Hello. It's been a long while since I have posted. I just had a question concerning the GRE. What is considered an acceptable score (one to be proud of)? I want to enroll in a Masters program in a year, but first have to tackle the GRE. Also, any suggestions on the best study materials for it? I am interested in a Urban and Regional Planning degree. Any help would be appreciated.
When I was searching for a masters program in Computer Science, most departments that required the GRE specified a minimum score of 1000 although I've seen posted minimums as low as 900 or as high as 1100. What might be more important is the average GRE score of accepted applications. Some departments post this statistic others don't. If they don't, you might want to ask for this statistic. For competitive programs if you don't have a good GPA you need to make sure have a high GRE score, sterling recommendations from respected faculty and/or a very well written statement of purpose. So, if you have a good GPA (3.5 or higher) and/or believe that you can get a good recommendation (not just filling in the checkboxes on a recommendation form but writing 2-3 pages of why they think you should be admitted) then you have a good chance to get into most programs with a score of 1000 or better. However, IMO for most college graduates that don't have issues with taking tests, scoring 1200+ should be doable if they spend some time preparing for the exam. I believe that studying for the GRE is very important. I found the Kaplan study guide for the GRE general exam to be very valuable. This guide comes with a fantastic CD that includes all forms of practice exams, flash cards, etc. that if you go through them will really help. The key to scoring well is to practice, practice, practice using exam simulations so that when you are in the real exam you can concentrate on the exam and not on how to deal with certain problem types. Good luck
I was entertaining similar studies for my own enrichment a few years ago. It seemed that online URP programs are few and far between. Did you find one?
Re: Re: Gre Daniel, From what I understand Iowa State University offeres distance learning planning courses, but not a complete program as of yet. That is the only school I have heard about. But there might be more...? I am looking at going to a traditional B&M. UT, UT-Arlington, TAMU, or TX Southern U all have good programs I would be interested in.
Remember that your percentile ranking in the GRE is often far more important than your actual score. A relatively high score that is only in the 45th percentile may not be too impressive.
