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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by alexandra_k on September 30, 2004, at 21:28:44
Will pay cash for respectable GRE score...
Seriously though, I have a numeracy disorder going on (self diagnosed). I can't answer a single math question in under 30 seconds :-(
How do people feel about the GRE as a predictor of ability to succeed in graduate study? Especially when it may be used to moderate graduate grades from different institutions? Maybe ones faith in such things is directly related to ones success in the test.
I know that philosophers (as a general rule) consider such tests to be just so much bollocks; but admissions offices have an alternative point of view and unfortunately they allocate funding.
Fortunately there are good institutions who do not require GRE scores. I have tried searching for this but had to check each uni's admissions requirements individually.
Can anyone suggest any uni's they know of that do not require GRE's??? I have a couple, but would like to add to the list...
Cheers
Posted by bart on December 25, 2004, at 17:16:22
In reply to GRE's Anyone???, posted by alexandra_k on September 30, 2004, at 21:28:44
I don't know what you're trying to go to grad school for, but as long as it's not for rocket science, most average to moderately good programs just require that you get at least 1100 and some schools only 1000. If you just get some prep books and put a little time and effort in, I'm sure you'll do fine if you're already about to finish a 4 year degree.
Posted by gardenergirl on December 26, 2004, at 19:09:17
In reply to Re: GRE's Anyone???, posted by bart on December 25, 2004, at 17:16:22
Woo hoo, I can post here now. Hope this isn't too late.
I used the Kaplan prep software for the GRE. It had been a long time since I had taken any math courses, so I really needed the help. There are tutorials and lots of practice problems and tests.
You may also look into getting a formal diagnosis for a learning disability if you think you might have one. This could gain you accomodations for the GRE, such as extra time. Your university should be able to test you for this.
Good luck!
gg
Posted by alexandra_k on December 27, 2004, at 14:28:24
In reply to Re: GRE's Anyone???, posted by gardenergirl on December 26, 2004, at 19:09:17
Ah. I got a maths tutor. He used to be a secondary school math teacher but then turned to behaviourism (the same guy who may just be willing to credit cognitive states, funnily enough - I have been working on him for a while :-))
Anyways, he realised just how bad I am. We were very focused on just getting me through the exam, but no luck really. See it all starts with the times table. I don't know my tables off by heart. I can work out the answer but that alone takes me something approaching 30 seconds and the time allowed for that little tiny aspect of the equation is very minimal indeed. He gave up on me.
It is ok. I just worked my way through the list of the top 50 institutions in the US (in philosophy) and found 2 that didn't require GRE scores. I would have applied to one of them regardless of the GRE thing, and the other has grown on me immensely with my inquiries, so we shall just have to wait and see how things go...
It is a shame. I know I would have been much better off applying to 5 or 6 - but to tell you the truth the cost is prohibitive at any rate.
Shame as there are 3 others that I would have really liked to apply to, but such is life ho hum.
Posted by gardenergirl on January 2, 2005, at 12:00:22
In reply to Re: GRE's Anyone??? » gardenergirl, posted by alexandra_k on December 27, 2004, at 14:28:24
I'm sorry that your options are limited. But you are right, it is cost prohibitive to apply to a ton. I had a long list that got smaller and smaller as I got into the process, both because of cost and also the time it takes to get all your ducks in a row for each application. I started weighing the odds of getting in with the work and cost it took to apply. And did I really want to live in that geographical area. That helped me narrow it to four. I got only one interiew, at what was my "emergency back up" location. One I thougth I was sure to get into, but wasn't my first choice. Well, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because I do not think I would be happy in any PhD program. I love my PsyD program, and I love the city I am in.
Good luck to you.
gg
Posted by alexandra_k on January 2, 2005, at 20:56:51
In reply to Applying to schools » alexandra_k, posted by gardenergirl on January 2, 2005, at 12:00:22
Yeah, options limited down to two... Still I think I should consider myself lucky as to the best of my knowledge entry to PhD's (in the US) in other subject areas (such as psychology) REQUIRE GRE scores - no exceptions. And then there is a specific subject area test too... Thats why the GRE makes me mad. I know I can't do math. But I don't want to do math. I don't want to do anything that requires math in order to understand. If I wanted to do math I would apply to do math. Actually, by the same token if I wanted to learn French or German or Greek or Latin I would go do my PhD in French or German or Greek or Latin - wassup with the language REQUIREMENT??? So, that ruled out a few places as well... Logic is a language, though. Artificial maybe, but real nevertheless :-) Some institutions quite like this and Logic can be substituted for the language requirement (now thats my kind of institution).
If they don't work out then I will try to just pick myself up and not take it too personally. I have a very good chance of being accepted back to Australia at this place where I went last summer on a research scholarship. No guarantees, however. That was a real eye opener, going there from my small university (which isn't terribly good in philosophy to tell you the truth). I went along to my supervisor near the end of my time there and said I wanted to talk to him about which institutions he thought I should realistically apply to. It was a nice way of my asking him whether he thought I was crap or not. He starts up with 'it is all random, who gets in and who does not is all random'. I took it very personally as him telling me I suck, but then after I had a while to process (and discuss with others) I realised I had missed his point. His point was that it was worth a shot, but that it was equally worth a shot for a whole bunch of other applicants. Funding falls in such a way that they have spaces to pick someone up in a certain AREA of philosophy, and philosophy is such a broad subject area... As an example he said that on their last funding round they were told to pick up two people in phil of ____ because the way the rankings turned out they had the best philosopher of ___ in the world and he didn't currently have any PhD students. So, that is what they get from your mission statements. Area. And once the first cull goes through (of grossly unsuitables) after that it is, well, pretty much random.
So nobody should take it personal if it doesn't happen.
We don't have your degree option in NZ. Though I have heard of it. Clinical psychology runs a bit different in NZ too. Three years undergrad. One year Honours. One year Masters. Once you have finished undergrad you can apply to be accepted into the clinical program. It is very rare for anyone (not of Maori descent) to get accepted into the program on their first attempt, however. It involves a prescribed honours workload and a Masters thesis 'of clinical interest'. Then one year of placement. Few extra courses during placement also. You can also do clinical as part of a PhD though most do not. So, if you ever decide to come set up shop over here then you will be much much better trained than the majority.
I have a lot of respect for an applied PhD in applied fields. I mean some want to work with people and others want to sit on their *ss and write (and of course there are those in between) but I think the idea is nice :-)
This is the end of the thread.
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