Page 1 of 1

Questions about GRE from a beginner

Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 1:35 pm
by lnth
Hi, I'm gonna take the exam this November. And I literally just start studying for it. I'm a non-native, did my undergrad at an english uni, but I admit my english is still bad. I plan to spend at least 10hrs/day to study GRE. Do you guys think it's enough to get a decent score, say, more than 80% in the subject test?

Also, I'm gonna apply to do a phd in maths in the us, I'm aiming for no 15 to 40 or so in this list:

http://www.stat.tamu.edu/~jnewton/nrc_r ... rea31.html

My undergrad score was average, pretty bad actually, but I'm quite sure I can get quite good references from 2 very well-known professors from my uni, that's why I go for no 15 to 40.

How much (general test & subject test) do you think I have to achieve to hope for these places? Also, does the general test score matter much to them?

I just start researching these places and I don't really have an idea about their requirements in general at the moment.
Please help. Thanks a lot.

Re: Questions about GRE from a beginner

Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 5:33 pm
by Chapel
From what I have read about PhD programs both the Subject and General GRE tests are more like cut offs than anything else. Basically, a poor score and cut you but a super score will not help you any more than a good score. That being said, universities tend not to publish what the cut offs are. Also, you will likely need 3 letters of recommendation (with an option to submit up to 5 at some schools) so I would hunt down at least one more.

10 hours of study a day will be pretty intense. Make sure you have enough material and that you are familiar with the subjects covered (most of the test is calculus).

Also, here are some actual samples from previous tests: http://www.mathcity.org/papers/gre_subj ... by_ets_usa