Undergraduate student looking for advices. Thanks.

Forum for the GRE subject test in mathematics.
Post Reply
speedychaos4
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 2:42 am

Undergraduate student looking for advices. Thanks.

Post by speedychaos4 » Mon Apr 05, 2010 8:51 am

Hi everyone, I'm a current junior in math major, and I'm thinking about applying for grad schools. However, my first year GPA was really low for some reasons(only 2.0+), but I'm doing better(3.0+ for sophomore year and presumably 3.7+ for junior year), and now I'm planning to take the GRE math in order to prove that I'm eligible for grad school study, would this work? If it would, what is the ideal percentile? :roll:

I know my background is really weak, it seems that I would have no hope of being selected :( , but still, do anyone have some suggestions of grad school for me?

Thanks.

mrb
Posts: 25
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:58 pm

Re: Undergraduate student looking for advices. Thanks.

Post by mrb » Mon Apr 05, 2010 1:37 pm

Getting the best GPA you can now and getting a good subject GRE would definitely help. The "ideal percentile" is of course 99. My impression is that anything under about 75% or 80% or so is going to hurt you at top schools, but how much it matters varies between schools. Don't think you can rely completely on the GRE to save a poor record.

You haven't said anything about what classes you have taken. Get as many advanced mathematics classes on your transcript as you can. Some people do a very light math major with hardly any advanced classes; if this is the path you have taken, you might have a problem.

Also get as much positive contact with the best profs at your school so they can recommend you. This may be the most important component. And talk to them about where you should apply.

Good luck. It's rough going. I am currently getting massacred.

speedychaos4
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 2:42 am

Re: Undergraduate student looking for advices. Thanks.

Post by speedychaos4 » Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:17 pm

Thank you for your reply mrb.
I'm now thinking about applying for a master degree first due to my weakness. Hope the chance of getting it could be bigger.
I'm currently taking Topology, Real Analysis, Fourier Analysis and A.I. with Fuzzy Set Theory, are these courses qualified for the advanced courses you mentioned?
Oh right, I think you have taken the GRE Math, right? Do you think the GR8767 and GR9367 easy or not? And how much more difficult are the real test than those samples?
Thx.

mrb
Posts: 25
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:58 pm

Re: Undergraduate student looking for advices. Thanks.

Post by mrb » Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:18 pm

Yes, those classes are fine. Do something like that again next semester, and if you can take some graduate classes too, do that.

I think the difficulty of those practice tests is comparable to the actual test, although I haven't looked at them in months. Except that I do remember thinking about the real test that it had more lengthy computations than the practice tests. You want to be at a point where you look at the test and the questions mostly seem really trivial, because ultimately they are pretty simple. The problem is (for me, and I think for others), the test can still be difficult even though the questions are easy, because of time. I am pretty slow, and changing gears from one question to another is hard for me. Actually I was surprised during the real test, even though I had practiced with a timer, how fast time snuck up on me, and I had to leave quite a few questions blank. I got a 740 on the test (74 percentile).

infinity
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 11:20 am

Re: Undergraduate student looking for advices. Thanks.

Post by infinity » Mon Apr 05, 2010 7:44 pm

Although I am totally not qualified to advice you, I do think you do have a GOOD chance. As long as you ‘love’ Math, you will get there!
Just prepare your weapons: seek a high GRE score in the math subject, I think the GRE general will be helpful and good addition for you, try to do any Math work/research before you gradate (Google about how to undergraduate math research … and ask your professors), improve your GPA next semester, seek a GOOD recommendation letters!
This forum is AWESOME and very helpful… just make your study plan and start right away!

If things did not work out good, either in the GRE math or during the admission or whatever, just do not give up! If you can take some additional courses (certificates) go ahead, you can even look for a mathematics graduate diploma or something to improve your GPA and boost your application (I think this might work)!

Best of luck!

speedychaos4
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 2:42 am

Re: Undergraduate student looking for advices. Thanks.

Post by speedychaos4 » Mon Apr 05, 2010 11:03 pm

Thanks for your encouragement infinity.
Yes, I'm really trying HARD right now.
Luckily, I'm not the kind to care too much about the result, as long as I tried my best, there is nothing to regret.
Keep working hard!

speedychaos4
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2010 2:42 am

Re: Undergraduate student looking for advices. Thanks.

Post by speedychaos4 » Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:51 am

mrb wrote:Yes, those classes are fine. Do something like that again next semester, and if you can take some graduate classes too, do that.

I think the difficulty of those practice tests is comparable to the actual test, although I haven't looked at them in months. Except that I do remember thinking about the real test that it had more lengthy computations than the practice tests. You want to be at a point where you look at the test and the questions mostly seem really trivial, because ultimately they are pretty simple. The problem is (for me, and I think for others), the test can still be difficult even though the questions are easy, because of time. I am pretty slow, and changing gears from one question to another is hard for me. Actually I was surprised during the real test, even though I had practiced with a timer, how fast time snuck up on me, and I had to leave quite a few questions blank. I got a 740 on the test (74 percentile).
Thanks for the info mrb, it really points out a way for me.
btw, have you ever tried the practice sets by REA? I did two of them today, but just got a little bit more than half of the raw score, kinda depressed right now, I'm afraid that this will happen to me during the real one.

origin415
Posts: 61
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 11:42 pm

Re: Undergraduate student looking for advices. Thanks.

Post by origin415 » Tue Apr 06, 2010 8:10 am

speedychaos4 wrote:Thanks for the info mrb, it really points out a way for me.
btw, have you ever tried the practice sets by REA? I did two of them today, but just got a little bit more than half of the raw score, kinda depressed right now, I'm afraid that this will happen to me during the real one.
Those tests do not reflect the math GRE at all, they require a lot of knowledge the GRE doesn't, and some of the questions are much more difficult than you should expect on the GRE.

mrb
Posts: 25
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:58 pm

Re: Undergraduate student looking for advices. Thanks.

Post by mrb » Tue Apr 06, 2010 1:22 pm

I completely agree with origin415. The REA book is worthless; it doesn't seem like its authors made any attempt to make it like the real test. The Princeton Review book is better, but still far from perfect.



Post Reply