Kevin Alarcón Negy
Cornell University
Computer Science PhD student
Expected graduation: 2024
Contact Information:
Email: kevinnegy@cs.cornell.edu
Address: Office 407 Bill & Melinda Gates Hall
(107 Hoy Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853)
Guide to the PhD Application Process
GRE
When should I take the GRE?
I suggest devoting at least two months in the summer before you apply or earlier to studying for the GRE. If you can take it, at the latest, by the end of summer, you put yourself in a position to retake it if necessary or have one less task during application season. You need this time because you can't take another test for 21 days. Use this time to study.
I knew many applicants who waited until October or November to take the GRE, did not do well, and were then overwhelmed, rushing to retake it close to application deadlines. You risk not getting scores sent in on time and adding unnecessary extra stress to your life.
GRE scores are good for five years so it is ok to take the GRE early (years early in fact. Mine were three years old), as long as your scores are good enough.
How should I study?
Buy a prep book or take a class. A book will be cheaper, but requires more self-motivation. The method that worked for me was to alternate days between math and verbal practice. Try to target your weak points. Aim to have taken four to five practice tests in complete sessions by the time of the actual tests. You should strive to mimic the test settings and timings as much as possible. These practice tests will show your progress along the way and prep you for the slog of the actual four hour test.
Studying the GRE’s most common words/roots is a great way to prepare for the verbal section. Also keep in mind that your verbal score is less likely to vary if you retake the test. Knowing vocabulary is more based on how much you have read in life, not just what you've studied in two months. Spend a bit more time on math since this section varies more with each exam.
What scores should I target?
For top schools you should aim for 160+ in both verbal and quantitative. Depending on your field, one score may be more important than another. (For instance, engineering places more importance on quantitative scores than verbal scores; social sciences cares about verbal more than quantitative.) Application committees may flag low scores and filter them out, so explore department FAQs or contact graduate administrators at specific universities to find out average (i.e., safe) scores of admitted students.
Updated as of January 2019.