GRE as an underclassman?

Graduate School
1

<p>I heard it is a good idea to take the GRE right out of hs. Reason being the math is just the stuff you learned in hs (algebra and calc? or something). They're good for 5 years. </p>

<p>A. Is this true?
B. Do you advise taking it as an underclassman?
C. Do you or anyone you know done this?</p>

2

<p>This is an awkward time to ask this question: the old test format is about to be discontinued, and nobody has taken the new test yet and would be able to comment on their experience. </p>

<p>The old GRE did test quite a few things that I learned in college, especially vocab for the verbal section and rigorous logical reasoning for analytical writing. Math was high school stuff plus statistics but no trig. I don’t think that I would have been prepared after high school, but my specific weaknesses may be different from yours and may not be relevant to the new test format anymore. (For example, I have heard that the new GRE won’t test vocab anymore.)</p>

<p>Why don’t you get a practice test for the new format from the GRE website and see how you do?</p>

<p>That aside, how sure are you that you will need GRE scores? Would you mind spending $160 now on a test that you may never need?</p>

3

<p>^The ETS has released PowerPrep II to give a sense of the new exam. The verbal section still has substantial vocabulary, but always in the context of “choose the word or words that, when put into this blank, complete the sentence.” The math focuses more heavily on graphs and data analysis, too. The biggest change for me is that there are now questions with multiple parts or multiple correct answers, where you need the exact group of right answers to receive any credit. This worries me because the practice exam suggested that I’ll get 2/3 blanks in a sentence right, but receive no credit.</p>

4

<p>Man, that new test sounds horrible. I know I am weak the math section, and I’m having an internship now at Caltech and they’re giving me like no time to study, therefore I have to take the new one. I think I’ll just wait until next summer and see how the new GRE develops.</p>