Should I just give up?

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cara susanna

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Hi everyone, first time posting a thread here. Wish it were under happier circumstances.

I just got back from taking the GRE. 500-something verbal and quantitative. Quant I've always been bad at, but verbal I got 600's on the practice tests so that one surprised me.

I don't know what to do. I've been studying for it for 2 years. I've taken numerous practice tests, I've gone through all sorts of books, I've even looked at a math book. I'm just not a logical person, I'm a bad standardized test taker, and I tend to experience extreme test anxiety (I was shaking by the last section).

This was my first time taking it so I can retake it, but I'm not sure if that's going to help my score. I know that I have no hopes of getting in anywhere with a 1000, so I don't know what to do. I've wanted to go into clinical PhD programs since 8th grade, and I've strived to meet every requirement, but this GRE is just killing me. Should I just give up and accept that maybe I don't have what it takes? I don't know what else I can possibly do for preparation; I don't have any Kaplan or Princeton Review centers in my city, and I've used every prep book under the sun. But it still seems that I'm not good enough. I mean, there are people who can just walk in with no preparation and get 700's, and I can't even get 600's after 2 years of studying.

My sister and mom are suggesting that maybe I go for my Masters first, but I don't see how that would help my GRE scores. I have a good GPA, research experience, etc, but I can't get the GRE scores that I need.

I could really use some advice. I don't know what to do. I'm so lost, and devastated. I don't want to give up my dream just because of some stupid test, but I know that I won't be competitive with my scores. Yet I don't know how to raise them, either.

I'm going to stop now because I'm just repeating myself. Sorry, I'm really upset right now and therefore not in the best frame of mind.

Thanks.

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Going the Masters route is one way to show that you can handle the work. Make sure to stay involved with research during that also. The GRE is one measurement, but unfortunately some schools use it as a firm cut off....though other programs will still review your application if you are strong in other areas.
 
Absolutely do not give up. The GRE is not everything to all schools.

Think of it as a hurdle, not a 10 foot concrete wall;)

First, see what you can do about dealing with that test anxiety. You'd be surprised how much that can affect you. That alone might pull your score up 100+ points on a retake. Plus it will serve you well in graduate school since, obviously, there will be more tests, and many other situations that are even more anxiety-inducing than typical tests (like your first suicide assessment).

Second, just build that CV. Build, build, build. There are schools that use a hard GRE cutoff. There are plenty of schools that do not. Here for example, they use the cutoff early on, then every prof gets a stack of applications and pulls the ones with other outstanding qualifications back into the pool. You may just need to make sure you are applying to places that operate similarly, and that you have one of those other "outstanding" qualifications. A pub or two, some fantastic LORs from really well known folks, an "in" with your POI.

Your GRE makes getting in harder. If you're THAT sure this is what you want to do with your life, that shouldn't matter. It might take an extra year or two to get into a program relative to someone who got a 1400 on the first try, but that doesn't mean it can't be done.
 
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Hi Cara,

I think you might find my story uplifting, as I too have struggled with the GRE.

When I first took the GRE, I got a sub 1k score and I was devestated. I applied to a MA program with that score, but I didn't get in. However, they told me that if I re-took the GRE that following month and my score was considerably higher, they would re-evaluate my application. I went and took it a month later and got a score in the 800s.:( I thought I was doomed because of my GRE score.

I became depressed and really started to wonder if I could hack it in graduate school. My dreams started to fade away each and every time I would look at that evil ETS score report. After a few weeks of being devestated and depressed, I decided that I wasn't going to let that score keep me out of graduate school.

I read the writing on the bathroom wall and it told me that I should spend 2 years and get a MA degree that would show that I could do graduate level work. After all, that's what the GRE is supposed to do, right? Predict graduate school success? I looked around the internet and found a MA program that had a fairly low GRE cut-off and I applied. To my suprise, I was accepted and here I am. I now have a 3.9 GPA and a ton of experience under my belt for when I apply to PhD programs. Keep in mind that my undergrad advisor told me that I didn't have the aptitude for graduate school. Also, my fellow students (with higher GRE scores of course) told me that I may need to re-think if I have what it takes to be in a graduate program. I've been on some other forums similar to this one and asked the question about getting in with low GRE scores and got the same answers; "take it again, you'll never get in with that score," and "the GRE predicts how well you will do in grad school. your score indicates that you won't make it past the first semester..."

The GRE seems to be heavily weighted among some programs, and only moderately among others. Some programs truly take into consideration your other accomplishments (e.g. GPA, research experience, letters of recommendation, personal statement) and some say they do, but that must be after they use the GRE cut-off. This is where a lot of great candidates may be weeded out without their application ever passing the desk of the psychology department or your POI. So, what can you do?

What I have found to be effective is to find programs that you like, and from there find a POI that shares research interests with you. From there, e-mail them and introduce yourself. Tell them that you're iterested in working with them and ask them if they will be accepting students for the following term. Some professors will be chatty, while some will give you only a couple of words. From there, you'll need to address the fact that you don't feel that your GRE score doesn't fully represent you (if this is what you think, which I assume it is!). Talk to them about your options. Ask them if they can review your application even though you might not meet the mean/median GRE scores as the past applicants, or their current cut-off. I've found that being up front and honest works much better than hiding that you have a low GRE.

In a way, you'll have to go in the back door. And don't think for a second that everyone out there has a 4.0 and a perfect GRE! They don't. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. But, DO NOT LET THE GRE KEEP YOU FROM ACCOMPLISHING YOUR DREAMS!!! It may take you some extra work, but you'll find a program that's right for YOU. It may be that you need to enter a MA program and kick butt, or take a research assistant position to show your interest and aptitude in the field. Whatever it takes, if this is something that you want, you'll do what you need to do to make it happen.

I wish you the best. :)
 
I know the GRE is really hard and that its seems insurmountable and there are ways around it which have been kindly suggested above.

If you choose to retake the test, Kaplan and Princeton Review offer online courses which would be a really complement to the books you have been using to study. I highly recommend taking a Test prep online course if they aren't any Kaplan or Princeton Review testing centers in your town. These courses have much more practice material, are more up to date and really take you through each testing theory and strategy step by step. The GRE is really all about strategy much less about math.

I also had a subk 1 score the first time I took the test, for very similar reasons (test anxiety and a debilitating fear of math). I had enrolled in Kaplan before taking the test for the first time. I was able to negotiate a deal with Kaplan to retake the online course, I think you can do it for free following certain rules of their higher score guarantee (if you dont do well the 1st time after you take the course). After a repeat attempt at all the online material, the strategies made more sense and I was able to vastly improve my score (close to 1400). The courses are not cheap but a lot of applicants have taken them giving them an edge over non-course takers in the testing process.

I would try to take the test one more time before trying to apply and avoid it. I know the hard part is worrying about a repeat low score performance and this anxiety is hard to avoid but I do truly believe that consistent practice with an online prep software such as Kaplan and Princeton Review will break down the details of the each theory and strategy that many of the test prep books gloss over.

Also when doing practice tests, I sometimes use to cut corners and not sit the whole thing thru, every section while practicing, I am not saying you do this but that;s another tip I learned the second time-its as much an endurance test as a strategy based one. Sitting all practice tests thru is the best way to see how you will perform in real conditions, also trying sitting thru practice tests with an added section so if you get an experimental section you can handle the added time and pressure....

Also, a low score and then an improved decent score can make you a better candidate not a worse one (this was confirmed during one of my interviews when a professor commending me for retaking the test after I explained why I had scored low the first time around)

Best of luck whatever you chose to do, I really feel for you...the GRE is a pain in the a##.....
 
Thanks everyone for the responses and reassurance. It's nice to know that some of you were in the same boat but managed to get past this obstacle. I'm feeling somewhat better now; I think that I'm going to get a tutor from Kaplan and then retake the test in the summer. I think a lot of my problem is that the test scares the heck out of me, and I think getting tutored to take the test would help me feel more confident. If my scores don't go up though, I'll still apply and see where it goes.
 
Just a very quick reply here because i'm running out the door.

I've been in the same boat. My first GRE score was 1080 and my second was 1200. Not stellar, but comfortable enough not to get the auto toss at the schools I'm applying to.

I have a really hard time with these types of tests due to medical issues, but did find that I increased my scores on both verbal (+50) and quant (+70).

With the verbal, basically all I did was learn a crap load of words. Not as many as some people here, but I learned about 350 off of the 'top hit list' or what ever it's called. I also studied from the various GRE books the tips on what the questions are looking for and how to rule some answers out.

For math, I got a tutor through a company that tutors high school kids. Sounds dumb, and I felt dumb, but I haven't done math for years (I'm 28). The vast majority, if not all the math problems, you will find on the exam is grade 11 to 12 math. I couldn't afford the big bucks to get a proper GRE tutor so went this way. I took my GRE books in for them to look at and away we went. I also studied the tips in the GRE books for added reassurance (eg. never pick X if...).

Now I only was able to study for about 2 months to up my score, and only had about 3 math tutoring session and was able to boost my score. A lot of what happens in these exams are luck. You may have 2 questions that are weighted equal, but you know one of them and not the other.

So for me, actually learning how to do math again, and memorizing words, really worked for me. It was so nice to go in and do the verbal section and actually KNOW the definition to a few of the words rather than guess all of them (educated guesses of course, but guesses none the less).

Ok, I really have to go now. Good luck with the retake.
 
High school math tutor, huh? That'd be a LOT cheaper. Maybe I can find one of those. Thanks :D

Verbal I just need to look at vocab. I think my low score was due to anxiety, though; I'd consistently been getting 600's on practice tests.
 
Don't know if it'll help: I read through the dictionary 3 times & worked through an algebra and geometry book - seemed to improve my score appreciably. Not my idea of a good time, but my points went up more than friends who tried taking $1000 courses to improve their scores.
 
Can I ask what grade textbooks you used? That's also a good idea.
 
I also worked with a high school math tutor! I felt like a dork at first, but I think it's what ultimately pulled up my score. It really helped to have someone watch me do the problems and point out what I was consistently doing wrong.

Also, I know you're sick of prep books, but I used the Kaplan GRE and GMAT Math Exams Work Book. It's an overview of concepts, as opposed to the general prep books which focus more on test-taking tips. I found I had forgotten a lot of basic skills (like how to subtract fractions:rolleyes:) and this was really helpful.

Please don't give up! You have lots of time to study and retake it! I know its frustrating to struggle with the quant section when so many other people breeze through it, but remember that it's the easier section to study for. As for the verbal, I honestly think it's a lot luck (i.e. whether you know the first 5 words presented), so there's a good chance your score will go up the second time around.
 
I've actually worked through the entire Kaplan math workbook, but thanks. :D

Maybe HS tutor is the way to go... it'd cost less and I wouldn't have to drive 200 miles everytime.

Yeah, I think verbal is a lot of luck too. But like I said, I think I was anxious: they gave me two verbal sections, and on the second, I was just so worried about how I'd done on the quant section and so frazzled and so wanting to get my scores that I sort of blew it off. Maybe that was the experimental one, but I don't know for sure.

Edit: I saw that my college was offering an Intermediate Algebra course over the summer. So I signed up for that. I think that what I need are math skills, not test-taking skills. Then I'll just buy a HS Geometry book and work through that on my own.
 
I've actually worked through the entire Kaplan math workbook, but thanks. :D

Maybe HS tutor is the way to go... it'd cost less and I wouldn't have to drive 200 miles everytime.

Yeah, I think verbal is a lot of luck too. But like I said, I think I was anxious: they gave me two verbal sections, and on the second, I was just so worried about how I'd done on the quant section and so frazzled and so wanting to get my scores that I sort of blew it off. Maybe that was the experimental one, but I don't know for sure.

Edit: I saw that my college was offering an Intermediate Algebra course over the summer. So I signed up for that. I think that what I need are math skills, not test-taking skills. Then I'll just buy a HS Geometry book and work through that on my own.

i couldn't get much above 500 on the math, and that gave me super gre anxiety, in addition to my lifelong math anxiety. i also did the whole kaplan math books, and that didn't improve my score. i then got a basic college math textbook , and went through it front to back. i did every excercise, even stuff i knew, and it REALLY helped. 1) i got a through basic math background, something i didn't have. 2) it helped my confidence so so much. learning math, algebra and geometry systematiclly, with evey lesson building on each other MADE SENSE. gre math never did, and i always felt worse after using the kaplan. i got 90's and 100's on all my in book quizzes, and that helped my confidence so much, and really alleviated a part of my math anxiety. honestly, while writing personal statements and double and triple guessing all the other parts of my app., my basic math lessons were an anchor -- it was the only part where i studied, learned, and then saw problems that had a right answer. not a million iterations of better or worse answers -- one right answer.

when i returned to gre math, while it was different, and not a piece of cake, studying for it was clearer, because i no longer had to learn math -- i had that down, front to back -- i understood i head to learn how to answer gre-style math questions and play the gre game. my goals were clearer, and i took my struggles less personally, since i now felt confident in my understanding of math as an intelligent human being. i pulled my score up to a 640, which, no, wasn't yale level, but with a good verbal was enough to get me 8 interviews and into 3 programs (so far!). so good luck, you game plan sounds solid. you really can do it.
 
That's a very inspiring story! Can I ask how long you studied GRE math after getting your math skills up?
 
i had about 1 1/2 months, at 12-20 hours a week, for the kaplan after spending 2 months throughly going over the basic math textbook. in retrospect, i wish i had given myself one more moth for kaplan, because the week before the test what i really needed was to actually start to amp down on my studying, stop focusing on the things i was worst at and return to spending time on the gre math problems i consistently did best on. shores up your strengths. i am not a math whiz, but i'm fine. there are always going to be things that are tough for me, especiallly on a time limited test on a computer, and after a certian point i felt i had plateaued. at that point i took the test. i think i might have done even better if i had had an extra week or so to do build my confidence back up again by doing the stuff i was better at (for me, geometry), and also get faster at what i was good at, giving me more time for the inevitable challenges. i also wish i had gotten a tutor to help me with the stuff i kept on bumping heads with (for me, word problems, especially those "work" ones). but even so, i was very pleased with my results. everyone says that your GRE is going to be very similar to your SAT, but my math GRE score, after doing the math referser and then applying that knowledge to the GRE, was 120 pts higher.
 
You could consider getting some CBT to get rid of the test anxiety.
 
Haha... yes, that is always an option.

I don't get such extreme test anxiety in other situations though, I think it's just that the GRE genuinely scares me. I think the better I prepare myself for it, the less scary it will become.

If that isn't the case though, therapy is indeed a good option to consider.
 
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