- #1
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- 1
First Question,
About how far in advance of applying to graduate school should one take the GRE test(s) [General + Subject]?
I am currently planning on graduating in a year (Spring 2009), which would probably mean applying to grad school this fall. Therefore, I am thinking that I am closing in on the time I should start thinking about taking these tests, at least the General GRE, right?
In speaking with an academic advisor at my school on the subject, I was given as answer which seems to conflict with the general order of events I was expecting. Essentially, the impression the advisor gave me was that I have plenty of time to wait and that I might as well wait until after I applied before taking the General GRE. Furthermore, the advisor pretty much said not to worry about the Subject (Physics) GRE since, if the school requires it at all, I could wait until after I have already been admitted and taken course work at the grad school for X amount of time before taking it. This does not make sense to me since these scores seem to be an important (to varying degrees) factor in admission…why would I, or any school I apply to, want to wait until I am so far long the application process to get the results.
Of course, I could always take the tests sooner rather than later, there is nothing wrong with that. But I have gotten the impression that the GRE, unlike the SAT / ACT, is something you only take once (or very few times), so that waiting until one has learned most of what will learn for their degree might be advantageous.
Second ‘Question’,
I have gotten the impression (mostly, but not exclusively, from this forum) that it is generally advisable to attend a different institution for graduate school than one did for their undergraduate degree, in particularly if one intends to pursue a PhD.
I mentioned this impression when speaking with the same academic advisor who bluntly told me that this was ‘just not true’ and she did not know where I could get such an idea.
So does she know what she is talking about? Who is right here?
About how far in advance of applying to graduate school should one take the GRE test(s) [General + Subject]?
I am currently planning on graduating in a year (Spring 2009), which would probably mean applying to grad school this fall. Therefore, I am thinking that I am closing in on the time I should start thinking about taking these tests, at least the General GRE, right?
In speaking with an academic advisor at my school on the subject, I was given as answer which seems to conflict with the general order of events I was expecting. Essentially, the impression the advisor gave me was that I have plenty of time to wait and that I might as well wait until after I applied before taking the General GRE. Furthermore, the advisor pretty much said not to worry about the Subject (Physics) GRE since, if the school requires it at all, I could wait until after I have already been admitted and taken course work at the grad school for X amount of time before taking it. This does not make sense to me since these scores seem to be an important (to varying degrees) factor in admission…why would I, or any school I apply to, want to wait until I am so far long the application process to get the results.
Of course, I could always take the tests sooner rather than later, there is nothing wrong with that. But I have gotten the impression that the GRE, unlike the SAT / ACT, is something you only take once (or very few times), so that waiting until one has learned most of what will learn for their degree might be advantageous.
Second ‘Question’,
I have gotten the impression (mostly, but not exclusively, from this forum) that it is generally advisable to attend a different institution for graduate school than one did for their undergraduate degree, in particularly if one intends to pursue a PhD.
I mentioned this impression when speaking with the same academic advisor who bluntly told me that this was ‘just not true’ and she did not know where I could get such an idea.
So does she know what she is talking about? Who is right here?