I thought I would share with you guys some details that I wish I had known about going to graduate school. The acceptance process is similar to undergraduate. Instead of the SAT or ACT you would take either the GRE or the GMAT. Your test scores are weighted with your GPA from your undergraduate degree to determine if you will be accepted. Some departments also require letters of recommendation as part of the acceptance process. They usually prefer these letters to be from your undergraduate professors or current/former employers.
I'm not sure about the GMAT, but the GRE is currently $160. This may not seem like a lot if your mom and dad have been paying for your school, but most graduate students are like me and have to work while going to grad school. When you look at it this way the $160 could fill my car up with gas a little over 4 times. That is more than what I spend on gas for an entire month.
UT Tyler allows you to be accepted into graduate school on a provisional basis. This means you can take one semester (up to 9 hours) without having your test scores in. I am currently admitted on a provisional basis since I have not taken my GRE yet. I'm about to finish my first semester so I can't continue until after I take the test next month.
This is a good route to take if you want extra time to prepare for the test and want to see what grad school is like as well. However, I think the best route would be to take the test before you are enrolled in graduate school. The testing centers give you a discount on the test fee if you are an undergraduate senior or have already graduated but have not enrolled in grad school yet. I'm not sure how much the discount is, but having some discount is better than having none at all. The good thing about the GRE is that your test scores are good for 5 years so you could still take a break between your undergraduate and grad school if you need one.
I would suggest studying a lot for your GRE exam. If your scores aren't high enough then you will end up having to pay another $160 to retake the test. This is one reason why I have been putting off taking my test. My sister has been kind enough to let me borrow her "GRE EXAM VOLCABULARY IN A BOX" which contains 500 vocabulary flash cards. I'm not sure where she purchased them, but I'm sure you would be able to find similar test materials from campus bookstores. I always thought I had a pretty decent vocabulary until I opened up this box.
This box has words like expurgate which apparently means to censor. Why not just say censor? Censor is definitely more commonly known. Another word that I learned last night is exigent which means urgent. I don't really think I would use these words after the test since I like to keep things pretty simple. I have a long way to go to learn the other 457 words that I have left.
I have also printed out sample GRE practice tests and other study materials from the GRE center's site. I haven't looked at these materials yet, but I'm sure they will be very helpful as well. If you are looking for ways to study I would also check the UT Tyler site. I know that the Office of Graduate Admissions has some links to practice tests and other helpful study materials to help students prepare for the GRE. I would definitely check that out and take lots of time to study.
Also, the GRE test will be changing starting August 1, 2011. I would suggest taking your test before August if you want to take the older general version. From what I hear the new version of the test will be harder. Take it before August if you can. The results for the test can take up to 6 weeks to be sent so make sure you take it well in advance.
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