GMATslayer09

nevermind

Nevermind

Also, write the student you referenced and ask them how their background equipped them for the degree. PhD students are your best source of inside info. You'd be suprised how generous they are in terms of answering questions about the program. I consider this a must before applying to a PhD.

Have you talked to any OB profs? I would ask them what a good path would be and what degree will best prepare you for a PhD program. I would personally think social psychology or business would be more appropriate than urban planning. Personally, I don't see the correlation. Social psych will probably help you focus your research interests. But OB does use a lot of quant (pretty much all business degrees do); not as much as say finance though. You can get a good idea of what the field is like by reading through OB journals.

I think it is good to a point. It also depends on the type of learner you are too. For grad work, I'd recommend in person or at least a hybrid approach. Nothing beats a good in-class discussion and live interaction with a good professor. If you're already in your current organization and you have experience doing your grad work on-line may not be an issue. If possible, get it from a school that has a brick-and-mortar presence as opposed to a purely on-line school like Capella. There's also the acceptance. A lot of employers may not consider a degree earned on-line as reputable as a brick-and-mortar degree. Fair or not, that's the way it is for the most part. For a PhD, I don't know any universities that will hire a prof who earned their doctorate on-line. In the end you have to weigh the pros and cons for yourself and see if the degree will help you accomplish your goals.

Apps are in....now the wait. :grad::tup: I feel like I have all this time on my hands now. :doh: So much time was devoted to GRE and application prep I'm not sure what to do with myself. :eek: Yeah, I know catch up with my social life. :rolleyes: But I don't want to put academia out of my life. What are you guys doing to pass the time? :whistle:

It depends where you want to apply. If you need a higher score, then what they think is a moot point as you'll need to take it a third time in order to meet their requirements. If that's the case, they'll probably just think you're trying hard to meet their cut-off score. So I would put that out of your mind and work to increase your score, but have a goal score in mind and make it realistic. 6 months is a long time to study for the GRE. You'll get burnt out. On the other hand if you only need a 1000 and are just looking for vanity points they may question your focus. Most MS/MA degrees only require a 1000.

Hey buddy, I would check with the schools you are applying to before attempting any unconventional methods of taking the GRE. Will save you time and money. I don't know any schools that allow you to provide a cumulative total. It would be great to just go in take a section and leave, as it provides an advantage; fresh mind and focus. However, one of the primary purposes of these exams is to test endurance. They will normally take your highest overall score, but won't just add up the best scores from all your attempts. I would call the admissions offices before doing something like that again.

Thanks!

Did you guys include any type of intro letter with your application packet explaining what you were sending them, or did you just place all the materials they requested in an envelop and send it out like that. A letter explaining what is in the packet seems like proper etiquette (you know "enclosed, please find my application materials...), but they don't specifically ask me to include this on the application web pages. May seem like a silly question but I don't want to send them anything extra they don't ask for or naturally expect.

Great job!

All I stated is that cheating is wrong. You're reading into my post way too much. I also think the vast majority of test takers do abide by the rules, so I don't see the validity in your stance. The US tax system has fundamental flaws, that doesn't mean its ok to cheat the system. Either way, this isn't worth my time arguing about. He cheated, end of story in my book. And cheating is cheating no matter how one tries to justify it or mince words.

I would contact the schools you're interested and find out what they have to say. Your quant is good, verbal is on the lower side.

Good job. Have you checked out the schools you want to apply for to assess your scores? They usually have the average scores for admitted students. If you meet their averages you are good to go.

What I want in life? I would like for people to stop cheating on these exams and inflating the scores. I'm amazed at how you can contort logic to justify such unethical actions. I am certainly not jealous of someone because they can cheat. Why? What skills do that I have that I would want? Anyone can cheat off an internet site. And to claim that because a web site dedicated to cheating is available to anyone, therefore it's ok to cheat is completely illogical and ridiculous. I also don't understand how it is pessimistic to encourage people to follow the rules and work hard for their success and not try to cut corners. That's the equation for success, not cheating.

I'm a loser for saying that cheating is wrong? :rolleyes: I think you need to re-think that statement. She clearly said she had access to 12 actual GRE questions and thus was able to breeze through the exam. That's cheating and should be condemned by those of us who are going through the process the right way. If you want to defend that, ok, but don't call cheating 'success'. How would you like it if you were denied admittance b/c someone with a higher score who cheated got your spot? "extra mile", I hope that's a joke... because you can cheat from an internet site? I hope I get an illogical statement like the one you just made as my AWA...I'm guaranteed a 6. I challenge you, if it's no big deal report yourself to ETS and see what happens to your scores. kkaman, what they are doing is sending students in to take the exams, then they report the questions they saw in the forums. It's cheating because they use the same bin of questions a month at a time, which is why you have to wait 30 days to re-take. For more on cheating and plagiarism see: REAL GMAT EXAM QUESTIONS Business Schools Mull Scandal Options "Our focus is people who actively traded questions, shared questions, verified questions, and said 'I just took the exam,'"

Below is what they say about the GRE. I'm guessing you'll need a higher quant score as I believe 730 is around 75%? With that said you aren't that far off. If other aspects of your application exceed their averages it may balance out. "As a rough guideline, most of the students we admit are in the 85th percentile or higher on each of the sections of the GRE General Test (Analytical Writing, Quantitative, and Verbal), and have a GPA of 3.5 or higher (on a 4.0 scale)...., you may be admitted if you are below these guidelines in some respects if your application is especially strong in other respects. " So you will have to evaluate and decide if it's worth it.

Hi arifa, you made a diligent effort. I would not advise taking another month off of work for this exam. I also question if you need to take the exam again. Do you absolutely need a higher math score? How do the schools you are going to apply to view a 720 compared to a 760. To me I don't see much of a difference. Instead of wasting more time on this exam, first call the programs you're interested in and ask them how you stand with your score of 1220 and if they take the highest score. A 1220 is above average for most PhD programs, most MS degrees require a 1000.

You have a good score, but you cheated. You had access to 12 questions before the exam. It's disgusting that others who deserve the opportunity for Grad school will be denied because cheaters turn in inflated scores. Everyone that used topscore got busted by GMAC for cheating on the GMAT, I hope they do the same to those cheating on the GRE. Remember, you reap what you sow.

Have you reached out to any of the profs at the schools you're interested in? I think you have a lot to offer with your profile. You have a very solid GMAT and background. As far as research, very few have that going in. Have some solid ideas though. With that said, it's kind of rare to get in without a MS. Are there any profs at your school who can help guide you? Regarding your profile, believe in yourself and your abilities. Don't focus on your negatives or if you're good enough for this school or that school. No one at any of those schools is any better than you are. After all, they're just human beings that make mistakes daily and put their pants on the same way you do. They may have more experience, but you can acquire that. If you have a dream, go for it. Don't take no for an answer. Good luck!

Personally, I think you need to weigh the pros and cons for yourself and decide what the best route is to achieve your goals. I would hestiate to say a part-time PhD is worthless. That is a very extreme conjecture to make IMO. It depends what you want to do when you're done and if it will help you accomplish your goals.

Personally, I think you need to weigh the pros and cons for yourself and decide what the best route is to achieve your goals. I would hestiate to say a part-time PhD is worthless. That is a very large conjecture to make IMO. It depends what you want to do when you're done and if it will help you accomplish your goals.

Good questions, hopefully others can chime in. Here's my opinions: 1) I wouldn't unless it is part of the application components that requires an explanation, i.e. a low GPA or bad GMAT score. Unless they say you have to have research experience I would not mention it. However, I would indicate that you have solid research ideas/ambitions. 2) 7 pages! That's a lot! Are you sure they aren't asking for a writing sample? In general, write just as much as you need to make your case as to why they should hire you and stop. If they include a length, make sure not to exceed it. Don't include any fluff just to reach a page limit. The length isn't going to impress them, it's what you say that will get their attention. Not like an undergrad paper where you put a lot of fluff just to make the page requirements. :-) Plus, they are used to reading a ton of SOPs so they will spot fluff writing in one second. Hope that helps! I'd also recommend having some of the profs who are writing your LORs read over your statement. I don't think it hurts to get an academics honest opinion of your statement.

Sorry, I'm not familiar with the finance route. For some of the marketing programs I've looked into, you can be awarded an MS in route to the PhD. However, it's not intended to be a terminal degree.

Great score! A 710 is incredible. You may want to consider not taking the exam again unless you are confident you can score a lot higher. A lot of the experts at GMATclub.com advise against this.