SiGuy

I'm not applying for an accounting degree program though.

I am also writing a personal statement now. I have found former professors helpful in reviewing my statement and have not needed to pay for any services.

I just talked to one of my undergraduate professors about this. This professor was once on an admissions committee. He said he believes that a letter of recommendation from an employer or supervisor at work is just as credible as a letter from a professor so long as your job is related to the field that you want to go to graduate school for.

People may be moving into both areas in large numbers, which would invalidate the argument that the increase in that the increase in homeownership in Corporateville demonstrates that Middlesburg is a less desirable place to work in. We also do not know where all of these people who are moving into Corporateville are coming from. If it was known that most of the people buying homes in Corporateville had moved to CorporateVille from Middlesburg, the author's argument about the surge in homeownership in CorporateVille demonstrating that is a superior place to work would be stronger.

Another assumption is that the results from the survey of SuperCorp workers represents the majority opinion of all SuperCorp employees. The assumption that the survey is accurate leads the author to conclude that SuperCorp made the best decision for the majority of its workers. It may be possible that only the employees who are most passionate about moving their company's headquarters to corporateville responded to the survey. The author also assumes that the increase in homeownership in Corporateville demonstrates that Middlesburg is a less desirable place to work in. The author does not inform the reader as to whether or not people are moving out of Middlesburg in large numbers. It may also be possible that there is a surge in the amount of homeowners in the town of Middlesburg.

My essay response: This argument assumes that Middlesburg is less safe than Corporateville. From this assumption, the author concludes that working in Corporateville is better than working in Middlesburg because it is safer. No actual evidence or data is presented to support this assumption. For instance, no data is provided on the diffrences between crime rates in the two areas, or about the proximity of these two areas to natural hazards such as volcanoes. If it was known that Corporateville was next to a massive volcano that has a Ultra Plinian eruption every 10 years (but Middlesburg is not near any natural hazards), this would invalidate the author's argument that Corporateville is safer, and therefore a better location for the company's headquarters.

Question copied from practice test: SuperCorp recently moved its headquarters to Corporateville. The recent surge in the number of homeowners in Corporateville proves that Corporateville is a superior place to live than Middlesburg, the home of SuperCorp's current headquarters. Moreover, Middleburg is a predominately urban area and according to an employee survey, SuperCorp has determined that its workers prefer to live in an area that is not urban. Finally, Corporateville has lower taxes than Middlesburg, making it not only a safer place to work but also a cheaper one. Therefore, Supercorp clearly made the best decision. Write a response in which you examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions of the argument. Be sure to explain how the argument depends on the assumptions and what the implications are if the assumptions prove unwarranted.

Hello, would anyone be able to review, score (0-6), and provide feedback on this essay I wrote for the Analytical Writing Argument portion for the GRE practice test? This is my first time responding to a GRE AWA argument prompt (this was part of a practice test, not a real GRE). I followed the 30 minute time limit when writing this essay. Yes, I am aware there is a spelling error in this essay.

Has anyone here on www.urch.com used a letter of recommendation from an employer as part of their graduate school application? Do positive/outstanding letters of recommendation from a boss at work usually carry the same weight as a outstanding reference from a professor in the eyes of admissions committees? Specifically, is this true if the job is related to your major field of study? I am currently working as a laboratory technician and applying for a scientific graduate degree program. I feel confident that letters from both my former professors and my employer will be positive in tone. Thanks for your feedback.

I am practicing for the GRE AWA right now and could use some constructive criticism of my essays my self.

Yes.More specific examples would help (like specific events that are relevant). They can even be examples from pop culture or television. They don't necessarily have to be strictly "scholarly" examples.

Yes try calling customer services.

I don't see any spelling errors here, which is a good thing. Having no spelling errors increases your score.

See: https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/prepare/analytical_writing/issue/scoring_guide for more information about AWA scoring.

This essay could use more specific examples, like data showing that many groups are represented in a specific major city. Also, it is a good idea to acknowledge the other side of the issue in your argument and reiterate it to show that you understand it. Respond to criticisms that may be raised by the other side. I don't see any objections to your side of the issue mentioned here. I would give it about a 3-4.