So... GRE.
This is an annoying test. I haven't taken standardized exam since SAT and SAT 2 in high school, so it's been a while. It costs something like $205, and the bad news is, even if you do extremely well, it probably doesn't help you much as far as admission goes. Obviously, it's better to do well than not, but from the information that I gathered, it's likely that most admissions committee don't care much about GRE. If the score is too low, then that's a red flag, but otherwise, they don't care. So it's an exam with no reward and some risk, a $205 test just to show that you're not dumb. (There are programs that allocate some sort of funding based on GRE scores, but as far as getting admitted in the first place, GRE is probably among the lowest factors)
I decided as early as Summer of 2017 that I was going to study and take GRE after graduation, so it was a strange feeling, listening to fellow classmates talking about GRE during class. The anxiety of those who have yet to take it... the relief of those who already did... and the worries of those whose scores weren't as good as they wanted... But I couldn't feel bad for them, because I knew this could be me the next year.
Anyone who has ever studied for GRE probably knows this... it's not a fun process. Memorizing words that may or may not appear on the test, studying high school math, learning how to do reading comprehension problems... all for something that may or may not help you get into grad school.
Whenever I told someone(who doesn't really know about American grad school admission process) that I'm studying for GRE, they thought I was studying for some incredibly hard entrance exam. I wish it was, because at least I would have been more motivated then. Knowing that this test may not even factor that much into admission decision was what made it hard for me to take it that seriously. All I could do is to tell myself "We all pay $205 for it. So might as well study well and dominate this test. Besides, I can't do anything about my GPA or research experience at this point. But I can still control the outcome of 2 things: GRE and SOP. Getting high score on GRE and writing great SOP is the only way now to help myself."
Looking back, one of the biggest mistakes I made was not taking practice tests earlier. I waited until Sept. 27 (when the actual test is very next day) to take my first practice test on the prep book. The scores that I got on the practice test were in the range of 163~164 for Quant. and 155~157 for Verbal.
I was shocked... I was hoping for 170 (the maximum) on Quant. and at least 160 on Verbal. Was I THIS unprepared? With less than 24 hours until the actual test, what was I to do?
Not much actually lol. It's not like I can solve additional 200 problems at that point. So I decided to just analyze the root causes of my mistakes and try my hardest not to repeat them during actual test.
As for the GRE test itself, the Analytical Writing part scared me. I did not prepare for this section at all, and I'm not a good writer in the first place, so I was actually worried that I might get a score of below 4.0. It did not help that the girl who sat next to me basically typed non-stop. The other 2 sections went better than expected. The Verbal section was easier than the prep books that I used, and Quant. was about the same. The 2nd section of Quant. had some tricky problems that stumped me at first, but when I came back to solve them after solving other problems, I understood how to solve them. Doubling checking really saved me in Quant. I spotted two erroneous answers and was able to correct them before time ran out.
Immediately after you finish the test, you receive provisional(unofficial) scores for Quant. and Verbal sections. I got 170 for Quant. and 163 for Verbal.
WOW
I was ecstatic. My goal all along was 170Q/160V, so to do even better than that was a huge surprise, especially when you consider the kinds of scores I was getting the day before on practice tests. It was one of those moments where all the past labor seemed worth it. Every minute that I slogged through to memorize words, memorize key math equations and tricks... every minute that I spent wondering what score I would get... wondering if I have to take this test twice and waste another $205... all the time that I spent stressing over this... it was all worth it in the end. I wanted to get high score, because as insignificant as it may be in actual admission decision, it was one of the only things that I could do at that point to help my cause. But then came the worry, the Analytical Writing...
I didn't prepare for this section at all (on purpose more or less) and I didn't think I did well on actual test either. As great as 170Q/163V was, if I get below 4.0 for AW, then that would be a huge party-crasher. And besides, I've heard stories of how some people had their official scores for Quant. and Verbal be lower than their unofficial scores. It was a nervous wait until the official score was released.
About 8 days later, the official score was uploaded.
4.0 on AW, Quant. and Verbal scores did not go down... HELL YEAH!
And so ended my bout with GRE. Things that I could have done better was 1) start preparing for it earlier and take the test earlier (so that I have more time for SOP) and 2) start doing practice tests earlier. I had to know where I stood earlier. Getting 164Q/155V on a practice test (when your goal is 170Q/160V) the day before the exam will give you a panic attack. The night of Sept. 27 was a one filled with anxiety and regret. But I'm glad the story has a happy ending.
With GRE out of the way, I could now focus and completely all-in on probably the most important part of grad school application... the SOP.