How to Register for GRE Exam – Part 2

How to register for GRE Exam article gave an overview of GRE Exam registration process. Few additional items you should be aware of  before you register for GRE Exam Read more

GRE Test Dates – How to Book GRE Test Dates

First step towards taking GRE Test is to book GRE Test Dates. If you are an international student planning to register for GRE exam, then you have to get started by booking GRE Test dates. You will need to have passport for GRE Exam registration. [ How to Register for GRE ] Read more

How Much Does GRE Cost?

If you are preparing to apply for Universities in US for Graduate School (Master of Science M.S.) as an International Student, you will have to take GRE. GRE exam is not free of cost. GRE Cost varies between countries. Read more

When to Take GRE To Attend Fall Semester

Previous article When to Take GRE gave an introduction of factors that have to be considered before deciding to take GRE. After you have made decision to attend Fall semester, following will be typical time line to take GRE Exam and apply for Fall semester, but you can take GRE even before 1 year and also multiple times, if you are not satisfied with the GRE Exam Score.

GRE Exam Date – Fall Semester

For example, lets assume you plan to apply for Fall 2010. So, this is how the time line should look like

1. Before August 2009 – Start preparing for GRE
2. August 2009 – Take GRE Exam and TOEFL Exam
3. September 2009  – Browse Universities, Prepare documents
4. October 2009 – Create some 20+ universities you plan to apply, prepare applications documents
5. November 2009 – Decide on schools to apply ( 5 to 10, maybe more)
6. December 2009 – Send applications by Dec first week.
7. January 2010 – Contact professors
8. February 2010 – Keep checking application status
9. March 2010 – You will start hearing about admission decisions
10. April 2020 – Admission Decisions and I-20 will be sent out
11. May 2010 – Prepare for F1 student visa, book dates
12. June 2010 – Visa Interview
13. July 2010 – Learn to cook
14. August 2010 – Fly to US in 1/2ned week of August

Above time line is not hard and fast rule. But it should give you general guideline for Top tier schools. But, if you like your applications to be considered for financial aid, its better to apply early. Some schools have 2 separate deadlines. One for financial aid and one regular admission deadlines. So, they will consider applications received before Financial aid deadlines for scholarship.

Some schools have single deadlines. It can vary from Nov 2009 t0 May 2010 for Fall 2010 semester. But, for international students most of the universities will have deadlines before March/April. They have to process your application and then send I-20.

Late Applications for Fall Semester

There are many questions answered here regarding applications deadlines and when to apply for Fall Semester. Here’s some of the previously answered questions related to submitting college admission applications to Fall Semester

• Which is Better – Fall or Spring Semester Admission?
• Can I apply for Fall Semester in March?
• Took GRE in January, Can I still apply for Fall Semester?

When To Take GRE?

GRE Exam Score is mandatory if you are planning to get admission into good university in US. But, its will always be a tough decision to decide when to take GRE. Before you decide to take GRE Exam, it takes lot of thinking and discussion with friends and family members, if you want to study in US. Some students take GRE and then decide if they want to go to US and some students make up their mind they definitely want to go to US and prepare for it. But, ultimately you got to take GRE Exam.

Read more

GRE Score Range Calculator

Do you want to know how much you can score in GRE, even before taking GRE Exam?

I have written about steps to improve GRE Score. But, having idea on how GRE Exam is scored will help students prepare in much better way.  One of the blog reader scored 800 in GRE Math after getting some 11 questions wrong in ETS Powerprep practice test. Read more

Average GRE Score – University of Virginia

I have seen so many students trying to find average GRE score accepted by universities, I happen to find this valuable data from University of Virginia website. Following table lists Average GRE Score for various departments. GRE Score average is calculated from students admitted to the program.

Students applying with different scoring systems, looks like University of Virginia have some formula to convert academic CGPA or Percentage to GPA. I have written GPA Converter guide to give an in depth analysis of GPA Conversion process. Enjoy the following GRE Score tables and I plan to write similar articles for other Universities.

Average GRE Score

Architecture	GPA	GRE Verbal	GRE Quantitative	GRE Analytical	GRE Analytical Writing
2007	3.45	553	631	610	4.6
2006	3.39	570	638	680	4.6
2005	3.50	579	663	703	4.7
2004	3.41	574	629	644	4.9
2003	3.40	573	642	654	5.1

Arts and Science

Arts and Sciences	GPA	GRE Verbal	GRE Quantitative	GRE Analytical	GRE Analytical Writing
2007	3.55	597	682	683	4.8
2006	3.55	605	682	659	4.9
2005	3.56	605	669	656	5.0

Education

Education	GPA	GRE Verbal	GRE Quantitative	GRE Analytical	GRE Analytical Writing
2007	3.36	528	592	600	4.7
2006	3.31	540	602	610	4.7
2005	3.31	534	609	637	4.7

Engineering

Engineering	GPA	GRE Verbal	GRE Quantitative	GRE Analytical	GRE Analytical Writing
2007	3.39	538	737	671	4.4
2006	3.58	538	743	581	4.5
2005	3.44	552	742	697	4.6
2004	3.42	539	747	690	4.6
2003	3.39	551	752	627	4.7

MBA – Darden

MBA – Darden	GPA	GRE Verbal
2007	3.29	678
2006	3.38	671
2005	3.37	668
2004	3.30	680
2003	3.40	679

Number of Students in 2007
Country of Citizenship	Total Graduate Students	Total Undergraduate Studetns
China	284	179
India	183	80
South Korea	97	193
Canada	27	60
Japan	31	17

GRE – Practice Verbal, feed hungry people

Playing FreeRice to keep up with your verbal practice while you’re focusing on the math. It’s addictive, and you feed hungry people in developing nations. http://freerice.com/index.php.

I have put together a page exclusively for GRE Exam, which will include Frequently Asked words in GRE, strategies to improve GRE score, ..

10 Steps to Improve Your GRE Exam Score

Follow the steps listed below for preparing for GRE Exam. I’m sure it will increase your score.

Step 1 – GRE Practice

There are lots of free online GRE Exam practice Tests available. Take one of the test without any distractions and check your score in GRE Exam Verbal and Quantitative sections. Make note of the date you took the exam and scores in each section.

Step 2 – Identify Weakness

For the questions you have answered wrong, make sure you find out why you selected the wrong answer and find how to solve. If you happen to learn a new formula or words, make a note of it. Use a separate notebook, one for Verbal and one for Maths. By making note of your mistakes, you are improving your weakness. This is better starting point to improve your final GRE Exam score.

Step 3 – Improve your Skills

Spend atleast 1 hour per day for GRE Vocabulary from Barron’s GRE Exam book. It has 50 Word Lists. Try to remember atleast 1 word list per week. So, every week you can read 50 to 100 new words.

Same time revise the notes you have from Step 2.

Step 4 – More GRE Notes

Week 1 read the first word list, Week 2 revise the first word list and then start learning the second Word List. So, that you will not forget the words. If you are weak in Quantitative, practice lots of maths questions. Keep taking notes for each new word or math formula you come across.

Step 5 – Flash Cards

Best way to remember new words is to form a sentence for each word. (Other technique – Use GRE Verbal Flash Cards, carry all the words that you are finding difficult to remember. If you happen to revise/look at a word for more than 5 times, it will be easy to remember ).

Use same flash card technique to remember some formulas, you can’t keep track of.

Step 6 – GRE Practice Test

Next, take an GRE Practice Test again and see how much you score, and for mistakes you make, again evaluate what went wrong. In this way, you will learn new maths formulas and at same time your score will increase month by month.

You will definitely see a score improvement from GRE exam practice test in Step 1.

Step 7 – Keep Improvising

No need to worry that you are scoring less in GRE tests now, every student initially has the same problem. Spending atleast 1-2 hours per day for first 3 months from now will get you going. In 4-5 months time you will see huge difference in the score.

There is difference between hard work and smart work. Smart work includes hard work and right study plan and keeping track of your skill level. While taking practice test, if you know you are going to get this question incorrect, make a note of it. After the practice test, make sure you solve similar problems atleast 30 times.

Step 8 – Daily Practice

So, the key to improve your GRE Scores and your GRE test strategies is to practice daily and if you select a wrong answer in your practice test, make sure you find the right answer.

Don’t jump around to many GRE books. Take one book, complete practicing all the problems there, then move to next book. If you are studying for 1 hour, make sure you use 100% of your time.

Step 9 – Motivation

Majority of the students make the mistake of not finding out the right answers for the questions they go it wrong in GRE Practice test. This is the most proven way to improve your scores in GRE. In your GRE exams (practice) and lets say you score 1000 and 2 months later in your GRE Practice test if you score around 1000 again, then I can say, 2 months of time spent studying GRE is of no use, unless the score improves.

Key to improve your score is to stay motivated. You need to have an urge to improve your scores. If you don’t commit yourself 100% during preparation, you are wasting your time.  GRE Exam is CAT format, with same skill level, how many time you take, your score will remain the same.

Step 10 – Bingo High GRE Exam Score

If your score doesn’t improve, try following different approach for preparation. But, after spending lot of time and if you don’t see your scores improve, there is something worng with your approach. Check if you are actually preparing for GRE Exam, not different exam

GRE Test Prep Books

Checkout the Top 4 GRE Test Prep books that can drastically improve your scores. Again, practice make you perfect.