Did terribly on GRE

christvs, DNP, RN, NP · Dec 7, 2005

How do you know your scores are really that bad? Do you know what the minimum score that the grad schools you want to go to want you to get on it? I studied for my GRE for 2 months (a couple of hours every other day or so?). I used the CD-rom they sent me and also I bought 2 prep books. One was a Barron's GRE prep book-it covers everything-the verbal section, writing, and math. I also bought "Word Smart for the GRE" by the Princeton Review. It covers vocab. I made about 400 vocab flashcards and carried them around with me all the time! Then I went over and practiced doing antonyms, analagies, sentence completion, etc. I am pretty good with basic math and word problems, but I had forgotten some algebra and geometry so I spent some time reviewing those areas. And I practiced writing essays after looking at one of the practice topics. I hope that helps you! Let me know if you need any other advice or help. Good luck!

-Christine

FloridaCCRN, CRNA · Dec 7, 2005

How do you know your scores are really that bad? Do you know what the minimum score that the grad schools you want to go to want you to get on it? I studied for my GRE for 2 months (a couple of hours every other day or so?). I used the CD-rom they sent me and also I bought 2 prep books. One was a Barron's GRE prep book-it covers everything-the verbal section, writing, and math. I also bought "Word Smart for the GRE" by the Princeton Review. It covers vocab. I made about 400 vocab flashcards and carried them around with me all the time! Then I went over and practiced doing antonyms, analagies, sentence completion, etc. I am pretty good with basic math and word problems, but I had forgotten some algebra and geometry so I spent some time reviewing those areas. And I practiced writing essays after looking at one of the practice topics. I hope that helps you! Let me know if you need any other advice or help. Good luck!
-Christine

On the School's website it states >1100. I scored 800. I used kaplan, but it didn't come with a CD. I will get Barron's and study with the cd's, and make flash cards. Hopefully I can raise my score. I am not that great in math (geometry)and that's what really did me in.

1Tulip · Dec 7, 2005

At our university there are two "authorities" on admission to the Graduate School. The first is... the Office of Graduate Studies for the University as a whole. They will publish generic standards for grad students in general. But then there is the Graduate Dept. of your School... in your case, the School of Nursing. Before you panic, make sure you are getting the straight scoop on what your School of nursing requires. They are allowed to make exceptions and judge candidates in their own way.

About GRE scores. I bombed spectacularly on my GREs (I think I got under 500 total.) but I still got into my MSN program on the strength of my undergrad grades. When I applied to get into a PhD program, I made sure I found out what their standards were. (This was in Cellular Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology). Happily they said they weren't even going to look at the (what do you call it?) the spatial reasoning, analogy, puzzle part of the GRE and told me to just shot-gun that section. They said I had to have minimum 500 on math and language each.

I contact student services at our University. I took a course on 4 consecutive Saturdays. They did not teach us GRE material. They taught us GRE tricks and stradegy. Turns out there is a pattern to questions. The first third are straight forward and you pick the most obvious answer. The last third are designed to confuse, NEVER pick the most obvious answer. The middle third are in between and you would do well to spend your limited time figuring them out, reading them carefully.

As a result of this course (and no additional study in actual subjects) I got a 510 in math and a 630 on verbal.

If you can find out where they are offering such a course, you'd do well to look into it.

Good luck. Oh, and btw: GRE scores are absolutely NOT predictive of graduate school success. Don't beat yourself up.

Jerico, BSN, RN · Dec 7, 2005

I took the GRE back in 1988 when it wasn't on computer. Six grueling hours with a pencil and a bubble sheet. Gads.

THEN when I applied to a grad school six years later they wanted me to take it AGAIN! Computerized that time.

I sometimes think the "requirement" for GRE and such are just to see how tenacious you are. :smokin:

BTW: My BSN school was FAR harder than graduate school. Well, if you discount the graduate thesis and EIGHT hour WRITTEN cumulative exam comparing AND contrasting "ALL the psychological theories....". A NIGHTMARE (rather Freudian, don't you think....?):chair:

FloridaCCRN, CRNA · Dec 8, 2005

Thanks for all the words of encouragement. I am feeling much better today. I am going to hit the books hard, try to find a review course as suggested, and raise my score. Thanks for the pep talk:wink2:

birthmamaew · Dec 11, 2005

Don't sweat this. I REFUSED to take the GRE since I do horrible on standardized tests such as this one, the SAT etc. and since studies have shown that they predict the success of how a person will do in graduate school with 9% accuracy. There are a number of schools out there that will do a GRE waiver if your GPA is good (usually a cut off of around 3.3) Perhaps the school you are interested in is one of them? Might be worth checking out if you really did as poorly as you think you did.

jewelcutt · Dec 13, 2005

You said you scored an 800, was this just between math and verbal? Was it the older test or the newer one with the essay. Getting an 800 between math and verbal isn't horrible.

srnabound3997 · Dec 13, 2005

You said you scored an 800, was this just between math and verbal? Was it the older test or the newer one with the essay. Getting an 800 between math and verbal isn't horrible.

Try a review course, maybe that will help.

FloridaCCRN, CRNA · Dec 13, 2005

You said you scored an 800, was this just between math and verbal? Was it the older test or the newer one with the essay. Getting an 800 between math and verbal isn't horrible.

It was the new one with the essay, I took it on the 7th. I need >1100 to be competitive for TCU. I just bought a study guide with cd-rom and plan to study and retake it in six weeks. :stone