Graduate Record Examination- GRE

As you all know, I have aspirations to become a Clinical Psychologist, PhD. I have graduated with a  Bachelors in Psychology, I have been emerged in the research academia world for about 3 years now and I currently work as an assistant Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) teacher to autistic children. With all this on my resume, I cant move forward without the ridiculous GRE. This is a more advance version of the SAT (you guys remember that from high school right?) Colleges use the GRE not because it actually shows your intelligence, they say it will show them how well you will do in your first year of grad school. The truth is, top schools get hundreds if not thousands of applications yearly. Do you think the admissions committee is going to sit there and read all of them? Heck no! What some of these schools do (and I have inside information from my mentor, who is on the admissions committee at Univ of Miami) is have a secretary down stairs screen your applications. For PhD programs, a 3.5 GPA and no less that a 1200 on the GRE is ideal. If you do not make that cut (This is what schools call the "Cut Off" score) your application will be placed in a pile and NEVER looked at. Sad right? Because like so many wonderful people out there who want this as bad as I do, get the rest of our application materials over looked (highly pissed). 

Well, in order to get into the PhD Program of my choice, I have to take this exam and get a certain score. Out of 1600 (800 on both Math and Verbal) I need around, above, or as close to a 1200 as possible! Because I'm having trouble with this exam, I didn't have the luxury of going to PhD right after undergrad. The other route I will take is to get a Masters in or related to the field of psychology. I do not just want any masters, I want one that will specifically prepare me for the PhD. But guess what? The GRE is still required! The only difference is, the "cut off" score is most times lower than 1200. Some schools don't even require it, but I am always weary of those programs. I don't want to sell my self short and say my goal is to reach a 1000, because that means I will still need to take the exam again to get into PhD (you see you can't win). So, enough with the complaining then right? Right. I enrolled in a Princeton Review course for tutoring on how to be the GRE. I just started Monday at Queens College. I go twice a week and live in the library the other days. 

Sacrifice. No partying, no laziness. I have to separate myself, focus, and get in that grind mode, especially if I don't want to sit around for another year listening to my parents complain (not cool). If anyone is studying for the exam as well, maybe we can pass around pointers and be each others support! Sometimes you need it. I'm here if anyone needs more information. I'm off this, to go study on this beautiful day :( Don't feel too sorry for me, because when I get into the school of my choice, it would have all been worth it.

SweetestTabu xoxo