GREs

[jcoleman at msvax.mssm.edu]

In article <1995Oct15.154204 at hiramb>, rapienmk at hiram.edu writes:
>Hi!  I am preparing to attend graduate school next year and yesterday I took
>the GREs.  The general test went well, but i'm very nervous about the bio
>subject test.  I feel like I have a good biology background, but it seemed
>like much of what was on the test I had not had before.  It was a lot of
>molecular bio, which is not my strongest point (I've taken more organismal
>courses).  So my question is, how important are the GREs anyway?  I have
>gotten all A's in my bio classes and my  overall GPA is above a 3.5.  So even
>if I did poorly on the test, will graduate schools still accept me?  Some of
>them do not even require the subject test, but they recommend it.  Does that
>mean it can only help me and not hurt me to take it?  I suppose if worse comes
>to worse I will take a year off then retake the test and go to grad school the
>following year, but I really feel ready for grad school now.  I have had
>research experience and although I have not published anything, I feel
>confident that I can be successful in a PhD program.  What do you think?  do
>GRE scores matter that much in light of other things (such as grades and
>research experience)?  I really need some to hear some opinions on this!
>
>                                                         Thanks!
>                                                         Mary 
I think GPA, research experience and the general GRE's are more important....I
applied to grad programs in Neurobiology having a psychology major from
undergraduate and the only subject test I had was a psychology one that I did
very badly on (I concentrated in school on biological psychology and didn't
know alot of the historically important names :-) ) and when I applied I just
didn't supply the schools that particular piece of info :-) ...I got in. It
depends on how strict the school feels about the subject test. I also had
research experience, a 3.3 GPA and good standard GRE's so no problem. My
advisor is n the admissions committee here and he just found out from me that I
did have a subject test *laugh* but this school did not require it...so I
didn't provide it. (REalize also that my situation is a little different...I
applied to grad school in a different field so I could say it wasn't relevant
to my abilities as a grad student in neurobiology :-) )

I think you'll be fine :-)
Jen