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MYRNIST

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Everything posted by MYRNIST

  1. I am a native speaker of English and have always read/written a lot, two advantages which I don't think most people on this site have (most Urch denizens seem to be from South Asia, and in quant-focused fields). So it's not quite as impressive as a non-native speaker doing so well. But thanks for the compliment!
  2. Are you a native speaker of English? I ask because it changes my explanation.
  3. Congrats! I totally agree on Nova, btw - that was by far the best quant resource I found.
  4. Get used to it - I found RC on the actual GRE to be actually more difficult than the practice books.
  5. Adcoms see both scores. People typically only retake the GRE if they want to do better on it the second time around (if you were satisfied with your initial score, you wouldn't retake it). So there is a strong expectation that you will do better on the retake. Yet, you did dramatically worse. That is a quite negative signal for adcoms. You are presenting adcoms with a negative trend in your academic performance - not getting better, getting worse. You can say that there were extenuating circumstances (your injury), and that might even be true, but it doesn't change the fact that you had almost a 25% decrease in your score when most people considerably improve it. There are going to be questions about your work ethic and commitment - not saying that's fair, just how it is. Basically, your 1260 doesn't make the 950 better, it makes it worse. It would have been far better to go from a 960 to a 1250.
  6. MYRNIST

    The New Gre

    My advice on studying: http://www.www.urch.com/forums/just-finished-my-gre/134069-1570-800-verbal-770-quant-writing-pending.html samoe glavnoe - zubrit! postoyanno!
  7. 950 is really, really low for a PHD program. Without knowing the other elements of your profile, I'd strongly suggest taking it again, because you're going to be fighting an uphill battle in admissions with that poor of a score. Since it sounds like mental state during the test is an issue, I would do some research on "flow", positive psychology, and some other stuff that will help you not freak out during the test.
  8. Old GRE; GRE General Test: On Test Day Revised: GRE Revised General Test: On Test Day
  9. This is quite simple, as long as you know that D is NOT the answer (which you stated in the original post). It's C, "table." Table used as a verb means to remove something from consideration. For example, "we considered Plan A the best course of action for the company, but after learning of its many failures, we decided to table it." i.e. it is no longer being considered.
  10. "hardly _____ kind of story, the ghost story is almost the paradigm of the form" The "hardly" before the blank, combined with the passage saying a ghost story is almost the paradigm (definition: "perfect example") of the form, means whatever is in the blank is the OPPOSITE of paradigm. You could think about it by re-arranging the word order to: "since it's a perfect example of the form, the story is hardly a _______ form." The word mostly closely opposite to paradigm is "debased" - look up the definition if it's unclear. "and _____ was undoubtedly one effect that Poe had in mind when he wrote about how stories work." We need to think about what, based on the information supplied in the passage, Poe had in mind about stories. The info we have is that they are a "haunted" (scary) genre, and some info about ghost stories (which are intended to scare people). So we can assume that Poe had scaring people in mind. The only choice that relates at all to scaring people is "goose bumps", which are the little bumps you get on your skin when you get either cold or very scared. The other two words have nothing to do with scaring, fright, etc. and so "goosebumps" must be the choice.
  11. The GRE measures your ability to prepare for the GRE. That's it. There is a direct correlation between how much and how effectively you study for the GRE, and your score. Furthermore, the only universal, can't do without trait for all graduate schools, regardless of discipline, is a willingness and ability to study very hard and absorb lots of information, which as previously stated is what the GRE measures. Doesn't matter if it's Econ or Art History, if you are not willing/able to study a lot you will not succeed at grad school. Thus, the GRE is actually quite a good measuring stick for the single most important skill for graduate school. Lack of intelligence can be compensated for with hard work, a lack of knowledge of the field can be remedied through gaining experience, but nothing can overcome not studying hard. And keep in mind, the GRE is just one element of your package. GPA, courses taken, undergrad university, work experience, references, etc. all also play a big role and measure completely different things. It's not as if the GRE is the sole determinant of graduate admissions.
  12. 720 is a very low Quant score to get into a heavily mathematics based masters program like electrical engineering. Look at average Quant scores for the top 100 schools - it's usually in the high 700s. For a really good program (CalTech, MIT, etc.) anything less than an 800 probably isn't competitive. Even for just decent schools 720 is really quite low. I'd retake it if I were you - why can't you do so?
  13. 1) Majority of quant questions do not require any significant calculations. I found non-ETS practice tests involved FAR more calculation and associated need for scratch paper than the "real deal." I would not worry about it. If all else fails, maybe just write smaller? 2) What you described is a smart strategy - the first 5 questions have a disproportionate impact on your score (assuming you're taking a CAT), it makes sense to spend more time on them. Do more practice problems and learn "short-cut" formulas and tricks to speed up your solving time. 3) Easier than most practice tests. About the same difficulty as PowerPrep. 4) No idea. You need to deal with that anxiety before you take the test, or else your score will suffer.
  14. Nova GRE Math Bible, by far. It covers every single possible topic that could show up on the exam in great detail, has lots of practice problems, and conveniently sorts them according to difficulty. Also, the answer keys are almost always right, which was not my experience with a lot of of the larger test companies' books - the answers they provided for math questions were flat out wrong. Not so with Nova. AND it gives very detailed explanations of how to solve a problem. All this applies only to the dead-tree book, I hear the CD is awful.
  15. This is not the right forum to ask this. Also, there is a WEALTH of information on the forums already answering the questions you asked. I suggest reading and searching before creating a new thread - your questions are very common and have been asked/answered many times over. http://www.www.urch.com/forums/gre/7119-how-gre-flounder.html http://www.www.urch.com/forums/gre/11422-how-get-high-gre-quant-score-average-math-non-math-test-takers.html
  16. Honestly, I don't know (it's entirely possible the formula is wrong, I just saw it posted on Urch and grabbed it for myself). If so, quite lucky I didn't need to use it on the GRE!
  17. Haha, glad you find it useful. Painted cubes also drove me crazy - the answer strategy books always recommended was just to "visualize it in your head", but I never could keep track of all the cubes. Just for reference's sake, it's basically just an adaption of the cubic formula.
  18. 1) "Dubious distinction" is kind of a sarcastic way of saying whatever someone did to distinguish themselves is not actually very cool or good. Like if someone was famous for being very smelly, you might say that being stinky is their "dubious distinction" - it makes them stand out, but not in a way you actually WANT to stand out. So, "It is his dubious distinction..." is a signal that whatever the author of the article about Romero proved is not actually very novel or unique. So then you need to determine, based on the information they've given you about Romero, what could be said about Romero that is not interesting or noteworthy. The only thing we know is that he is 64 years old, which is quite old, so it is safe to say that claiming he is "mature" is not very newsworthy, making it the best choice out of the ones given. Make sense?
  19. I've seen you post this on a couple different forums (GradCafe as well, right?) and I am not sure what answer you're looking for, because it sounds like you already know all the relevant facts. You have a strong math background and are looking to go into a very mathematical grad program, yet performed quite poorly on the GRE Quant. 730 is a good score for an English major, but really low for any quantitative field. I doubt you are competitive at good MFE schools with that score. All signs point towards you needing to retake the test. Not trying to sound harsh, but the GRE does not care about your other math achievements (I'm sure grad schools will love them though), it only cares about the problems contained within. I would do some GRE-specific studying so you understand the format and expectations better, I'm sure you have the actual knowledge to succeed.
  20. Answer is definitely A. A regimen is a plan of action to achieve good health. A budget is a plan of action to achieve good solvency. If you use the "____ is a plan of action to achieve ________" bridge, it is clear this is the only possible correct answer.
  21. Resplendent means very high quality and visually attractive Shoddy means low quality and not visually attractive. If someone is in an expensive, well-tailored suit, you could say they are dressed resplendently. If someone is dressed in cheap, tattered clothes, you could say they are dressed shoddily. C is the answer. Wan means pale, usually from some sort of illness. It is not an antonym of resplendent.
  22. Also, I forgot to say some stuff about practice tests. Don't worry about what you score on any practice test other than PowerPrep (the official one). a) as I said above, literally the only score that matters is the ACTUAL GRE. The only point of practice tests is to identify where you need to study more. You could get a 0/1600 on a practice test, and as long as it showed you where you need to improve, and leads to a higher score on test day, it was a successful one. b) the scoring for most of them is messed up. I got 0 questions wrong on 800score verbal, and got a 730. Similar experiences on Princeton as well. Again, don't worry about the score. c) the quant questions on most practice tests involve significantly more calculation than you'll actually need to do. That said, I found 800score's tests extremely difficult and very good preparation. They identified holes in my vocab and math skills. I took them many times and even got some purposely wrong, so I could get all possible questions from their bank to practice. PowerPrep was for me a very accurate predictor of my actual GRE score, and I think it's the only one whose score you should place real weight on. I got the EXACT same score on both PowerPrep exams that I did on the real GRE. I'd recommend saving PowerPrep until the week before the actual test, so you can get a final review of what you need to work on. It definitely is the best (not surprising, considering that it's the official ETS one). Any more questions, just ask! I want to help, like people helped me!
  23. Thanks! I couldn't have done it without Urch, so I really want to give something back. I am interested in international relations and public policy graduate schools. My top three right now is Georgetown Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Princeton Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
  24. 1) Example: quantitative comparison Column A: 4/5 Column B: (4.0001)/(5.0001) We have the formula, "if X > Y, then X/Y > (X+K)/(Y+K)" So, for the fraction in column A let X = 4 and Y = 5. Now we want to rewrite column B so it fits the form (X+K)/(Y+K) 4.0001 = 4 + .0001 5.0001 = 5 + .0001 Now we'll call .0001 "k" (a constant being added to both X and Y). so now we have it as 4/5 versus (4+.0001)/(5+.0001) X = 4 and Y = 5, so in this equation X > Y. If X>Y, then X/Y > (X+K)/(Y+K) ----> 4/5 > (4 + .0001)/(5 + .0001) Column A is the answer. 5) Example: (4^20) - (4^19) = 4^(20-19-1) * (4^19) = 4^0 * (4^19) = 1 * 4^19 = 4^19
  25. Just finished. I found Urch immensely helpful in studying, so I figured I would share some insights that people will hopefully find helpful. I studied about 15 hours a week for 5 months, and then about 10 hours a day for 2 weeks immediately prior to the GRE. I am a native English speaker, and come from a humanities background, so I studied quant more than verbal. I didn't study for AWA at all since I write a lot in my job. VERBAL Best materials to use: Barron's GRE list and the Korean list. a) Vocab: I combed every word list I could find. Anything I didn't know, I looked up and wrote down. Some of the best lists are Barron's GRE and the assorted lists on quizlet.com. I used flash cards extensively - 20 words per card, with all the words on one side, and the definitions on the back. I made about 200 of these cards, so about 4000 words total. I studied these literally every single day for the entire studying period. This is the single most important thing you can do to improve your verbal score! The entire verbal section is not hard (except for RC) if you know every word they throw at you, and more importantly, how they relate to each other. ***Study secondary definition of common words just as much or more than really obscure ones. So while you definitely still want to be studying "tyro", "inchoate", etc. you also want to be doing secondary definitions of words like "rustle", "base", "signal", etc.*** b) Analogies: the difficulty of analogies usually comes from the rarity and difficulty of the words, not from the logical relationship between them. Take enough practice tests so that you understand the common logical relations and get good at making the bridge sentences. Once you have that down, just cram vocab as much as you can and only do enough practice analogy questions to stay fresh. c) Antonym: pure test of vocabulary. Again, keep hammering away on those flashcards. d) Reading Comprehension: didn't study for at all, since I do a lot of analytical reading anyways. QUANT Best materials to use: Nova GRE Math Bible is HIGHLY recommended. Barrons is good. Kaplan is pretty bad. PowerPrep. Really just do as many practice problems as possible, regardless of the source. I even dug out some of my old high school algebra textbooks. Just do as many practice problems as useful, and make sure you know helpful shortcuts so you don't get bogged down on calculations. I have not taken a pure math class in 4 years, and still managed a 770 by doing an absurd number of practice problems and memorizing "short-cut formulas." Here are some of the formulas I found very useful in studying: 1) For comparing fractions with stuff added to them (example: which is greater, 2/3 or 2+.090909/3 + .090909090. If X > Y, then X/Y > (X+K)/(Y+K) If X 2) For comparing exponents: If B>A>2.71, then A^B > B^A 3) If X > Y, then X + A > Y + A 4) For painted cube problems, where S = the length of a side in terms of cubes (so, for a 4 inch cube cut into 64 1 inch cubes, S = 4). # cubes with no painted side: (S-2)^3 # cubes with 1 painted side: 6(S-2)^2 # cubes with 2 painted sides: 12(S-2) # cubes with 3 painted sides: 8. Does not vary with how big the cube is. 5) X^A + X^B = X^(A-B+1) * X^B X^A - X^B = X^(A-B-1) * X^B 6) Any 2 digit number divided by 99 (ex: 25/99) = that two digit number repeating (ex: 25/99 = .252525...) 7) In a cube, length of diagonal^2 = length^2 + height^2 + width^2 8) area of equilateral triangle with side length S = ((s^2)(root 3))/4 Psychological and Mental The most under-rated part of preparing for the GRE! If you are not happy, rested, confident, comfortable, and excited going into the GRE, you will not do as well as otherwise. Not my opinion, it's psychological fact proved in many studies analyzing how and why people succeed in stressful situations. Here are some tips on achieving that state of mind. Study so hard and frequently that you KNOW you will do well, and the only question becomes how awesome your awesome score will be. ***Nothing builds confidence like hours and hours of practice, so that by the time you get to the real thing it is easy compared to the practice work you've done*** Keep in mind when studying that the only score that matters is the one you receive on test day, aka the ACTUAL GRE. No practice test, problems, etc. matter except in how well they prepare you for the actual day. If you get a bunch of problems wrong, don't be upset - you've just uncovered areas of weakness you now know you need to work on. Treat everything as an opportunity for improvement. Study intensely until 2 days before the exam. For the day before, you can look over your notes a little but do NOT study long or hard. Take the day to do fun things and de-stress - if you go into GRE a bundle of nerves your score will suffer. I personally went swimming with my girlfriend and cooked a long, really good dinner. Went to bed early, and on test day was happy, relaxed, and prepared. On actual GRE day, treat it like a game. It's an opportunity to show how hard you've studied and how much you've improved. Do NOT lay a bunch of pressure on yourself to do well. You put all the pressure on when studying, but now you just want to be calm and focused. Hope all this helps, let me know if you have any more questions!
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