Ask your GRE questions here: How important? Are yours too low? When to take?

Test Preparation
241

I don’t actually, have a “chance me” question, but I wanted to ask for some advice on how to tackle the reading comprehension questions. I’ve been doing fairly well in the practice questions, except the reading comprehension is ripping me apart and I can’t figure out how to eliminate answers that both seem correct. It is beyond frustrating :frowning:

Take for example, this question:

On the basis of the Big Bang theory **scientists predicted levels of Helium-3 in the universe that are ten times greater than the levels actually observe **. According to the original model, Helium-3 is produced when low-mass stars burn up hydrogen and become ‘red giants’, as well as being produced in the Big Bang itself. Researchers have now produced a new model in which the Helium-3 produced by a red giant is pushed to the star’s interior and burnt up. Hence the Big Bang theory is no longer undermined by Helium-3 data.

The two portions in bold-face are related to each other in which of the following ways?

A. The first highlights an observation that tends to undermine a particular theory. The second is that theory.
B. The first is a fact that undermines a theory. The second is context for accepting that theory.
C. The first points to an inconsistency in a particular model; the second is the author’s main conclusion.
D. The first is a challenge to a classic theory; the second resolves that challenge.
E. The first is a position that the author does not accept; the second is the author’s position.

I had chosen answer D because that seemed like the most correct, but I was wrong and the answer was apparently C. I just don’t understand why. The more I am practicing, the more frustrated I get with the test takers for making idiotic questions like this. Is the second bold statement not a resolution to the challenge presented in the original theory?

EDIT: ah wait, maybe C is actually a better answer… I still think it is an unfair question though…

242

For reading comprehension questions, it’s very easy to get tricked because there always answers that you can argue for or justify. What helped me was trying to look at what the author was trying to convey or what exactly was the goal of the passage (this also helps in sentence completion questions).

You can totally justify your answer choice of D (this question is particularly crappy). I will try to argue why C is better.

Answer C is the better answer than D for two reasons: 1 because the first bold is NOT a challenge to a classic theory because the AUTHOR is not challenging the theory itself. The author is /stating/ a challenge the theory faced, he or she is not challenging it him or herself (semantics, I know). The passage is informative, not persuasive. This weakens the first part of answer D. The first part of Answer C “the first points to an inconsistency in a particular model” has an unbiased, neutral tone similar to that in the informative passage.

  1. the second bolded statement does not “resolve that challenge”. That sentence that actually resolves the challenge is the previous sentence “Researchers have now…” The final sentence that is bolded is the conclusion which fits teh second part of answer C.

When you are stuck between answers that you see as “technically” right, look for answers that fit, match, or are reminiscent of the tone of the passage or the perceived goal/motivation of the writer. I hope this helps!!

243

Okay, so kinda switching gears. Does anyone have any tips or recs for prepping for the Quantitative section? Any recs for online tools?(I’m thinking of going Magoosh). I got a 152 in Quant and would like to boost it at least 5 points. I think my main problems are pacing (I always run out of time) and not being able to see a problem in different ways. Like when I go to another problem and come back, I can’t see problems in a new light or in different ways. And then I freak out. My main weak math areas are geometry and interpreting charts and graphs (they’re all pretty weak though).

Thank you in advance!

244

What are my chances? Should I retake GRE?

Looking to apply to top M.S./M.Eng Programs in Electrical Engineering.
Considering:
-Stanford
-Berkeley
-UIUC
-Cornell
-Georgia Tech
-CMU
-Princeton

Major - Electrical Engineering
Undergrad GPA - 4.0
GRE - 160V/169Q/3.5AW

Published as second author in IEEE Conference Paper during undergrad

I only took the GRE once, two weeks ago. I regret not practicing more analytical writing. I’m not looking forward to studying the GRE again, as I have applications/statements/LORs to put together as well as this semester’s school work… Should I retake the GRE? How do I look?

Thank you!

245

I don’t think you should retake it if you plan to pursue your Master’s as a terminal degree. Your quantitative and verbal are good enough for the top engineering programs, not to mention your GPA (which I think is actually more important than GRE for engineering majors). But if you want to pursue a Ph.D. eventually, you will need to retake it because 3.5 AW puts you in the 38th percentile and there’s no justifying that (since you spend 2 years of Ph.D writing your dissertation).

Good luck!

246

Hi all,

This is my first post and I really appreciate your advices! I took my first GRE today and got V156 and Q168, still waiting on the writing to come out. I am applying for the top PhD programs in pharmacology/neuroscience in the country. Please help me decide if the verbal score would be too low for those programs!

My other stats: Top 20 college, UGPA 3.8, 2-3 publication in review, strong rec letter (i think).

Thanks so much!

247

I’m two points below the average for the one program I am applying to. I hope it’s not a huge deal. It’s 5 points below the program I am hoping to transfer into, but the annoying thing about the GRE is it’s not like I wasn’t able to do any of the questions, it’s just difficult to figure them all out under the time constraints. /rant

248

I have a 2.99 gpa and a 296 GRE score. I am looking to apply to biotechnology and biology based masters programs which are thesis based. What are my chances of getting in?

249

After using College Confidential all these years I finally decided to make a username, so first post but long time user !
I’m applying for the University of California at Irvine’s MA program in history.
And here are my scores
V154, Q139, AW4.5- The percentiles are pretty brutal. I recently took it, less than a month ago. I was set to move to a different state over the summer for a different grad program that did not require the test but I had a sudden change of plans, had to take care of stuff at home thus, I only had time to take the GRE once.
But here are my undergrad stats/other qualifications
BA History, University of Southern California, 3.57 GPA
Research Assistant for a book and a professor.
Editorial work on another book.
Work in two historical archives: One as a content provider (interviews and document collection), the other as organizer of important collections.
Created two websites: Both digital history resources and presented them at symposiums.
Also if this helps, at UC Irvine I contacted 2 professors in the department who both expressed interest.
Regarding my work in archives and websites I stated my interest as British history, specifically focusing on African diaspora and this work was not wholly related to my research interests but some of it was European and African-American history based.

Sorry for all the rambling but I guess my main question is my verbal score too low for UCI’s MA program? It’s not a top tier program but I fear that it will be too low. If so will it deter my admission into the program? ex- Is there some kind of a cut off that someone knows about?

Thank you for the advice and good luck to everyone.

250

Disclaimer: I posted this in another discussion forum and copy-pasted it here. Not sure if its against the rules.

I am senior at a US News top 30 school right now, and the majors that I’m considering in graduate school are Data Science/ Statistics/ Computer Science, which are all related.

I will be applying to the CS programs in Chicago, Columbia, USC, UCSD, UCSB, UCD, UCI, and Statistics programs in Yale, Duke, Cornell, UCLA, JHU, and UFlorida.

My stats are:

Major: B.S. in Mathematics (Pure) + Specialization in Computing
CGPA: 3.49, Major GPA: 3.55, Math requirement GPA: 3.71
GRE (General): 163 (VR), 170 (QR), 5.0 (AW)
Research Experience: 2010/06 - 2011/06, 2014/06-2014/09 at a research institute. The former was done as part of my high school requirement.
Research Accomplishment: first author in two journal papers and a conference paper in Material Physics.
Note: Research involved a fair bit of programming in C++.

For ECs, I have

  1. Table Tennis: I’m a member of the Varsity team and we qualified for nationals last season. Been in it for my entire college career.
  2. A community service club: Been in it during my sophomore and junior year.
  3. A business related club. Joined in Sept 2015.

Acads wise, I have taken 17 upper division Mathematics courses (we only need to take 12 to graduate), including a Stats/CS/Data Science related seminar that required us to do a final project. Other classes I took include Calculus, Linear Algebra (Honors), Real Analysis (Honors), Complex Analysis, Numerical Analysis, ODE, PDE, Probability, Hyperbolic Geometry, Differential Geometry, Topology, Optimization.
I plan to take Abstract Algebra, Stochastic Process, a CS class on Algorithms, and Mathematical Statistics next quarter.

More about me:
I had a freshman GPA of ~3.2 because I knew most of the content being taught but weren’t exactly well-versed in them and wasn’t motivated to study… I know my GPA is pretty bad, considering that the people around me have ~3.7 overall… Also, I haven’t done any Stats and CS courses yet and that hurts my chances of admission too. On the plus side, I have a Specialization in Computing (which hopefully makes up abit for my lack of relevant experience in CS), and will be taking CS/Stats classes in my remaining two quarters.

Which of the programs do I really have a shot in? I personally am lacking confidence that I can get into any of them. Also, what are some other programs (in CS/ Stats/ Data Sci) that perhaps I should consider?

251

G.P.A. 3.59
Major G.P.A. 3.87
Psychology Major
Corporate Dynamics Minor
GRE V:164 Q:168 AW:6.0(99th) ETS GRE/GMAT Conversion Tool: 750 GMAT (98th) (V +Q)…V(680)+W(800)=1480=98th Percentile…translates to V:168 Q:168 Tri-factor GMAT Score: 780 (99+) (Calculated by converting GRE percentiles to SAT percentiles on V+W=1480=98th percentile which is tantamount to 168 Verbal Overall)
SAT Superscore W:800(99.5%ile) CR:780(99th) M:760(98th)
PSAT M:80(99th) CR:78(99th)
ETS Field Major Psychology Test: 189 (98th) Cognition/Learning/Memory (99th/ Perfect Score) Social + Developmental (97th)

National Merit Scholarship Competition Semi-Finalist
Research Assistant on ACT Therapy Study for Course Credit

Member of Psychology Research Club (Experimenter/Data Aggregator/Manual Grader)
Upcoming Author of Two Manuscripts (Creativity and Musical Preference+WM and STOMP)
Upcoming Presentation at RMPA
Talented Poet: http://hellopoetry.com/poem/1514533/arrest-to-earths-untenanted-lease/ (worth a read)
Progressive/Deep House/ Progressive Trance DJ
Volunteer Merchandising Work Experience (350+ Hours)
Probable Internship (YTBD)
Excellent Essays
Above Average Recommendations
Noteworthy Public Speaking Experience

Chance me at UCSB/NYU/UT-Austin/U-Miami/UW-Madison/CSU Fort Collins (Cognitive Psychology PhD.)

Chance me at: USC Marshall, USF(California), USD(San Diego), U-Miami, Boston College, NYU, UNC-Chapel Hill, SDSU, SJSU, UC-Boulder, UC-Irvine (MBA Programs)

Should I retake the GRE? On the Official ETS GRE Practice Tests
Test #1 V:168 Q:169=790 GMAT(99+) W:?
Test #2 V:166 Q:170=780 GMAT(99+) W:?

Bankrolled throughout college (lacking work experience)

252

164 V, 168 Q, 6.0 AWA? I don’t see a reason to retake. If you don’t get in, it won’t be because of your GRE score. (Also, no one is going to care about stuff like SAT, let alone PSAT.) Your research experience will be what makes or breaks an application.

253

@nanotechnology thanks for the advice! hopefully I do get in!

254

should you retake. Absolutely not.

btw: no one cares about the SAT or other high school stuff once you have matriculated to undergrad. Grad schools certainly don’t care.

255

@bluebayou @nanotechnology You might be right about them not caring, I wasn’t trying to gloat…I just thought it was relevant (or at least my ego thought it was relevant LOL)

256

Regarding SAT scores: beyond college admissions, the only time I’ve seen them matter is when someone is applying to the most prestigious investment banks. They ask for your SAT scores in their applications and interviews, and most kids applying to these jobs include their scores on their resume. Ofc, they would need to be high like yours to satisfy HR at these particular banks, such as Goldman Sachs.

257

Want to apply for Ph. D. CS program in any university in the USA

Master of Computer & Information Science, December 2016 GPA: 3.48/4 (Until Now)

Bachelor of Computer Science, June 2005 GPA: 3.55/4

EXPERIENCES:
[Teaching Assistant], DEC 2009 – PROGRESSING
• Taught Introduction to Computer, Data Structure and Algorithm, Computer Ethics, Computer Programming with C# (lab), Programming Language with C++ (lab), Operating System, and Theory of Computation (just assistance)
• Explained concepts in small group setting; graded assignments and examinations
• Held office hours for individual student discussion
• Designed brochures and posters for computers and Information Technology College
• Served as a member of Quality Committee
• Worked as a minor Academic Adviser

[Teacher], OCT 2009 – DEC 2009
• Taught courses in Basic Computer Skills and assessed student work
• Coordinated morning high school student broadcasts
• Provided remedial courses in Visual Basic

[Teacher], OCT 2008 – FEB 2009
• Taught courses in Basic Computer Skills and assessed student work.
• Presented a Photoshop workshop.

[Computer Instructor], JUN 2008 – AUG 2008
• Taught Introduction to Computer Science, System Analysis and Design, speed typing, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Access), Photoshop, Internet, Windows XP
• Held a typing contest to encourage mastering of keyboarding skill

[Secretary], MAR 2007 – MAR 2008
• Performed difficult, varied and confidential administrative duties including conference, meeting, travel planning
• Prepared letters, report forms, brochures, and cards for administrators and staff
• Organized events both internally and externally
• Provided customer service and organizational skills

[Computer Instructor], OCT 2005 – JAN 2007
• Taught Operating System Networks, Data Structure, System Analysis and Design, Programing with C++, Java, HTML, Microsoft Office (Word, FrontPage, Access), Photoshop, Principles of Management and Marketing, Teaching Methods.
• Taught basic computer skills to elderly women residents.

ADDITIONAL EDUCATION:
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
English Language Program, August 2013 – December 2014

My problem is GRE 140V, 151Q, 3AW .however, I don’t need financial assistantship.

258

Hello everyone! This is such an awesome community! Lots of great stuff on grad applications.

Could anyone comment on the GRE score ‘that would keep someone out’ of programme in Data Science/Statistics?

My current GRE score is V165/Q158/AW 4.5 and I am worried that my GRE score would keep me out, what do you think guys?

Other than that, I have a 2+ years experience in consulting and analytics, and a BSc in Economics with a GPA of 3.7 (converted from a percentage grade).

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Alex

259

My son is currently a junior in Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M. He plans to apply directly to several of the top Aerospace Engineering PhD programs, including Michigan, Purdue, Georgia Tech, and Princeton, focusing on space propulsion, particularly on plasma propulsion. His grades are good and he is focused on getting research experience between now and when applications start being due next December. He will also graduate with minors in History and German. He just visited with the propulsion programs and graduate advisors at Michigan and Purdue and he seems to have made a good impression. He will also visit Georgia Tech in March and Princeton later.

He took the GRE over Christmas break, basically with no preparation. His scores were V 168/Q 165/AW 6.0. Should he retake the test? The top AE graduate programs average 166-168 on Quantitative Reasoning.

It’s just been four years since I started on this board when he was a junior in HS and now he’s a college junior. Time really flies!

260

Hey, beaudreau. I think that whether he retakes the GRE depends on his GPA. How does his GPA compare to the averages of the school’s he’s applying to? PhD programs are incredibly competitive, so LOR’s, GPA, statement of purpose, research, and overall fit are all incredibly important factors to take into account when applying to said schools, especially considering that he plans on applying straight out of undergrad. Your son’s scores are strong, even if they’re slightly below the averages you quoted for the Quant section at top AE graduate programs. If he has great LOR’s, a really high GPA, plans to write a solid statement of purpose, and has made very strong contributions to his field through prominent research, I’d say the GRE scores can stay as they stand. However, if he doesn’t have all of the aforementioned criteria lined up (and, I mean, really well lined up), a GRE retake might be the way to go. Considering that AE programs call for lots of research and the fact that your son doesn’t have years of research experience in college, I would lean towards having him retake the GRE. This is just my opinion, though.