Patrick2go:


A resounding congratulations to you sir. Your expectations will be crowned...Amen!
Please could you help me with the prinction review to aid my preparation. pa3rkdphenom@yahoo.com.
Thank you sir.

Thanks bro. Amen.
I have sent you the Princeton Review.

Scholastica16:


Mahn, anything is possible. I personally believe you stand a great chance. Besides, I have seen or rather heard of lesser profiles that got into UPenn and Boston Uni for Master's fully-funded.

That you believe I stand a great chance is giving me ginger. lol. That and the fact that I have also heard of people with lesser profiles get admitted to top schools. I will be sure to drop my application and admission updates on this thread. #Fall2018 We move!

GlitteringStar:


Congratulations!!! Thank you for sharing your test experience.


With regard to the bolded, I will quote Magoosh's advice for GRE test takers which is to "never attempt to guess which section is the experimental one. You should be in the mindset that every section counts. Even if you think you have gotten the experimental section (you see a strange looking geometrical shape or a frightening word that wasn’t on your vocab list) do not assume this is the case. In the heat of a moment, many things on the test may strike you as strange. And if you misidentify the experimental section, the effect on your score can be catastrophic".



I wish all "Fall 2018" applicants good success

Thank you so much. I did just as magoosh recommended but still I suspect my first verbal section was the experimental section. I guess we can never know for sure which is the experimental section. Just answer all questions as best as you can.

Vwederian:

Please can you send me Princeton review to my mail obiusvwede@yahoo.co.uk ? I am writing in few weeks. Congrats ooo.. Nice scores

Thanks so much. I have sent the Princeton Review to your mail. What other materials are you preparing with. Few weeks don't seem so far from now o. Take practice tests after practice tests. You'll be fine. Cheers.

Epithet:


Congrats those are really nice scores

Thank you so much.

Secrets11:
I want to write the GMAT exam but searching for where to register for it. Do you have an idea where I can do that? I live in Lagos State. Thanks

Hello. I think you can register at BYMafit. Their office is somewhere in ikeja or you can visit their site at http://www.gregmattoeflnigeria.com I registered for my GRE with them. They are credible and reliable.

Goodluck

Thanks so much Scholastica. Means a lot to me coming from you. I hope my scores and GPA are good enough for the schools I have selected. I feel I'm being a tad ambitious sending scores to the likes of Georgia Tech and Michigan State but I know anything is possible if you believe. Right now, I am working on the other parts of my applications - preparing for TOEFL and writing my SOP- and should start rolling out applications by next month as unfortunately, I am not armed with my transcript at the moment. In the interim, I plan to instigate correspondence with prospective supervisors in the schools I have shortlisted after careful study of their papers. I hope this pans out well. Thanks once again.

Scholastica16:
Congrats MasterforceII and Amandrush. I am glad you gave back to the thread and your reported experience will definitely help someone else.

Amandrush, I understand that you want to retake it. My advice will be to attempt more practice tests and less reading except you want to revisit a specific topic that you don't seem to be getting right while practicing.

I will always sue for full-length tests that should start with Kaplan (as it is slightly easier) then should gravitate towards Magoosh/Manhattan/CrunchPrep and finally the PowerPrep II software.

MasterforceII, congrats again and no you would not need to retake the test as you have done very well. Your GPA is also quite strong. Just put out a very well-rounded SOP and quality LORs. You could also try to reach out to POIs in your considered schools armed with your transcript, CV and now the PDF version of your GRE all in one. I am sure you know areas you would like to work on so read about it - and if possible the works of some of the POIs you are considering.

If you can tell them a bit about it; what you understood and how it can be improved and then ask to join their research group - you could be admitted and funded solely on that premise.

Even without that, your profile is strong so try to apply early (that is, before November if possible). I am excited about your chances.

paulbets:

Congratulations bro...
You did great.

Thanks bro.

My head hurts. No, I am not thinking about the present situation of the country, the recent NNPC scandal, the fact that we have not had light for days, I have just written my GRE exam. After months of on and off and off and on and off and off and off and off and on preparations, I can now call myself GREat. Lol.
Having finally written the GRE, I feel I'm in a position to advise potential test takers. It goes without saying that in order to obtain high scores, one needs to practise. Take as many practice tests as you can and keep working on improving your scores. Infact, the practice tests are coterminous with the actual exams. My experience today proved that. In addition to preparing for the exam, you should also be preparing yourself mentally. You should be googling stuff like "how to keep your brain active for four hours", "How to detect the experimental section in the GRE exam", "How to read 600 word Reading comprehension passages in 2 -3 minutes".
I did not have as adequate a preparation as I had wished. Work was so demanding and I couldn't find the time. Still, I studied whenever I could; on commutes to work reading articles from Aldaily, using the magoosh vocab app, memorising words from a list I had earlier created on quizlet (Studying GRE PRACTICE on Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/202373358/gre-practice-flash-cards/ ) - this was especially helpful as associating words with pictures ensured I remembered them. For the quant, I watched the magoosh videos and skimmed through the Manhattan sets.
Serious preparations however began 2 weeks ago. I digested the whole ETS guide in one weekend and took the practice tests (158Q, 154V). No other material can substitute the ETS official guide in my opinion. That same weekend I took the powerprep and had (158,152) and I was like hay God! Is this my destiny? I hurriedly went through the Manhattan 5lb for quant and princeton review for verbal. In hindsight, I regret the haphazard manner with which i read the Manhattan 5lb. It is another great resource to ensure a good quant score. Took the second powerprep and the free crunchprep test yesterday and was averaging Q162, V158. Na so I close shop. What else could mans do? I was just hoping that ginger go enter my body today which would cause my scores to miraculously shoot up. Lol.
Got to the center and was shown my desk. It was when I sat down that I realised I had not brought any snack. No water. Nothing. And Nairaland people advised me. How could you forget son? It was gonna be a long four hours. I got the VQVQV format. The first Verbal Section no be here o. I was tempted to walkout and go and pick masters form at Unilag. The 2 quant sections on the other hand were not bad at all. I was able to answer most if not all of the questions correctly , at least from my own perspective. Lol. The remaining verbal sections were fair. I did not encounter any strange words. The bulk of my time however was spent trying to decipher those arcane and convoluted RC passages. My advise, tackle the TCs and the SEs first, then the paragraph arguments before dealing with the RCs. That way, you are left with enough time to deal with the RCs.
Reported my scores and was not surprised. I was just hoping for more. Sent to my preselected four schools and left the building to go find food and water.

Profile:
CGPA: 3.64/4.00 (WES unofficial score)
GRE Score: 321
Quant: 163
Verbal: 158
AW: Check back in 2 weeks.
Applying for MS Electrical Engineering. #fall2018

This thread really helped a lot and it's only fair that i repay by giving an account of my GRE experience so that prospective test takers may glean from it one or two stuff like I did from reading others' experiences on here. I don't think I would be rewriting the exam. I don't think I can subject myself to that amount of mental drudgery again. Schools will have to accept me with that score whether they like it or not. Lol

Hey guys. Which do you advise one writes first? TOEFL or GRE? How similar is TOEFL prep to GRE verbal prep?

Okay. Cool. When do you plan to write and what texts are you using?

Fatezee:


Thanks for the info.. I Just started studying for it n wanted to be sure.

Fatezee:
Hi guys, Pls am I allowed to take in calculator during GRE exam??

No you aren't. You make use of an on screen calculator. Start getting used to solving math questions without calculators. It would really help.

Good day Mr. Seeker. First and foremost, congratulations on your admits. Your journey is an inspiring one. Thanks for sharing with we prospective applicants. You really applied to 11 schools? Wow. That's a lot of money spent on application fees et al which some of us may not have the luxury of. A major dilema we (prospective applicants) face is selecting schools where the prspect of admission and funding is nearly certain. Although most of the research is done by the applicant themselves, stuff like what you have just done goes a long way in aiding that process. This is kind of what @RexChaeng was campaigning for some pages back. I really hope some others here take a cue from you. Infact, i hope to do same once I have been admitted.

Looking at your profile, two things caught my attention and that is your change in majors and your GRE score is not so stellar. Yet, you shot at schools like TAMU College Station and Georgia Tech for which you were waitlisted even though the admission didn't eventually come. I admire your intrepidity. People on this Nairaland rarely apply to these top schools. Maybe only a few do. I understand that most of us apply to schools within the reach of their profile to avoid stories that touch but seeing that GeorgiaTech on that your list has sort of reinvigorated my ginger. Lol. Nigerians get admitted to these schools afterall. Maybe they just arent on Nairaland to share their stories/profiles.

Thanks once again. Goodluck in all your endeavors.

seeker88:
Hello Family, it's been a journey.. .

This is an update from me. Just wanna give a recap of my graduate school application journey so far. A prospective applicant may pick something from this.

I applied to as many schools as I could, not because I was confused but because I earnestly wanted funding as graduate study in d US would be impossible for me without any sort of funding. Also, as my intention was to switch from Petroleum Engineering to Mechanical Engineering, I needed to reach out to as many schools as I could afford.
So I finally applied to 11 schools, got 5 admits, 5 rejections and 1 pending. Find below the decision from each of the schools:

Rejects :
1. Texas A&M University College Station (no reason)
2. Georgia Tech (Waitlisted and eventually rejected)
3. Louisiana State University (no reason)
4. Wichita State University (reason was that I didn't have enough prerequisite courses to get a slot in their MSc Mechanical Engineering Program). Meanwhile, I counted this school as a safe school.
5. Ohio University (same reason as Wichita State)

Admits
1. Texas A&M University Kingsville
2. Florida A&M University/Florida State University
3. Wright State University
4. University of Louisiana Lafayette
5. South Dakota State University

Pending
1. University of Arkansas

In all, I didn't get FULL funding from any of the admits as really desired. However, the offer from TAMUK became my best choice.

Then the schools that lured me into applying with their application fee waiver all rejected my application. They include Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst and Wayne State Uni. I didn't loose out though cos I didn't spend a dime applying to them.

Application Profile
*Bachelor: Petroleum Engineering
*UG CGPA: 4.23 (3.57 by WES evaluation)
*GRE: 154Q, 151V, 4.0
*TOEFL : 91
*2 academic recommendations and 1 professional recommendation.
*3+ years work experience (not in closely related field)
*No research experience
*All applications was for MSc Mechanical Engineering

My Observation
*Apply as early as you can. If possible, submit ur applications before d priority deadline. In my own case, I submitted almost all my applications in Dec '16, but d major challenge was getting my recommenders to have their recommendation submitted, especially the academic ones. Some recommendations were received as late as 3months after application submission. So it's necessary to ascertain the availability of your recommenders before using them.
*You can't be very sure of your "safe schools", so spread your tentacles and apply to as many schools especially the ones that require all materials to be uploaded online with your application. You never can tell which would come through.

Choi, I don talk too much already....
I wish everyone all d best. Cheers!

iCool:
Hi all, I received admission decision number 4 yesterday morning.

Auburn University - An acceptance. Highest ranked out of all my choices.

No funding and no assistantship for now. My Transcript was sent in late March. Naija university palava.

Congrats iCool. Happy for you. Funding go come. Amen.

tescoman90:
Hello house plz wats the secret to ace reading comprehension.


Last minute advice

Read the passage like it's the most interesting thing you've ever come accross even if it's boring and obscure. Process of Elimination always seems to work best in answering RCs.

And make sure you ace the Sentence Equivalence and TCs and answer them as fast as you can to allow yourself more time to tackle the RCs.

Goodluck. Let us know how it goes.

Please o, there are not test dates after June on the ETS site?

aamstih:
Kaplan is 10k while the official guide is 15k (Prices at Mack IV Consults) , considering its volume and the good reviews I doubt the book would be less than 15k. I do have the soft copy but I need something different (void of screen light).

If you finally get one pls let me know. Btw, when is your exams date?

I got Kaplan for free when I registered with BY Mafit but I never open am since then. lol. The official guide I bought for 4k + 200 (Oga find me something make I take chop) at Yaba. The best alternative if we can't find the Manhattan would be to print but even that could cost as much as 7-10k. So I'm good with using the soft copy, thanks.

My exam date is still tentative but I plan to write latest by July.

You have a decent profile bro. Just ace the GRE and you would stand a good chance in getting admitted to the school of your choice. Your work experience and certifications should also bolster your applications as it is in line with what you want to study. University of Maryland college park has a very decent Telecoms program that could suit your profile and it is jointly run with their School of business. You could work on campus as a Teaching, Research or Administrative assistant. You could apply to other top schools and some safe schools.

I am an aspiring student like you are and have heard that most of these funding opportunities are mostly available to Fall applicants but I cant speak of its veracity.

Getting above 150 in the verbal section of the GRE is very plausible but you have to start as early as possible. Because of your finals, you could start by learning some few words a day using the Magoosh vocabulary app and reading articles on newyorker, economist, the atlantic and co. But for engineering programs, you have to ace the Quantitative section and there are materials that would help you do just that.

I wish you the best in your applications as well as your MBA finals

KeLcHeE:
Great house it is! I have been following this thread silently and ardently. Please let me take centre stage.

I will be as objective as possible. My profile goes thus:

Course of study in Undergrad school (in one of the Federal Universities in the South-South): Electrical/Electronic Engineering
CGPA: 4.488

GRE score: *In God's able hands*. Lol

Work Expeience: 5year+, in one of the major GSM service provider companies

I am currently a 2nd/final year MBA student in one of the State Universities. Dunno if CGPA here would count towards increasing the strength of my application tho. For records sake, I had a 4.500 in my first year.

I have some certifications, most relevant to my field would be the famous but recondite CCNA and CCNP-route certifications.

As it stands, all I want is to get admitted into some engineering school in the US, REGARDLESS of its ranking. Oh yeah. Lol
1st CHALLENGE (FINANCIAL AID): I need a school (preferably in Texas) where I could study and work on campus if possible; also where I would be offered Graduate assistantship, plus any other financial aids available. I do not really know much about studying abroad as virtually 70% of my knowledge-base on this subject has come from this thread.

2ND CHALLENGE (COURSE VS SCHOOL OF STUDY): Choosing the right major has been a very serious challege. A friend in the US gave me an inside scoop as to a certain 'safe school' with a high acceptance rate (especially of int'l students) I could apply to. The only shortfall is that Computer Science is the only major I could go for in this school. I intend to apply to UT Dallas as well, since they offer Masters in Telecommunications Engineering which I crave for, judging by the hands-on experience I have bagged from my current job already. Computer Science is very cool to me but I have no rudimentary programming skill or knowledge whatsoever.

My target is spring 2018 - dunno how feasible this is. I intend to start intense preparations for the GRE in July (my MBA final exams would have been over by then), sit for it in August so as to beat the application deadline of September 30 stipulated by most schools.

Special regards to all folks who scored 150 and above in the Verbal section. That section of the exam no easy at all oh. God help us

Any sort of reply is most welcome. Please help a brother's plight...

aamstih:
Hello guys, pls who knows how much a manhattan 5lb (hardcopy) goes for and where can I get it in Lagos. Thank you

Omo I went round Yaba the other day looking for it but no luck. You could try at CMS or come check Yaba yourself. These hardcopy GRE books are usually expensive so I would say about 5k or more. Or less if you can price wella. But why don't you stick with the soft copy and use the money to pay for their 6 online tests instead?

usqoh:

use did link and download d videos now
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B5uIbKUaio29b1VtT3R4emtrelk.
I am not sure this video is premium or regular though

I have this already. Thanks though.

Anyone writing the GRE soon and would want to use Magoosh to prep? We could combine resources to get the 6 month premium account. What do you think?

ridsan4real:

The account has expired...

Too bad I missed this. When did it expire?

Glowrie22:
Hi Everyone,
It's been long since I've been here, I just want to quickly share my testimony.

I came to know about this thread through my mom last year when I was getting ready for the GRE, I didn't really talk much here but this thread was very helpful. I got a lot of materials from here and even more, I got people who really helped me from here, especially @happyday. I didn't do so well on my GRE (308) though I did very well on the TOEFL, so I was very discouraged but people encouraged me that it was still possible to get funding so I decided to work hard on my application (I applied to only one school) .
I contacted happyday to help me on my applications and he did every single step of the way, tirelessly reading through and correcting my essays, and giving me advice about how to email professors and other things.
After finally submitting the application, I was granted admission but no funding. However, they informed me that there is a professor who is interested in funding me but he is waiting on some grants.
At this point, I started thinking of applying to other schools but I couldn't really afford to.
Finally, after much waiting, they contacted me that I have been granted full funding plus a monthly salary.
I just want to appreciate those that created this thread and kept it running, especially Sirridy and happyday. I also want to apologize for not being regular here.

Thank you very much.

PS: The school is University of Arkansas and my course is Agricultural Economics (MS).

Congratulations! Full funding plus a monthly salary. You are blessed.

hirschfelder:


Nice work. Unfortunately, I doubt there is any 'standard' verbal text. The best ones, in my opinion, are the official verbal guides; though the questions aren't too much. Use the official guides, kaplan wordlists and magoosh app for vocab development and I think you'd be fine.

Thank you for your input hirschfelder. Coming from you, with your excellent scores, I'll be sure to do as you have instructed.

happyday:


Questions in the Manhattan verbal booklets have ridiculously hard words - that's the problem. And thing is, ETS is testing how you can reason critically, not how much big words you know. So, you might start with the Manhattan to get a feel of how the real test looks like.

Apart from that, there are official Verbal Test booklets released by ETS themselves, apart from the Official Guide. You could get those. But only practice them in real test conditions. Those questions are as good as what you'll get on the real thing, and you don't want to waste them.

Or go for Magoosh. Almost all you need in one place. Plus they've got a big question bank to practice with.

Yeah, I noticed that about the Manhattan verbal texts. Although I have looked at the ETS texts, I am still having problems with answering the questions; identifying the clues and understanding linking words/phrases. I would need to work more on that.
About Magoosh, I had heard good stuff about it. But it's really expensive especially considering the current exchange rate and I cannot afford it. I registered for the free trial valid for 7 days or so that grants one access to 20 video lessons and 20 practise questions and I must say I like the way the questions are arranged in that you can select what topic you want to answer questions in, choose a particular difficulty and time yourself. I have read through this thread though and saw links to download the video lessons and the premium videos. I have gone through some premium videos but they don't give the same benefits as opposed to solving the questions on their site. I will have to make do with it though.
Thanks for your advice, happyday

Good day good people of this thread. Good to be here. I must say, reading your GRE success stories and admission stories has done a lot to inspire me on my quest for admission come Fall 2018.
I am making assiduous preparations to take the GRE in 2-3 months time. Everybody says the Manhattan 5lb is the best practice text for Quantitative. Infact, you are not going to score 160+ in the quantitative section if you do not practice with the Manhattan 5lb. Although the aim is a perfect 170 in the quantitative, my verbal still needs a bit of work. Unfortunately, I have seen some not so good reviews for the Manhattan texts especially in the TCs and SEs sections. However, I am taking it upon myself to improve my vocabulary on my own through voracious reading on sites such as theatlantic, newyorker, naulitus as well as vocabulary.com and quizlet.com as prescribed by various GRE forums online. My question is thus: Is there any such practice text for the verbal that is as "standard" as the manhattan 5lb text where there are a myraid of practice questions that are of GRE standard?