4 months of preparation = nothing

[iceani]

On 22 November 2010 Melissa scored a 980 on the GRE.

A 590 on the verbal (down 10 points from my 2006 score).

A 390 on the quantitative (down 150 from my 2006 score). [AN: the nebulous "they" and all the damned book writers say that the quantitative section is generally considered the easier of the 2...well, they never met me. I'm good at math. I can

Comments

[jhsc22]

I had to dig forever to find this. FAIL once again.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much. What did you get on the written part? I took the GRE four times and did horribly every time except for the written, which I had a 6 on. I didn't even have FSU's minimum score for their PhD program.

And I still got in. And into two other programs, too.

If you can take it again before the deadlines, I would. Just in case. Screw the money situation and use a credit card. It's what, $140? But if you absolutely can't take it, don't worry about it. Your application will be strong otherwise. But whatever you do, DON'T try to explain it in your essay or application materials. There's no explanation other than that the GRE is a stupid fucking exam that doesn't measure intelligence or aptitude for graduate school in the least. And most programs know this but won't admit it.

So I feel your pain. Hang in there - of all the things to be less-than-shining in, this is the best one in which to fall short. The thing is downright fucked up.

[iceani]

I don't know my most recent written score, but my 2006 score is a 5.5. I checked about taking it a second time, but there just isn't time.

My cousin thinks I may have overdone it in regards to preparing my my brain just fizzled out.

On an interesting note, I called ETS to confirm the schools I chose to report to on the test date (I just couldn't remember one of them and didn't want to accidentally pay to send a score to a school I'd already chosen) when the guy discovered that I had 2 files with them. Which means they were seeing me as 2 different people.

In 2006, I took the GRE as Melissa Hargis, but since December of 2006 I've been using Melissa B. Hargis to distinguish myself from another Melissa Hargis who was wanted for poisoning her husband.

Since I was 2 people, my older score wouldn't have been reported and only my recent score. He combined the files and now everything is in place. Serendipitous.