jacob

You shouldn't really worry about other profiles. As I see it, your profile is good enough to hold its own as against others. As is always the case, there may be someone better than you. But they are far and few in between. So just relax and give it your best shot. Btw, do you think doing MCSE has any relevance if I am interested in communication and computer networks ? I am currently doing that as well but I have 4 more papers to go. And how long did CCNA take you ?

What do you guys think of the Arizona universities ? University of Arizona and Arizona State University. Both have decent ranks, but Arizona is a difficult place to live in, isn't it or is it okay ?

Seriously, gforce you have a brilliant profile, specially all those papers and projects. You should really try for top universities like tans said. I wouldn't think there are very many better profiles. If there are many more, then people like me don't really stand a chance.

Unbeatable scores. [clap] Congrats dude, you should go for the best universities. All the best.

Gforce, I am doing electronics and telecommunication engineering. That's why I am applying for MS in EE. I don't think AGRE is required for that in UMCP. Anyway I am not giving TSE anytime soon, at least not until all the applications and exams have been completed. Tans, I have not really started with the applications, but I will be doing that in the next few days. By what date are you planning to send the applications ? Varun, from what I have heard UMBC is a decent university. One of my friends whose sister studies there told me she likes it there very much and that it is a good university. I don't know any details though.

Hey Gforce, Yeah, Himanshu and Harsh are my friends too. They have given their Gre exams but I am not sure if they are proceeding with it. I don't know anything about the AGRE. What is it ? Are you sure it is required for UMCP ? Anyway I don't think I can do anything at all. What universities do you have in mind ? At the moment I haven't really finalised all the universities though its about time. Getting really anxious.

I am not really sure whether I will finish anything in time. I have just started on my SOP. Some universities like the University of Colorado have their application deadlines by december 1 for international students with aid. So I really don't know what to do. And these engineering exams aren't helping either. You guys, have you finished up with everything ?

Dude, congrats, great score. I don't know much about medicine but what you are doing sounds very good.

K.J.Somaiya in Vidyavihar, Mumbai ? I am from Don Bosco, Kurla. Its a small world after all. Hey, my profile is something like Varun's with a 65 % aggregate and 1420 GRE. I was thinking about MS in EE in 1) University of Maryland, College Park. 2) University of Colorado, Boulder 3) SUNY, Buffalo 4) Texas, Austin 5) University of Minnesota, Twin Cities 6) Drexel University What do you think about these universities and their chances ?

Hey Dmitts, now that you mention it, it was actually a square whose path was to be found, even though the square was part of a rectangle. The rectangle was just used to make it more confusing.

Thanks guys, Mani, Gree Monshter, I don't think there were any probability or permutations or combination problems. Dingus, the question on statistics which I got was similar to what Dmitts got: It was something like this(I don't recollect very well) : There were 5 nos: say 28, 29,30.5, 32, 26. Upon adding a number k to each of the numbers, we get a set of numbers whose average is given. Based on that, the median of the new set of numbers has to be found. This one is easier than it sounds. Another one which I found went something like this: The mean height of a sample of 100 (?) women is 65 and standard deviation is 2.5. The mean height of a sample of 100 (?) men is 70 and standard deviation is 4. Compare A The standard deviation of a sample of 10 men B The standard deviation of a sample of 10 women I think it was something like that. DI questions were tougher. I think in one question, based on two bar graphs, I had to make a Venn diagram calculation to get the answer. In fact I didn't get the answer. Don't worry too much about them, you will find the solutions. It just might take a bit of time. Another problem I remember vaguely was something about a rectangle pivoted at one point and then rotated by 90 degrees. I had to find out the length of the path traced out by one of the corners of the rectangle. Not too tough, but a bit hard to imagine how the path would be. As for non Barrons words, they usually appeared mainly in the answer options, except in 1 or 2 questions where it was part of the question. So, it wasn't that much of a hurdle, still I probably managed to get those two questions wrong. I remember having seen some words which I got, specifically the word 'blurb' in the link given by Vuhl http://www.geocities.com/shockedhp/wordlist.doc in his thread http://www.www.urch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8590. It has some useful information if you haven't gone through it already. I also think going through the words in the 'non in Barrons words' thread is useful, though I don't know if I got anything from it. Anyway, if you have your GRE soon, then don't really worry much about non Barrons words. Chances are you will encounter few of them, if at all. Most sums are not difficult, they are a bit lengthy that's all, maybe there is an easy way to do them, but in the heat of the moment, I usually took the most obvious way out. The important thing is to keep your cool and work the sum out without worrying about anything else. If the time is used only in solving problems then there shouldn't be any time shortage. That's why it is important not to panic. Just relax and you will do well.

I wonder if this will hold. Non Barrons words from Big CD. A abettor: encourager abrade: wear away by friction, erode acephalous: headless acquiesce: to assent, agree passively adduce: present as evidence adumbration: foreshadowing, to give a sketchy outline of afferent: carrying towards the center afflatus: inspiration agronomist: scientist engaged in the management of land amortization: act of reducing debts through partial payments andirons: metal supports in a fireplace for cooking utensils or logs apologue: moral fable apoplexy: stroke, loss of consciousness appurtenances: subordinate possessions arrant: complete, thorough arrogate: claim without reasonable grounds asseverate: make a positive statement or solemn declaration atelier: workshop, studio athwart: across, in opposition auscultation: act of listening to the heart or lungs for abnormalities avatar: incarnation B bassoon : a reed musical instrument batten: grow fat, thrive upon others benighted: overcome by darkness bete noire: aversion, a person or thing stongly disliked billingsgate: vituperation, abusive language blazon: decorate with an heraldic coat of arms bluff: high cliff bootless: useless brazier: open pan in which live coals are burned breviary: book containing daily prayers bumptious: self assertive buskin: thick soled half boot worn by actors of Greek tragedy C cameo: shell or jewel carved in relief caparison: put showy ornamentation on a horse carmine: rich red carte blanche: an unlimited authority or freedom caryatid: sculptured column of a female figure causistry: subtle or sophisticated reasoning resulting in minute decisions causus: a private meeting or party champ: chew noisily chattel: personal property chiromancy: act of telling fortunes by reading hands, palmistry chiropodist: one who treats disorders of the feet cloven: split coadjutor: assistant, colleague cockade: decoration worn on the hat collier: workers in coal mine, ship carrying coal concordat: agreement contemn: to view with contempt; despise contumely: scornful insolence, insult cormorant: greedy, rapacious bird cortege: procession coruscate: glitter, scintillate crepuscular: pertaining to twilight cruet: small bottle for vinegar, oil etc cul-de-sac : blind alley, trap D dastard: coward debenture: bond issued to secure a loan decrepit: worn out by age defalcate: misuse money held in trust, embezzle deliquescent: capable of absorbing moisture from the air and becoming liquid demesne: domain, land over which a person has full sovereignty depilate : to remove hair descant: to discuss fully desideratum: that which is desired desuetude: disuse dipsomaniac : one who has strong cravings for intoxicating liquor dishabille: in a state of undress distaff: women considered as a group; attachment for spinning wheel drone: an idle person duenna: an older attendant for a young female, chaperone, governess durance: restraint, imprisonment E eclat: a brilliance; glory educe: draw forth; elicit efflorescent: flowering effulgent: brilliantly radiant elusory: tending to deceive expectations; elusive emblazon: deck in brilliant colours emeritus: retired but retained in an honorary capacity empyreal: celestial; fiery endive: species of leafy plants used in salads epicurean: person who devotes himself to the pleasure of the senses equipage: horse drawn carriage escutcheon: shield shaped surface on which coat of arms is placed esprit de corps: morale; comradeship eviscerate: disembowel; remove entrails ewer: water pitcher ex officio: by virtue of one's office exhaustive: thorough; comprehensive F fain: gladly; happily faux pas or slip in manners or behaviours fealty: loyalty; faithfulness fetish: object supposed to possess magical powers fiduciary: pertaining to a position of trust flagellate: flog; whip flotilla: small fleet freebooter: buccaneer freshet: sudden flood froward: disobedient; perverse; stubborn frowzy: slovenly; untidy fulgent: beaming; radiant fustian: pompous; bombastic G gaff: hook; barbed fishing spear gamester: gambler gasconade: bluster; boastfulness gauntlet: leather glove gibbet: gallows gig: two wheeled carriage gloaming: twilight H hauteur: haughtiness hawser: large rope hegira: flight; especially Mohammed's flight from Mecca heretic: person who maintains opinions contrary to the church hogshead: large barrel hostelry: inn hoyden: boisterous girl hustings: meetings particularly to choose candidates hyberborean: situated in extreme north; arctic; cold hypothecate: mortgage; pledge as security I imbrue: to drench; stain; especially with blood imprimatur: permission to print or publish a book imputation: charge,reproach incarnadine: stain crimson or blood colour ingenue: an artless girl; an actress who plays such parts integument: outer covering or skin interlocutory: conversational; intermediate, not final interment: act of burying interstices: chinks; crevices irrefragable:not to be disproved; indisputable iterate: repeat for a second time J jejune: lacking interest; barren; meager jeremiad: lament or complaint K kiosk: summerhouse; open pavilion kith: familiar friends knavery: rascality L lackey: footman; toady lagniappe: trifling present given to a customer lambent: flickering; softly radiant laminated: made of thin plates or scales lapidary: worker in precious stones lave: wash lesion: unhealthy change in strucure; injury lissome: agile, lithe lubricity: slipperiness; evasiveness lucent: shining M mall: public walk maunder: talk incoherently; utter drivel melange: medley; miscellany meringue: pastry decoration made of white eggs mesa : high mews: a group of stables built around a courtyard mien: a demeanor; a bearing minaret: a slender tower attached to a mosque miscegenation: an intermarriage between races moeity: half, part moor: marshy wasteland morganatic: describing a marriage between a member of the royal family and a commoner mugwump: defector from a party murrain: plague, cattle disease N nave: main body of church neap: lowest necrology: obituary notice; list of the dead non sequitor: a conclusion that does not follow the facts stated nosegay: fragrant bouqet O objurgate: scold; rebuke severly oblation: the eucharist; pious donation offal: waste; garbage offertory: collection of money at a religious ceremony orison: prayer orotund : having a round, resonant quality; inflated speech P paddock: saddling enclosure at race track; lot for exercising horses palaver: discussion; misleading speech panoply: full set of armor parapet: low wall at edge of roof or balcony paregoric: medicine that eases pain parlous: dangerous; perilous parricide: murder of a father parturition: delivery, childbirth parvenu: upstart; newly rich person patricide: person who murders his father patrimony: inheritance from father peculate: steal; embezzle pediment: a triangular part above columns in Greek buildings pelf: stolen property; money or wealth pennate: having wings or feathers perforce: of necessity peristyle: series of columns surrounding a building persiflage: flippant conversation; banter phial: a small bottle picaresque: pertaining to rogues in literature plangent: plaintive; resounding sadly plenipotentiary: fully empowered poltroon: coward pommel: beat porphyry: igneous rock containing feldspar or quartz crystals portentous: ominous; serious postprandial: after dinner preciosity: overrefinement in art or speech proboscis: long snout; nose prognathous: having projecting jaws prorogue: dismiss parliament; end officially provender: dry food; fodder purblind: dim sighted; obtuse purloin: to steal Q qui vie: wide awake; expectant R rampant: rearing up on hind legs; unrestrained rapprochement: a reconciliation ravening: rapacious; seeking prey recherche: choice; sought after; rare recreant: coward; betrayar of faith recrudescence: reopening of a wound or sore recusant: person who refuses to comply refection: slight refreshment refutation: disproof of opponents' arguments rescission: abrogation; annulment reticulated: covered with a network; having the appearance of a mesh rheumy: pertaining to a discharge from the eyes and nose rime: white frost risible: inclined to laugh; ludicrous roan: brown mixed with grey or white rood: crucifix rubicund: having a healthy reddish colour; ruddy; florid S sacerdotal: priestly saffron: orange coloured saltatory: relating to leaping salver: tray sangfroid: coolness in a trying situation sapid: savoury; tasty; relishable sapient: wise, shrewd sarcophagus: stone coffin; tomb satiety: a condition of being crammed full; a repletion satrap: petty ruler working for a superior despot savoir fare: tact; poise; concentration scarify: make slight incisions in; scratch sciolism: quackery; superficial information scion: offspring screed: long, tiresome harangue scullion: menial kitchen worker scuttle: to scurry; to run with short steps ; sink sebacious: oily; fatty senescence: state of growing old sequacious: eager to follow; ductile seraph: high ranking; angel of the first order serried: standing shoulder to shoulder; crowded shibboleth: watchword; slogan shoal: shallow place similitude: similarity; using comparisons such as similes sirocco: a windstorm slattern: untidy or slovenly person sobriquet: nickname soupcon: suggestion; hint; taste splenetic: spiteful; irritable; peevish spoliation: pillaging; depredation; plundering spume: froth; foam stein: a beer mug stertorous: having a snoring sound sub rosa: in strict confidence; privately sudorific: pertaining to perspiration sumptuary: limiting or regulating expenditures supernal: heavenly; celestial suppurate: create pus surcease: cessation T tarn: small mountain lake tatterdemalion: a ragged fellow taurine: like a bull teleology: doctrine of final causes tenebrous: dark; gloomy tergiversation: evasion; fickleness termagant: a shrew; scolding person terrapin: an American marsh tortoise thaumaturgist: miracle worker; magician theosophy: wisdom in divine things threnody: song of lamentation; dirge thyme: an aromatic plant used for seasoning tocsin: an alarm bell tortilla: a flat cake made of cornmeal transpire: exhale; happen treacle: syrup obtained in refining sugar trencherman: good man triolet: eight line stanza troglodyte: cave dweller trope: figure of speech like a metaphor truckle: curry favour; act in an obsequious way trumpery: objects that are showy,valueless, deceptive tumbrel: a farm tipcart turnkey: jailor U ukase: official degree, usually Russian V valance: short drapery hanging above window frame valetudinarian: invalid; aged vellum: a parchment venal: capable of being bribed vermicular: pertaining to a worm vertiginous: giddy; causing dizziness virago: shrew votary: follower of a cult W welkin: sky wraith: ghost; phantom of a living person

Some more rather difficult words. Worth a look. garbology (gar-BOL-uh-jee) noun: The study of a society or culture by examining what it discards onychophagia (on-i-ko-FAY-juh, -jee-uh) noun: The practice of biting one's nails. philography (fi-LOG-ruh-fee) noun: The practice of collecting autographs. theophany (thee-OF-uh-nee) noun: An appearance of a god to a person. pertinacious (pur-tn-AY-shuhs) adjective: Holding resolutely to a purpose, belief or opinion;Stubbornly unyielding. pixilated or pixillated (PIK-suh-layt-id) adjective: Mentally unbalanced; eccentric;Whimsical. oscitant (OS-i-tant) noun: Yawning, gaping from drowsiness;Inattentive, dull, negligent. pococurante (po-ko-koo-RAN-tee, -kyoo-) adjective:Indifferent, apathetic, nonchalant. crossbuck (KROS-buk) noun: An X-shaped warning sign at a highway-railroad crossing oniomania (O-nee-uh-MAY-nee-uh, MAYN-yuh) noun: Excessive, uncontrollable desire to buy things. hallux (HAL-uhks) noun, plural halluces (HAL-yuh-seez): Big toe. More generally, the innermost digit on the hind foot of animals.It is usually backward-directed in birds ocellus (o-SEL-uhs) noun, plural ocelli: A small simple eye common to invertebrates;An eyelike colored spot on an animal (as on peacock feathers,butterfly wings, fish, etc.) or on a leaf of a plant. septum (SEP-tuhm) noun, plural septa (SEP-tuh): A dividing wall, in an animal or a plant scart (skart) verb tr., intr.: To scratch, scrape or scar scrimmage (SKRIM-ayg) noun: A rough struggle;A practice game, often between two parts of the same team;A tussle for the ball in games such as football, rugby, soccer, etc. verboten (vuhr-BOHT-n) noun: Not allowed; forbidden. epicene (EP-i-seen) adjective: Having characteristics of both sexes,Effeminate. diastema (die-uh-STEE-mah) noun, plural diastemata: A gap between two adjacent teeth adamantine (ad-uh-MAN-teen, -tin) adjective: Unyielding or firm;Like a diamond in hardness or luster anchorite (ANG-kuh-ryt) noun, also anchoret: One who lives in seclusion; a hermit satrap (SAY-trap, SAT-rap) noun: A governor of a province in ancient Persia;A subordinate ruler or official argus (AHR-guhs) noun: An alert and observant person; a watchful guardian potatory (POH-tuh-tor-ee) adjective: Pertaining to or given to drinking. gyrovague (JYE-ro-vayg) noun: A monk who travels from one place to another discommode (dis-kuh-MOD) verb tr.: To put to inconvenience bad hair day (bad hair day) noun: A day when everything seems to go wrong nutraceutical (noo-truh-SOO-ti-kuhl) noun, adjective: A food with (or believed to have) medicinal properties;Pertaining to nutraceuticals. retail therapy (REE-tayl THER-uh-pee) noun: Shopping as a means of comfort, relaxation, or cheering up webliography (web-lee-OG-ruh-fee) noun: A list of electronic documents on a particular topic. neoteric (nee-uh-TER-ik) adjective: New; recent; modern. Pyrrhic victory (PIR-ik VIK-tuh-ree) noun: A victory won at a too great a cost. casus belli (KAY-suhs BEL-y, BEL-ee) noun, plural casus belli: An action or event that causes or is used to justify starting a war. fetial (FEE-shuhl) adjective, also fecial: Relating to declarations of war and treaties of peace polemology (po-luh-MOH-uh-jee) noun: The science and study of human conflict and war. spoliation (spo-lee-AY-shun) noun: The act of pillaging and plundering; Seizure of neutral ships at sea in time of war;The deliberate destruction or alteration of a document. louche (loosh) adjective: Of questionable character; dubious; disreputable. clochard (KLOH-shahr) noun: A beggar; vagrant. ambisinister (am-bi-SIN-uh-stuhr) adjective: Clumsy with both hands. (Literally, with two left hands.) epizootic (ep-uh-zo-OT-ik) adjective: Spreading quickly among many animals. anile (AN-yl, AY-nyl) adjective: Of or like an old woman. estivate (ES-tuh-vayt) verb, also aestivate: To pass the summer in a dormant state. thegosis (THE-go-sis) noun: Grinding of teeth as a means of sharpening them. trilemma (tri-LEM-uh) noun: A situation offering three undesirable options. humble pie (HUM-buhl pi) noun: Humiliation in the form of apology or retraction. Often in form of the phrase "to eat humble pie." kickshaw (KIK-shaw) noun: A fancy dish; delicacy; A trinket wiseacre (WIZ-ay-kuhr) noun: One who obnoxiously pretends to be wise; smart-aleck; wise-guy rakehell (RAYK-hel) noun: A licentious or immoral person cormorant (KOR-muhr-uhnt) noun: Any of the seabirds of the family Phalacrocoracidae, having a hooked bill with a pouch under it, a long neck and webbed feet;A greedy person. misocainea (mis-oh-KY-nee-uh, mi-soh-) noun: Hatred of anything new. piliform (PIL-i-form) adjective: Having the form of a hair chiromancy (KI-ruh-man-see) noun: The practice of predicting character and future of a person from the lines on the palms; palmistry. steganography (ste-GUH-nog-ruh-fee) noun: Secret communication by hiding the existence of message. Cadmean victory (kad-MEE-uhn VIK-tuh-ree) noun: A victory won at as great cost to the victor as to the vanquished. Zelig (ZEL-ig) noun: A chameleon-like person who appears to be present everywhere tommy atkins (TOM-ee AT-kinz) noun: A British soldier;One of the rank and file of any organization. Benedict Arnold (BEN-i-dikt AR-nuhld) noun: A traitor. zugzwang (TSOOK-tsvahng) noun: A position where one is forced to make an undesirable move. endgame (END-gaym) noun: The final stage of a game of chess in which only a few pieces are left; The final stage of a game, process, or activity. cecity (SEE-si-tee) noun: Blindness. lollygag (LOL-ee-gag) verb intr., also lallygag: To fool around, waste time, or spend time lazily; To neck. waspish (WOS-pish) adjective: Like a wasp, in behavior (stinging) or in form (slender build); Easily annoyed; irascible; petulant. kangaroo court (kang-guh-ROO kort) noun: A mock court set up with disregard to proper procedure to deliver a judgment arrived at in advance. testudinate (te-STOOD-in-ayt) adjective, also testudinal or testudinarian: Slow-moving, like a turtle;Curved like the carapace (shell) of a turtle; vaulted.

V 640 Q 780 Finally it is done. Even though I went in with high hopes, I had more of a feeling of relief than anything else, then a rather drained and resigned feeling. I am pretty satisfied with the score, especially considering that after giving the test I wasn't expecting much. First the essay sections. They were not much of a problem, and even though I hadn't prepared much for it, I still tackled them pretty well or so I thought. Then came the verbal section. In the second question itself, and analogy, I was left wondering over the answers and I had the feeling that it was going to turn out into a bad day. Later I got easier questions so I guess I must have made a mistake on that one. I got my RC only on the 9th question. There were two more later. RC's were of 35, 85 and 30 lines each. But the 85 line RC took some time to finish. Eventually, I had to rush up with my last few questions to finish the test in time. I did encounter a few words from outside of Barron's, maybe 5 or 6, but I knew some of them, and some of them I had to guess. All in all, I thought the verbal section turned pretty well. Then the quant section. It was a bit of a nightmare. The very first few questions took me so much time that I realised that I probably wasn't going to finish the section in time. Then it was a struggle from thereon. The questions were quite lengthy, even though not very complex. I ran into some tough DI questions, and also some standard deviation problems, maybe 2 of them, which took me quite some time. When I reached the 14th question, I had only 20 minutes or so to complete the remaining questions. And then I panicked, I just didn't know what I was doing. I tried to focus but I had to reread many questions several times, which only added to my time woes. Suffice to say I had to guess on the last 4 or 5 questions in around 20 seconds. I was asked whether I wanted to do the experimental verbal section comprising of 30 questions in 40 minutes, but I was happy simply to exit the section with a vengeance. Considering the hard time I had with my quant section, I felt I got a good score even though I was disappointed with my verbal score. Overall a rather challenging but tiring experience. But one positive thing to be noted is that even if you feel your quant section is not going too well, you might still get a good score. Clearly, maths cannot be taken lightly anymore. Barrons is definitely not suficient for quant. Topics such standard deviation, normal distribution are appearing with alarming regularity. In addition there are some number problems and algebraic problems which can turn out to be slightly difficult. It will probably take some time before standardized books and notes for all these topics will start to appear. Till then I guess the best thing to do is to refer to whatever material you can get on these forums and elsewhere and hope for the best. Remember to study statistics very well. And as for new words, I think it is time for people to start looking outside of Barrons as well, specially for those with a long time to go before their exams. A special thanks to forum members and Erin. This forum is a very great help to students. And all the best guys. Just keep it cool.

Dmitts, congratulations man. Amazing score. 700 in verbal, cool. Its such a big relief to see such excellent scores. Gives the rest of us hopes. You must be mighty relieved now. Anyway, can you elaborate a bit on what type of statistics questions were asked ? And do you think Barron's is sufficient for maths ? And all the best for your admissions.