|
As noted above, you want to spend a lot of time on 'test strategy' - learn how they word Q's, take note of ones that tend to trick you and how. Also get hard data (not just hearsay from a prof) about whether it is better to leave a blank or make a mistake - I DK if GRE does this, but some penalize you more for an error, so learn what to skip until the end. The classes might help, but they include a LOT of amateur psych for test anxiety and how to stay cool -for some this is a real boost, but I'd have been pissed to spend $500-1k for a glorified relaxation program. Take as many practice exams as you can. Start by using them piecemeal to target weak areas or stuff you need to review, but also do several in real time and all the way through so you can work on pacing and not bogging down on tough Q's. And in general, strong personal letter of recc from somebody in the field, especially s/b local or well-known, can go a LONG way towards making up for GPA/GRE scores (and ALWAYS have s/b good proof all your application letters; you won't spot your own errors, and they can be fatal here). Strong science scores are becoming commonplace, but programs need graduates who will perform and then graduate into jobs w/o needing a ton of handholding, so past experience and letters that point towards your being a reliable and productive person carry a lot of weight. It also helps to know what the profs there are working on, so you can discuss how you would fit or extend that - at least in my field, the mindless/brownnosing 'I'm into whatever you have going on - it's all so cool' is taken as a sign of somebody who isn't serious.
|