Study Prof

When building a house, smart people get with an architect long before the first thumb is hammered. Fail to get expert advice and you’re asking for train-track-through-your-balcony headaches!

Taking a GRE prep course is like talking to an architect.  They may cost you some bucks, but not nearly as much as it will cost you if you don’t talk to them. In fact, most GRE courses will return your initial moolah invested, with interest!

GRE prep courses can raise a student’s combined score an average of (more…)

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Cody Blair has spent over a decade helping students and teachers discover the secrets that make learning simple! His ebook, Secrets Smart Students Know, reveals how the best students use powerful study skills, maximize their memory, avoid procrastination, and maximize their focus to achieve fantastic grades with much less work! Click now to find out more about simple methods to maximize your study skills.

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Can you apply? Yes. Definitely. There are many factors that go into a school accepting you and your GRE score is only one of them.

Every graduate school is different. Some may weigh your GRE score very heavily in their admissions process, while others may pay it little or no attention. The only way to know for sure is to ask the schools to which you’re applying.

Tip: call and talk to an admissions counselor one-on-one (better: schedule an appointment and go see them). Spend time making a good impression; don’t just blurt out your question. Ask them about your GRE scores after you’ve established some rapport.

Why? Admissions personnel are supposed to give you the “official answer,” for example, “We won’t even consider you if your GRE score is below a 1260.” But, after you’ve talked to them a bit and they see you as a person and not just a part of their job, they might give you the real answer; “We tell people 1260 minimum, but truthfully, with your GPA and background, you can probably get in with anything above 1150.

However! The higher your GRE score is, the easier it will be to get into most programs. Even if your GRE score is sufficient many fellowships and TA positions depend directly on your score. “We’ll give the TA spot to the highest GRE score that applies,” or “You must have a 1250 to be eligible for this fellowship.” It really pays to get your GRE score as high as possible.

You gotta like that!  Fastweb (owned by Monster, as in Monster.com job search) has been featured in many national and international magazines and is an excellent site for finding college scholarships, grants, and internships for students at any age. It also has great resources on finding colleges, getting loans, writing resumes, and much more.

Initially, you must enter a lot of information (for example; age, address, preferred colleges, GPA, extracurricular activities, etc.) so the site can determine which scholarships are a likely match.  I took about ten minutes to do so and the site returned 55 matching scholarships, essays, and internships. Most were around $1000, but many were much higher!  What a fantastic resource.  Take a look!