Graduate Record Examination

[Sulkdodds]

Crikey, blimey, bollocks and wank,
I seek the aid of a kindly yank.

So this autumn I'm going to be applying, among other things, to various American graduate programmes - to the School of Journalism at Columbia University, for example, and the Medill Graduate School at Northwestern in Chicago. But as it turns out they all require me to take some kind of standard test - the GRE. I thought I'd done away with such general-knowledge maths-n'-english rote learning when I graduated from a good university with a first class degree, but so it goes. I am, perhaps unjustifiably, intimidated.

Who's taken this test? Can anyone tell me how you found it and what it involves? How good does my math (ha) have to be? I haven't done any ****ing maths since I was 16; never thought I'd need to. How much does it figure into assessment? Is there a book I can buy which will simply tell me How To Win?

Cheers, you adorable septics. Also British people are allowed to answer if they know anything about it I GUESS.

 

[The Monkey]

Have you read the Wikipedia article? Looks like there're some useful facts there.

 

[Doomination]

yuck, journalism

 

[dfc05]

I took it two years ago.

The best advice I have is to go to the official GRE website. They have one or two practice exams which you can download (it's a program, not like a pdf). I believe they also have a pdf of the math you are expected to know (if you've ever taken the standard deviation of anything, note that the formula they use is WRONG but you should use theirs on the exam). And they have a huge list of topics for the writing section. In fact, I think every topic they can choose from might be on that list, but obviously there are too many to make up and memorize your essay .

I believe they also have sample scored essays and describe how they grade them (for example, on the argument essay, you are not expected to know/use the technical terms for all the logical fallacies. Actually they probably discourage that.)

If you need vocab lists, you can check out an exam prep book or just google something like "GRE Vocabulary List".

Here's how I do things (perhaps not for everyone):
Study all the vocabulary and math first.
Then take the practice exams so you have a better idea of how you will do.

The practice exams are important because, at least when I took it, the program you have to do the exam in runs at 800x600 resolution. This is not a joke. If you're not used to giant pixelated text, it can drive you insane. Also there are certain functions (like copy/paste) that do not work in their word processor on the essay section. And it's always good to know where/what the buttons are so you don't accidentally screw up.

P.S. Since you are going for journalism, I expect they will not care at all what your math score is. Typically nobody actually cares much about the entire GRE (some schools don't even require it). It's more of a stupid formality.

[edit] Here's the link: http://www.ets.org/gre/general/prepare
Go through everything listed under "Free GRE General Test Preparation Materials."
The PowerPrep stuff is the practice exam you should download and try eventually.
Looks like they also have paper practice exams. Also useful, but of course the program is a more accurate experience (it's one of those things where if you get a problem right, the next problem they give you is slightly harder).

P.P.S. As for how I found it, I did very well but I practiced a lot. I happened to be working an internship that didn't actually require me to work much, so I learned vocab. The part I hated most was the Opinion essay (they call it something else but that's basically what it is). I'm not very opinionated so I probably didn't promote my position strongly enough. However, the other essay where you viciously tear apart a poor argument they give you... that was kinda fun.

Also you will find that they give you an extra experimental, unscored section, either verbal or math. They do not tell you which one it is. I'm not sure if this is nice because you feel like you get a second chance at something, or evil because it makes the test longer.

I looked at Kaplan and Peterson books. Mostly for the verbal part (I'm an engineer, so kinda opposite boat as you). If you can't get these in the library, PM me. Let's just say they included cd's with no copy protection. One of them seemed way more difficult than the actual exam -- I think Peterson's.

But to reiterate, if you have good recommendation letters and did well as an undergrad, don't worry too much. Really, nobody cares that much about the GRE.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

God they have an SAT III now? ****.

 

[Stigmata]

God they have an SAT III now? ****.

That's what happens when learning is replaced by standardised testing.

 

[MJ12]

Did Tristen make you a ****ing American?