Everything Gre
Another test? Yep.
What is the GRE?
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GRE stands for Graduate Record Examinations and is required for most graduate programs in the United States. The test is about 4 hours long, computerized, and consists of 1 Analytical Writing section (with 2 separate essays), 2 Verbal Reasoning sections, & 2 Quantitative Reasoning sections. After taking the exam, your scores are valid for 5 years.
What about my scores?
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Most schools will have a section that states the average GRE scores of students they have accepted on their website. If not, you can always ask someone from admissions. A GRE score that is a little out of their average range will not completely break your application, but try to do your best. Taking it earlier also means that you have time to retake it if necessary.
When should you take the GRE?
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As early as possible! Most people take it the summer before they start applying to graduate school (before their senior year). Give yourself a couple of months to study and familiarize yourself with the test.
How should you study for the GRE?
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Use books! There are also a number of GRE classes available, but they add up fast. Our favorite books were:
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The Official Guide to the GRE® General Test, Third Edition by ETS
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ETS are the GRE test administrators so their books should be your go-tos to understand how they test and master strategies they suggest
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5 lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems by Manhattan Prep
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It was great for practice, but on its own did not give THAT much strategy. It has good explanations on how to solve problems that you can deduce from the answer key
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GRE Math Prep Course by Nova
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This book was great if you wanted to hone in on your math scores.
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They can all be found on Amazon!​​
Helpful links
Kat's Take
Ugh, the GRE. I feel like I am a great example of what not to do. I started studying very minimally the summer prior to my senior year (when I applied to schools) and waited until I was back at school taking a full course load, still working in lab, and applying to graduate programs to really hit the books. Lucky for me, one of my best friends, who also happens to be a math genius (thanks, Lucas), tutored me extensively the month prior to my exam. If you can afford a private tutor or convince your friends to help, I strongly suggest doing so. If not, starting early is your best bet. As Kiara mentions below, the exam is expensive, so the less you have to take it, the better.
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And, perhaps most importantly, the GRE is not the be-all end-all. Throughout my application process, I heard countless times from both faculty members and admissions committees that the GRE is likely the least important factor in an application. More often than not, if you fall around the school's range, the GRE will not be what makes or breaks your admission. After all, studies have shown that the GRE is not a great predictor of graduate student success.
Kiara's Take
I hate standardized tests, they're not my thing. I ended up taking the GRE 3 times, because my math score wasn't exactly where I needed it to be for engineering programs. The first time I took it was after I did an REU (the summer after my 2nd year at Pitt), where a free GRE prep class was included in the REU. The class was good for test taking strategies, so if you do take a class, make sure that you soak all of that in. I took it again the Spring of my 4th year, while I was on co-op, but somehow did worse! I think it was because the book I was using that time was too easy for me. Then, the last time I took it (the summer before my 5th year/year I was applying to graduate school) I only ended up doing 1 point better on math, but I was done spending money on the test. My scores did hinder me from certain programs I think, specifically ones with a large volume of students that needed to be shrunken down somehow. However, other programs did not care. So I would suggest applying to a range of schools and not let your GRE scores hinder you, because they do not take away from your experiences or GPA or letters of recommendation.
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