's especially frustrating because there is a 0% chance I re-take the exam.

My man I understand your frustration. I absolutely despise this test. It doesn't test anything else but your ability to take the GRE. It's a great method to weed out applicants. I took it three times and frustration grew the more I took it. My first score was 144V, 147Q and 3.0. Second score 148V, 146Q, 3.0. Third score 150V, 150Q, 3.5 I used the Kaplan book, then switch to a Princeton book and finally a GRE app. Writing a long and coherent essay in 30 mn is simply not most people strong point. However you do get better results the more you take it. Good thing the GRE is not the only criteria to get into PT school. Hope you other stats are great.

 

[dpt_13]

I thought that my my sentences and analysis were complex enough, especially given the complete randomness of the questions and time limit. I wish I could see some feedback as to what I could improve upon. I really hated everything about this test.

I would say the most common thing I've heard from people that got below 4.0's is that they did not answer the question correctly. For the argument, most people tend to not read the question and provide an argument for the topic given. The GRE asks you to explain how you'd set up an argument, they don't want you to pick a side, but to explain what questions you'd ask while picking a side. So you write about what questions you'd consider and explain why it may be helpful to one side or not helpful for the other, but you explain both sides of the argument and describe what questions you'd ask to come to that argument and why those questions are important. The most common mistake in writing is picking a side and backing it up. Idk if that's what you did but reading what the actual question is may be where your mistake came in, that is more important to them than grammar sometimes which may seem odd.
When I took the GRE the first time and just took it to see what the GRE was like, I erased two paragraphs in the middle by accident at the last second so it didn't flow or make sense and once time runs out you're done, but I got a 4.5 because I answered the question the correct way despite missing two paragraphs. So my best guess is when people score low is that it's because they didn't fully understand how to answer the question and not because of their actual ability to write.

 

[turtlot]

I would say the most common thing I've heard from people that got below 4.0's is that they did not answer the question correctly. For the argument, most people tend to not read the question and provide an argument for the topic given. The GRE asks you to explain how you'd set up an argument, they don't want you to pick a side, but to explain what questions you'd ask while picking a side. So you write about what questions you'd consider and explain why it may be helpful to one side or not helpful for the other, but you explain both sides of the argument and describe what questions you'd ask to come to that argument and why those questions are important. The most common mistake in writing is picking a side and backing it up. Idk if that's what you did but reading what the actual question is may be where your mistake came in, that is more important to them than grammar sometimes which may seem odd.
When I took the GRE the first time and just took it to see what the GRE was like, I erased two paragraphs in the middle by accident at the last second so it didn't flow or make sense and once time runs out you're done, but I got a 4.5 because I answered the question the correct way despite missing two paragraphs. So my best guess is when people score low is that it's because they didn't fully understand how to answer the question and not because of their actual ability to write.

I completely agree with this. The issue essay (1st essay) is simply picking a side of the argument and laying out good examples to support it. Usually the structure of it follows this:

1. Introduction
2. Subtopic (strongest)
3. Subtopic (median)
4. Subtopic (weakest)
5. Conclusion

Go into further detail on other examples rather than the prime example

With the Argument essay, you have to remember that the excerpt given is flawed (just like the passages in the verbal section). What you're supposed to do is find the flaws of the excerpt, write about why it doesn't make sense, and then write a paragraph or two on what you can do to strengthen the excerpt into a cohesive piece.


Argument Essay: State how the argument can be strengthened

1. Introduction
2. What is flawed (strongest then weakest)
3. What can be done to fix it (include minor flaws)
4. Your stance
5. Conclusion

I followed this formula for my GRE and received 4.0's both times I took it. I wrote 4 paragraphs usually, 5 if I had time. I hope this helps a bit.

 

[Daniel M. Pitta]

I remember when I took the GRE course at Manhattan Prep. They said that there was a significant correlation between the length of essay and the score of the essay especially once you get to the 5 and 6 score range. I received a 5 on my essays. Imo 3.5 is too low. Anything 4+ is good. Also I've heard from PT schools that I went to visit personally that they don't consider the math grade as highly compared to the verbal and analytical scores which are better predictors of student success in PT school.

True, but I'm not sitting down again for ~4 hours to take the entire exam just so I can score .5 pts higher on the writing section. I'm content with my other scores, my math could've been higher but again it was extremely grueling for me to even get above a 150 on the math. It's not everyone's strong suit. I think with my scores and prereq GPA (3.63) I should get into a few schools at least. I also have a ton of hours from having worked as a tech and shadowing last summer, so I think my app is good enough.

I would only consider re-taking the GRE if I get rejected/waitlisted from all of the programs that I apply to, in which case I'd have no other choice. Luckily some of the schools I'm applying to don't even require the test.

 

[mn977]

True, but I'm not sitting down again for ~4 hours to take the entire exam just so I can score .5 pts higher on the writing section. I'm content with my other scores, my math could've been higher but again it was extremely grueling for me to even get above a 150 on the math. It's not everyone's strong suit. I think with my scores and prereq GPA (3.63) I should get into a few schools at least. I also have a ton of hours from having worked as a tech and shadowing last summer, so I think my app is good enough.

I would only consider re-taking the GRE if I get rejected/waitlisted from all of the programs that I apply to, in which case I'd have no other choice. Luckily some of the schools I'm applying to don't even require the test.

Perhaps take a good hard look at the schools that you are interested in applying that do use GRE and ask what the average GRE scores are for those who are accepted? I'm sure those are really used as a cut off for people who will be interviewed and those who will not be. Your preq-GPA is strong, but cGPA is just borderline so that's why GRE becomes more of a deciding factor (for those schools that do look at it). Then again even some schools that do require GRE don't look at the scores. That was the case in one of the schools that I visited, but they relied super heavily on GPA because of that. 4 hours of your life doesn't really compare to one whole year of waiting to reapply does it? And if I were to retake GRE I would try to get everything higher not just the essay.

 

[JDunc]

So I am in graduate school pursuing a M.S. and PhD. I was in the McNair Scholars program in undergrad and most of us took the GRE. I'm actually quite surprised people study so hard for it. I remember taking a couple practice tests and being done. Some of my classmates didn't even study. I'm genuinely curious as to why some have studied so hard for the GRE? Is it just to make sure you feel as confident as possible with the way the test will be?


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[dpt_13]

So I am in graduate school pursuing a M.S. and PhD. I was in the McNair Scholars program in undergrad and most of us took the GRE. I'm actually quite surprised people study so hard for it. I remember taking a couple practice tests and being done. Some of my classmates didn't even study. I'm genuinely curious as to why some have studied so hard for the GRE? Is it just to make sure you feel as confident as possible with the way the test will be?


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For some graduate schools for physical therapy you need to have between a 155-160 to even apply. The average score is between 149-150 so you study that hard to only take the test once and to be able to apply to the schools that have higher requirements. One school require 160 minimum, so that's why.

 

[JDunc]

For some graduate schools for physical therapy you need to have between a 155-160 to even apply. The average score is between 149-150 so you study that hard to only take the test once and to be able to apply to the schools that have higher requirements. One school require 160 minimum, so that's why.

Interesting. I did not study. Took a couple practice tests. I did very well otherwise I wouldn't be in graduate school. I think PT needs to come up with there own admissions test though. Something with a lot of physiology, general bio, and a few other sciences as well as the critical thinking portions.

 

[Daniel M. Pitta]

So I am in graduate school pursuing a M.S. and PhD. I was in the McNair Scholars program in undergrad and most of us took the GRE. I'm actually quite surprised people study so hard for it. I remember taking a couple practice tests and being done. Some of my classmates didn't even study. I'm genuinely curious as to why some have studied so hard for the GRE? Is it just to make sure you feel as confident as possible with the way the test will be?


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I studied for about 6 weeks and still didn't do that great. I haven't taken a math course in 10 years and it was always a subject I struggled greatly with. The GRE math, in my opinion, is very challenging. When I took the test, there was lots of geometry and trigonometry. I haven't had to study either in over a decade. So I didn't think it would make a lot of sense to go into the exam without having at least prepared myself.

As someone else said, DPT programs are extremely competitive, so you want to go above and beyond the minimum requirements for everything on your app. But I agree, having to take a 4-hour standardized test with lots of tricky math questions and obscure vocabulary terms shouldn't be indicative of how strong an applicant you are. I think most grad programs just use it as a way to cut off students who are otherwise equally qualified for the limited seats available.