So you're going to prepare for the GRE

[Peacedog]

Just the general one (as I understand there are different versions of it?). Anyone have any good recommendations in terms of resources or those programs where you pay people money and they help prepare you for ti?

A teacher whose opinion I put quite a bit of stock in recommended something where I met the people in person, and they bring in people to teach different parts (he mentioned a lawyer brought in to break down how to do the logic problems). Of course, he couldn't give me the name, hehe.

Anyway, I need to start researching my options.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

I took a Kaplan course. It was more expensive than it probably was worth (~$1000 for 13 classes, I think), but it definitely helped my score. You can always buy study books that come with practice tests and vocab lists. As long as you are diligent enough to take time out to complete the lessons and take the practice tests, you should do alright.

[flycatcher]

Just the general one (as I understand there are different versions of it?). Anyone have any good recommendations in terms of resources or those programs where you pay people money and they help prepare you for ti?

A teacher whose opinion I put quite a bit of stock in recommended something where I met the people in person, and they bring in people to teach different parts (he mentioned a lawyer brought in to break down how to do the logic problems). Of course, he couldn't give me the name, hehe.

Anyway, I need to start researching my options.

I took it cold turkey, i scored really good on the logic and math, pretty bad on verbal thou. I got in to grad school thou.

[Peacedog]

One place I am expecting to get into without much problem. The other I will need to do a good job on the GRE (and make an impression in an interview, I suspect), so I want to be really prepared. I can easily live not going to the "tougher" school, but I'd like to give it my best shot to get in.

[JohnnyFive]

If you've taken (and done well on) the SAT, the GRE really won't be so bad. The analytical section takes some brainwork, but you usually get the right answer at the end -- at least look over that to make sure you know how it goes. (Disclaimer: I took the GRE in 2000, I think they have a writing section now?).

Princeton Review does a nice book.

[Peacedog]

Oh, and it appears I will need to take the GRE Computer Science Subject Test for one place as well as the GRE. Bugger that.

I'm tentatively planning on enrolling in spring 06 (with a spring/summer graduation and some extra time to hopefully put in a full year's work experience).

If you've taken (and done well on) the SAT, the GRE really won't be so bad.

The good:

I tend to do well on standardized testing. I did take the SAT thrice but I scored well. And that was with minimal outside of school preparation (one two-part, four hour total, course; no math prep). My high school was supposed to have me better prepared for it.

The bad:

Hmmm, my last math of note (not statistics related) was 94. My last Math of note (statistics related) was 96. Last english classes of note were 93-94. It's been awhile. I figure if nothing else some good prepartory mateiral will refresh the math. I used to be pretty good at that stuff.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

I took it cold turkey, i scored really good on the logic and math, pretty bad on verbal thou. I got in to grad school thou.

Bad in the verbal? I don't believe it.

P.S. Just so you know, PD - there's no logic section in the GRE anymore; an essay section replaced it.

[Peacedog]

Homez I can really write me some essays, word.

What kind of essays?

[Defiant]

Here is some test prep stuff. You can also find GRE prep books at the library or the bookstore which are worth using. Some come with software you can test with, as well, and it certainly helps to have practiced the test a few times so you're comfortable with test.

I dunno if it's worth paying for actual courses to prepare you - that would depend on how good you are, what kind of score you want/need, and how much money you're willing to spend, I guess. I can't imagine there's that much difference between the major programs, though.

It's also worth remembering while you certainly want to do well in all the sections, some programs will put an emphasis on one section more than the other, so you may want to concentrate more on one than the other, depending.

[Dirt]

The man's word has alot of stock, but he won't tell you which one? Tease.

[Peacedog]

The man's word has alot of stock, but he won't tell you which one? Tease.

Well, he's no spring chicken, so he may not remember.

I was surprised that he didn't come out with a "The Anderson Course(tm)!". What are ya going to do.

I dunno if it's worth paying for actual courses to prepare you - that would depend on how good you are, what kind of score you want/need, and how much money you're willing to spend, I guess. I can't imagine there's that much difference between the major programs, though.

It's also worth remembering while you certainly want to do well in all the sections, some programs will put an emphasis on one section more than the other, so you may want to concentrate more on one than the other, depending.

Other things being equal, I'd want to focus on vocab/grammar or the equivalents for the GRE. That's always been my weekest area. Math was my strongest, but again it's been ages so I'll at least need a review. What kind of math can I expect to see on the GRE? Trig? Calculus? Elementary addition (I'm good at that!)?

As for prep materials, money probably won't be an object, and I need to score as high as I can (I probably need to knock one out of the park for the one school).

Also, anyone have any experience with the Subject Test?

[Ralph-Wiggum]

I think the math includes geometery and algebra. No trig or calculus. It's harder than the SAT math, but not by much. The verbal section, on the other hand, is much harder than the SAT. There were analogies where I didn't understand any of the words, both in the question and in the answer. The test scales to how you are doing - if you start out well, you get progressively harder questions.

The essay questions aren't too hard. They give you a scenario and you have to choose one of two options and explain your decision by pointing out flaws in the other option and the strengths of your choice.

[Crux]

Depends how confident you are. I'd recommend taking some online IQ tests as some of the questions can be a bit similar. For the most part though I think you either know this stuff or you don't. You can brush up on the basic math stuff (algebra, etc) but the logic and verbal...

Personally I didn't study for it but I got into grad school, for what it is worth.

[Smoove_B]

I took the GREs about 2 months after I finished my undergrad work, so my mind was still pretty sharp with respect to test-taking.

Depending on how long it's been for you, the actual testing process is probably more of a hurdle than the material.

I used a software package to review test questions. I think it was a Kaplan course. I know people that have taken the actual class, but no one seems to really enjoy it.

The software was good for me because after you take the test(s), it would go over the answers with you and explain why one answer was correct and the others were incorrect. I think there was also a book I used that was really good for the verbal sections. I seem to remember sections that had latin roots which was actually VERY helpful in decryping the insane words they used on the questions.

I also seem to remember that I did about the same on the GREs as the SATs. Although I did kick some ass in the logic section - scored in the 90th percentile. Then I found out no one looks at that score.

I might still have the 3.5 floppy - if I can find the name of the program I used, I'll post it here.

[LordMortis]

My opinion (worth less than the paper these forums are printed on) is that if you hop up CompUSA and buy a $20 test questions program and do OK on it, then you have nothing to worry about. If you don't then you should have a pretty good idea of what to brush up on. Me, I don't brush up. I know or I don't know. However, I also have an uncanny knack for objective test taking, so my preperation for those test is to inevitably forget about them until a couple of day before, wonder what I could have done to prep, get my nervous energy up the night before, drink like crazy, wonder in barely on time with a hang over, and take the test on auto pilot. I've never taken the real GRE or LSAT, so I don't know how I'd actually do on them, but I did have the State of Michigan fuck up and give me the wrong subject test for my teaching certification and still managed to score in the 98th percentile. I was hung over, so I figured the questions really did make sense for teaching English in some twisted fashion. What a waste of four hours of my life.... BTW hangovers and 8 hours of testing to not work well together. (I had to take two batteries of tests that day)

One day, when I get a shit ton of money I figure I'll take the LSAT and see if I want to do graduate studies in law. Once upon a time it was what I wanted to do with my life. But it was more of me being infatuated by law than it was me wanting to have a career in it.

[MHS]

I did the Kaplan book with CD, including test questions, and because I was worried about the math, I also bought a few of those 7th grade laminated charts that show all the formulas for everything. I would guess that I studied using all of those for about 3 weeks before the test and put in a decent showing (700+ on each section). You are allowed to use scratch paper, so what I did was write down all the formulas on the scratch paper as soon as I sat down so that I wouldn't forget them. I ended up not really needing that, but it took a lot of the stress off of it for me.

[jimbo]

I used a book with a cd and it helped alot. When you sing up to take the test the GRE compant (ETS or some such thing) sends you a cd with practice tests on it. The good thing about the practice tests is that you get to see the answers and you can see the tricks that they use to get you to pick the wrong answer.

Also, I took it last year in CT and they were all computerized where it test adapts to how you are doing and figures out your score. How it works is the first question is middle of the road. If you get it right, you get a harder question, if not you get an easier question. This process is repeated until the computer can figure out your score. This means that it is most important to get the first few questions right so that you have a chance for a higher score.

The writing part involves reading a paragraph and then writing a short essay on the merits or shortcomings of the argument presented in said paragraph. If I remember correctly you get to choose one from two or three to actually write about.

I recommend the book though as the free cd may not get to you in time if you sign up a week before you take the test.

[Grundbegriff]

there's no logic section in the GRE anymore; an essay section replaced it.

Lameness on the part of ETS....

[driver]

I also did the Kaplan book with the CD.