How long did you study for both the General and Physics GREs?

[mhockey14221]

And is it too late to consider starting grad school in Fall 2010, even if I start applications today?

 

[physics girl phd]

And is it too late to consider starting grad school in Fall 2010, even if I start applications today?

I didn't study for either -- but note: I'm "old" (aka. I applied to grad school about 10 years ago and have been out for some time now). My scores were good, but not outstanding, and said scores wouldn't get me into the same caliber programs now. So study.

Also: to start grad school in fall of 2010, you need to submit complete applications (including usually 3-4 recommendation letters, GRE scores, a personal statement, transcripts, etc.) by a deadline set by the program...for you, typical deadlines will probably be in mid-January 2010, but some programs may set earlier deadlines. So you'll need to start looking at the applications for the programs you're interested in soon to know all the details about both the deadline and what will constitute a complete application.

 

[Major_Energy]

Hey Mhockey, I was kinda freaking out about the same thing. I am coming back to school (been in combat zones for the last 6 years).

The first thing I would recommend: Talk to the graduate advisor. Call up the department, get his/her number and make an appointment. Read up on gradute and department admissions too and write down concerns.

Then meet the grad advisor in person, a Professor, and lay out what you are trying to do. I am my case (Engineering Undergrad - going for Physics PhD) there are a few courses he recommended I take and then we did up a quick course plan. He also gave me key dates, and other good to know general info and addressed all of my concerns.

In my case he recommended delaying I guess we could call "formal" grad standing to 2011, but in the interim I would have this special student status (which I didnt even know existed) where I could take grad clases and other high level undergrad without the typical pre-reqs - AND they have some TA/RA work for me where I had my strengths in the department.

I guess the moral of the story is talk to the grad advisor, in person if possible.