<p>Same thing with S1 and the GRE. Always a voracious reader, made 740 verbal SAT first time w/ no prep. Took the GRE on computer last fall…no prep, thought the analogies surprisingly hard. He scored in the 600’s.</p>
<p>Same with my S and the GRE. He should have done some math prep and his score showed it. But I, too, was surprised at his verbal–low to mid-700s SAT, mid-600s GRE. I’ll have to ask him if he took it on the computer and share some of these comments with him (even though I’m steadfastly maintaining that this is none of my business). My advice to him as been to take the GRE now, whether he’s applying to grad school next year or not. He should just get it over with. Does that make sense?</p>
<p>The GRE verbal curve is wicked. S1 had a SAT 780 CR, 800W, and a 720 GRE verbal (98%tile). My understanding is that for the GREs, it’s the %tiles that are more important than the score per se. S says he took the computer-based version. Looked at a couple of sample analogies and felt comfortable with them; did the math major subject test and concluded he’d be fine for the GRE Quant.</p>
<p>geezermom, S took the GRE fall of junior year while he was on a LOA. Made sense to get it done and over with, no matter what his grad school plans turn out to be. (At this point I think he may work for a couple of years.) He really needs to take his subject tests while the material is still fresh, though.</p>
<p>The <em>subject</em> tests are always done on paper.</p>
<p>Thanks to DeniseC for pointing me to this thread. I just started a separate GRE thread but looks like the recent discussion here is exactly what I was looking for. I’m not at all happy that many of our kids will be the guinea pigs for the new version of the test with its wacky new scoring. I gotta believe that a year from now there will be lots of good advice/info out there.</p>
<p>Here’s me in a nutshell–DS#1 is college class of '12. Has a philosophy major, a history minor, and absolutely no idea what he wants to do a year from now. I think will take GREs just to have grad school <possibly> as an option.</possibly></p>
<p>FWIW, he’s thinking to take them shortly before returning to school at the end of the summer. I think has been counselled by some older buds that he might as well study for them this summer, then go ahead and take them before all the hubbub of school interferes. I guess that pretty much locks in the new version for him.</p>
<p>Sorry if I’ve missed any relevant chatter in the earlier pages, but has anybody commented on test prep materials? I was thinking to order two sets–ETS’s own plus one other (Kaplan? PR? Barrons?) I’ve read varying reviews on Amazon on all of those, some related to how hastily these new versions have been thrown together (complete with lots of wrong answers–hooray!)</p>
<p>Made hotel reservations for graduation today! I had been checking online and the rooms were not available. I called the hotel a couple weeks ago and ‘they’ said to call back in the future. Called this morning and got a wonderfully helpful woman and got the reservations!!!</p>
<p>I simply cannot believe it. I cannot believe they are about to launch senior year. Where, WHERE did the time go???</p>
<p>I just found this thread. This is great. D1 will graduate spring 2012 from state flagship. She will be applying to grad school. She took the GRE about three weeks ago, is working on her Statement of Purpose, and rounding up LORs. She will be applying to MPA programs, esp those with a concentration in Nonprofit Management.</p>
<p>She is dating a PhD student at her state U. In a fairy-tale world, she will get in to the top 30 program at her current U, and graduate in 2014, the same year he graduates with his STEM PhD. I hope it works out this way. But I can see that it might not. The stress of what next year will bring is already palpable. Whether to go away for two years and maintain a long distance relationship or stay put and work and reapply in two years once he knows where he will be next. Normally, for an MPA, two years of work experience would be a plus not a minus. But with the job market, I am not so sure. Time will tell.</p>
<p>I posted earlier about D who graduates in spring 2012. This morning she finished her summer internship with one of the Big 4 accounting firms and this afternoon she received a job offer (and signing bonus) for fall 2012. It wasn’t unexpected (she did a great job this summer, according to her reviews) but it’s still a huge relief to her parents!</p>
<p>Yeah, I know I posted this now in two different threads, but I can’t help myself. It’s exciting!</p>
<p>Congrats scout59. That’s what we hope for all of our kids.</p>
<p>Well, D2 is preparing her poster for her summer project. (Using MRI data to interpret hypoxia in glial cells in situ as a predictor of cancer growth) She’ll be home in a bit less than 2 weeks.</p>
<p>Her summer PI like her a lot and tendered an informal offer–she’s willing to take D2 on as fully funded RA should she decide to go to grad school at her summer internship site OR as a full time paid lab tech should she opt to take a break from academia. Not bad.</p>
<p>D2 will go back to her college 5 days after she gets back from her summer program, will continue to TA in her one major, complete her research project in her other and write it up as a senior thesis and a probably publishable paper. She’ll start in a second research position in a “wet” (cellular) neuro lab with a prof at the adjacent med school to see if she like cellular research better than cognition and imaging.</p>
<p>She takes her GRE in Sept and her MCAT next summer. Her summer program taught her a new acronym: MSTP–and she’s seriously is considering applying. She’s also under consideration by her school for a NSF fellowship nomination.</p>
<p>It all sounds so good, but D2 is feeling like she needs a year or so off the academic treadmill before continuing. Stay tuned.</p>
<p>Congrats, scout59. I think your D wins the award for the first to land a job. Am I missing anyone?</p>
<p>Well, I think that mini’s D received an offer earlier in the summer (same field, different employer.) However, if this is some kind of race/contest, I’ll take it! I never win anything!</p>
<p>Congratulations scout59’s D! And mini’s D too. That’s wonderful news. My first kid has always been pretty focused, and has been gainfully employed since she graduated.</p>
<p>Son, my second, the rising senior, started a blog this summer. Had another small piece published in the college literary magazine. Talked to his mother. Ate some food. Helped his father with manual labor to earn tuition money.</p>
<p>This child has surprised me in many ways in the past 5-6 years, and I love him with all my heart. Here’s to a multiplicity of journeys, and the parental strength to support the variety.</p>
<p>Saw S2 this week. DH said something to the effect of “Can you believe you’re starting your last year of college?”. S2 replied “Don’t remind me.” I felt bad for him that instead of feeling a sense of pride in his achievement and excitement about the future, he seems to be dreading it. </p>
<p>He really has absolutely no clue what life after college holds for him. He doesn’t have any grand passion or special talents, doesn’t have any great job experiences. He’s an avg. 21 yr. old who has no idea of which direction he should turn. He’s worried and so are we.
Years ago when he was struggling in school, I thought his college graduation day would be the most monumental achievement for him. Now that he’s so close, there is a sense of dread. Crossing fingers that something good happens over the next two semesters. </p>
<p>DH is afraid S2 will be the kid on the couch who never moves out.</p>
<p>Just getting caught up on the GRE talk. My D is planning to work a few years before she heads to grad school, now I’m thinking of encouraging her to take the GRE this year or next summer at the latest when she is just out of school. Does it matter how old the results are when one applies to grad schools?</p>
<p>PackMom, I have those fears about my S who is just starting college this fall. Hoping things fall into place for your son. My D '12 has always been one to network, intern, follow-up with professional people she meets, but my S I’m afraid will not take the initiative to be noticed.</p>
<p>I saw S this Friday, briefly. (He’s doing an extra term this summer.) He seems to be doing very well in his classes, his interest in linguistics is holding up, and he says he has “researched” applying for graduate programs and fellowships for next year. He’s apparently on some kind of mailing list at Oxford. That’s all I could get out of him…other than a critique of my Anglo Saxon vowels. He says they are “modernized.” I pointed out that I took Anglo Saxon during the summer of 1974 and haven’t used it since, so perhaps that accounts for it. :)</p>
<p>Mamabear, scores are good for 5 years. Have her take it NOW. As in this year.</p>
<p>S is back at school now, getting settled in for his senior year. He showed me a Facebook thread in which his friends posted the dates they were returning to campus. One person said something like, “This is the last time we’ll be asking each other when we’re coming back.” They’re feeling all the “lasts.”</p>
<p>So here is the end-of-summer update: He wants to go to culinary school. Frankly, this should not be a big surprise, because he is passionate about cooking and intensely interested in everything about food and the food business. But it’s unsettling, because it is change of direction #3. And this time, he’s focused on something that’s brutally hard and competitive–not his personality. (He does know two people, both a couple of years older, who are pursuing this career, so he knows the reality of it.) Intellectually I know that it’s okay and that it’s not likely to be the last change of direction. But emotionally it’s like a roller coaster. The lesson I’ve learned is to be supportive but not too heavily invested. He’s getting a kitchen job this semester (you have to work at least 6 months in a kitchen) and then plans to keep working in a restaurant next fall. Time will tell–that’s my mantra.</p>
<p>PackMom, I think a lot of kids feel a sense of dread. Sometimes I think my S’s tendency to move from one passion to another is his way of dealing with that dread: if he has something–anything–on his radar screen he doesn’t have to worry so much. Hang in there. I hope this thread continues so we can vent to each other instead of dumping our own worries on our kids.</p>
<p>S1 is on track to graduate next spring, assuming he finishes all his DISTRIBUTION requirements (and there is one he can take only next spring, so we will be crossing fingers and toes til the end). We anticipate he’ll have a job offer sometime later this fall. He is on his second summer with a computer firm and is also doing research in his specialty with a professor this summer.</p>
<p>He has found that the folks he’s been working with at his summer gig are on the cutting edge and offer intellectually interesting work that he finds as stimulating as academia (which is where he had been headed for years). The research has also been slow going, which I think contributes to his inclination to head to work.</p>
<p>He has loved his Chicago experience, but has some real regrets about the path not taken. The Core has also kicked his butt, even though he has liked the courses. He wound up taking a LOA the fall of junior year to recharge and get his priorities in order.</p>
<p>The other big factor is that while he nailed the GRE, has terrific references, teaching experience and a couple of minor publications, the overall GPA is OK but nothing to write home about. (The math and CS GPAs are far, far stronger.) He’s worried he’s not competitive enough for the PhD programs he wants. He will also be barely 21 when he graduates. A couple of years of seasoning and real-world experience, personally and professionally, would be a good thing for him. He may pick up a Masters while he’s at it, which may boost his PhD prospects.</p>
<p>It looks like he’ll be launching and self-supporting to boot, and we are beyond thankful!</p>
<p>It’s just so heartening to read all of this, from dread, to Plan #3, to well-settled, to path not taken. We have to remember that all of these states can lead to happy and productive lives. Well, at least I remind myself:).</p>