Thursday, February 26, 2009

Why GRE is so important

There are many options available when choosing your college for your masters degree. With all of the information out there, how does one decided which school is right for them? Below are the main four considerations when choosing a graduate school.




1) Probably the first thing to consider is what are your GRE's or Graduate Record Exam scores. This is a major consideration when deciding where to attend graduate school. Some schools require a GRE score of 1200 or more.

2) The competition at a school is another thing to consider. Harvard is considered a top school for business and law, and John Hopkins for the medical field. Your GRE scores need to be above 1400 to get accepted to these schools. Some people have their mind set on one school and will take nothing else but the best. Go for it, but keep a backup plan ready. And as there are deadlines, don't wait too late to apply to your alternate schools. Just remember, that the more prestigious the school, the higher your Graduate Record Exam scores need to be.

3) Housing was a big. The only way GRE scores play into the game here, is if you want to try to get a grant or scholarship to pay for the board. By the time most people go to graduate school, they are commuting or going part time. More and more, young people are going directly from undergraduate to graduate school. Many graduate schools have graduated only housing. Better yet, for us married people with children, a lot of graduate schools are starting what they call married student housing. High Graduate Record Exam scores increase your chance of getting funding for you married student housing.

4) Last but not least, tuition is a consideration. Graduates schools can have outrageous prices. Some run upwards of $20,000 a year. However, there are many funding opportunities out there. Graduate schools also offer graduate assistantships. These can pay for all of tuition, however, occasionally; they pay for room and board also. I would advise not to go too far into debt with loans. Again, your GRE scores are important. The higher your Graduate Record Exam scores, the greater chance that you can get good financial aid.

Good luck!

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