GRE — FAQs and Tips
It’s a very common question to ask if Graduate Record Examination-GRE is compulsory for US admissions or not. Here are some points to answer that.
GRE is compulsory for almost all universities and scholarships (including Fulbright and HEC). There may be a few schools that don’t require GRE for admission but they still prefer those who have it.
Pros of having GRE/cons of not having:
1. You will have a better chance of contacting potential advisors for funding, Professors don’t even respond if you don’t have GRE
2. You will learn analytical skills which are very important in research
3. Mostly low-ranked universities don’t require GRE which means you will have trouble while getting Visa. US Visa interview should not be taken lightly. Some high ranked schools waive GRE for some programs (e.g. Computer Engineering at MIT), but these programs are ranked too high and are highly competitive. Without GRE, you might not have a good chance.
4. GRE is your chance to compensate for low grades if you have a low CGPA. Take it as an opportunity
The GRE process would make you learn something which would be very helpful in your Ph.D. You would know what to expect. If you don’t work hard now, you will have to learn it later the harder way. The choice is yours, take advantage of your time in Pakistan and learn now or spend more money, time, and effort later in the US (if you manage to get admission and visa).
Lastly, There’s no shortcut to success. You need to work hard if you want to achieve something.
To prepare for GRE, there’s no single answer to what’s the best resource.
ETS is the test maker and any material from them is absolutely recommended. Then comes manhattan which is recommended for the Quantitative portion, and Princeton review books got really handy tips for the Verbal and Analytical section.
To get more practice, magoosh paid account and practice tests can be a good investment. Recently, scholarden has also started a practice test service similar to magoosh but a lot cheaper.
The practice is the key. The more practice you do, the better you would get at problem-solving as well as time management.
Don’t underestimate the test, invest time and effort as much as you can.
Please also find the video in the link. We made a very comprehensive introductory Video on GRE.
This article is written by Sara Sultan
