A Test is Just a Test

With Wall Street crumbling, graduate and professional school has been the accidental beneficiary of a shaky economy.  People are heading back to school in droves.  Piled Higher and Deeper totally nailed it in this column as the unemployment rate goes up, guess who’s coming to graduate school?!

So for some of you, this might bring a whole heap of questions.  How am I supposed to get in to graduate school?  How can I separate myself from the other people who are applying?  How do I figure out where I want to go and what I want to do? All very legitimate questions and I’m here to drop some knowledge on the issue from the graduate student perspective.

***disclaimer – this is generic advice.  take it or leave it but as my lawyer says, “I am not accountable for what happens to you!”***

So recently, a friend asked me about test scores.  “Leah” he said, “How important are test scores, like the GRE?  And what do I do if I bomb?”

Well first and foremost, different strokes for different folks.  The LSAT is weighted differently from the GMAT which is weighted differently from the MCAT… which is… you get the point.  When asking about test scores – go directly to the source.  Ask a graduate student who has already taken the exam in question and is already in school (or went through recently).  And if your desired schools have an open-door policy, ask an admissions representative or the diversity director about the weight of the scores.  If the school says it’s acceptable, ask the departmental administrator, or a faculty mentor.

I’ve heard different things – at XYZ elite east coast university, the “generic social science” department doesn’t take anyone who gets lower than a 1200 total and a 4.5 analytical on their GREs.  At XYZ mid-range west coast university, the “generic humanities” department doesn’t even LOOK at GRE scores… and so on, and so on.  Get the facts straight from the horse’s mouth – the answers may surprise you and will help chart your course for the future.

But on to the real matter at hand – what do you do if you bomb?  Well it depends.  When did you bomb?  October?  Well start prepping for the December test!  Ask the schools what is the latest test date score they’ll accept – some say January, some say December, some say October to qualify for special scholarships.  Keep that in mind.
Think back to the test?  Where did you stumble?  Verbal?  Break out those flash-cards… another trick – use your mac dictionary widget to look up the definition for everything and synonyms (or antonyms) for mysterious words.  Is the problem math?  Figure out which math problems are your stumbling blocks and focus on those.  If you can break the stumbling blocks, you’ll do much better on the test… remember, with the GRE, the harder the questions, the better you’re doing (gotta love the new computerized tests!).

Back to the admissions/diversity counselor advice – if it’s acceptable, have a frank conversation with them.  Don’t whine about your scores… but ask about the benchmark.  Ask if it’s okay to add an addendum statement explaining low test scores and how they don’t reflect your ability to do advanced qualitative and quantitative work.  Does your work history/school history stand in stark contrast to your test scores?  Well then mention that!  Say the test is the anomaly… especially if you’ve only taken it once.  Remember, the GREs are just one measure of your ability to do Masters and PhD level work.  In your package and in your interviews, highlight your other accomplishments and downplay your score(s).

Another alternative is to get a letter from your former academic chair (college or post-grad work) that speaks to your ability to do advanced level work.  “Dear ______, my name is _____ and I’m the academic counselor at XYZ university.  Laurence is great and his previous work (details) shows his ability to make a real contribution to your university.”  See how that works?  It’s like another letter of recommendation… except its should speak positively about your test-taking abilities… or offer a professional interpretation of why you might have done poorly.  Recognize that some schools will HATE this.  Others might love it… and others yet will be indifferent.  But it doesn’t hurt to ask – who knows, it might even be a recommended course of action… universities certainly expect it on the undergraduate level (to explain any weird kinks in your transcript), so maybe it will work on a graduate level.

So those are the basics, hope they help.  And at the end of the day remember – a test is just a test… is just a test… is just a test.

-LW

Tagged as: grad school

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Leah