GRE (?) for Graduate Program & other ??? (sorry...little long)

P

patricia024

Cathlete
Hi Everyone,
I am looking into applying for the Orientation & Mobility Program (teaching cane skills, etc. to blind children) at Western Michigan University because the federal government pays for most or all of the tuition right now. However, now that I'm looking at the application, it asked if I took the GRE yet.

I wanted to ask if someone could tell me what it is, how hard it is and how much money it costs to take it (since everything costs money these days, I figure there'll be a charge!lol).......

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!

Patti

Just for a background and other ???'s.....I went back for my "Bachelor's of General Education" a few years back through the advice of people here (Thank you ....and since my undergrad classes were starting to get "outdated".) Even though I teach Braille to a 6 year-old kindergarten student in the public school and absolutely love what I do, the job doesn't support my son and I very well, unfortunately (here in Michigan).

I'm at a point here where I don't know what to do! My son graduates next June and then no more child support (which I need to just get by now!). I really want to move out of Michigan after he graduates. I do have a COTA degree (Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant) and have looked online for positions for that but feel like I really don't have much experience anymore with it. Do you think someone would hire me for a school COTA position even though I've only taught Braille for 3 years and previously worked in a 4- and 5-year old special education classroom? ((If I would ever get married, then I could stay at my job but that's not looking too promising here in Michigan! lol)) Should I try to get into the graduate program? I've also checked into an online teachers' education program through University of Phoenix, where it would take me 23 months to get certified through Arizona.

What would any of you do? I feel like I'm "stuck"....to say it mildly!

Thanks for "listening" and offering any help/suggestions. I really appreciate it!

Patti
 
RE: GRE (?) for Graduate Program & other ??? (sorry...l...

Hi Patti;

I can offer a little bit of information about the GRE; hope it's helpful to you!

I teach several undergraduate courses and often have to field questions about the GRE from my students who are considering graduate school. In your case, I would say first, contact the graduate advisor for the program you're applying to, and ask if a GRE is actually required. If it's definitely necessary, find out what the average score is for folks who get admitted. Then go to the library and/or bookstore and flip through some GRE preparation manuals (there are TONS of these).

I took the GRE ten years ago and it seemed like the SAT or any other general knowledge test, but I took it during my last semester of college and was used to being tested, and had a lot of the stuff "fresh in my mind". When I look at the prep manuals my students bring in, I wonder how I ever managed it! Once you have an idea of the nature of the test, you ought to be able to figure out if you are ready to give it a go on your own with a prep manual or...if you need to take a course.

Some of my students are good at tests like this, and don't do any extra work. Others form groups to study for the test. A LOT of them, especially the ones who are trying to get into very competitive schools or who don't test well, enroll in a GRE prep class, and I've only heard good things about these. Kaplan has a good program (http://www.kaptest.com/gre), but if you Google "GRE prep" you'll find tons of options.

Sorry for the long response, hope this is helpful to you.

Dee
 
RE: GRE (?) for Graduate Program & other ??? (sorry...l...

You can google GRE and find out exactly how much it costs and where the test is offered in your area. I took the GRE in 2006 after being out of school for over 4 years. Those prep books were a godsend.
If you're going to take the test and study on your own, I recommend taking a practice test FIRST in order to gauge where your strengths and weaknesses are. Then I would schedule the test 12-15 weeks in advance. When you have a firm test date scheduled it keeps you focused. The go through the prep book section by section. I'd do one math and one verbal a day. The prep books are great because they cover the types of questions you'll see on the test.

I agree with Dee. Find out what score you'll need to get into your school. Aim about 100 to 200 points above that and you should be fine. Also, if the test is recommended, but not required you should take it! It'll make you a stronger applicant. Plus the scores are good for 5 years so if you decide you want to do another grad program you'll have the score ready.
 
RE: GRE (?) for Graduate Program & other ??? (sorry...l...

Thank you, ladies, for responding. I'm going to the library tomorrow anyway so I'll see what I can find and also on the internet.

Patti
 
RE: GRE (?) for Graduate Program & other ??? (sorry...l...

Hi Patti,
The others offered great advise...but I just wanted to throw in that ETS GRE Powerprep software worked best for me. I had the Kaplan Review guide, however the ETS CD was set up exactly like the exam. It really helped to improve my score to take practice test where each question is timed as they are in the actual test. Also, your local colleges may have a free or reasonably priced class to help you prepare.

Sarah
 
RE: GRE (?) for Graduate Program & other ??? (sorry...l...

Patti,

I took the GRE in 1998, and in talking with a friend who took it a few months ago, I know that it has changed A LOT since then. Therefore, I can't offer any test-specific advice that would be helpful, but I do agree the test prep material and a practice run or two were beneficial.

Your qualifications right now sound very specific and could be limiting when it comes to your job search, so I think an additional certification sounds like an excellent idea. Here in NJ we have a shortage of special ed teachers, and those candidates usually have several offers to choose from. Knowing that you want to move out-of-state, I think it would be wise to first research the state (or states) where you are thinking of moving and determine what the licensing requirements are, whether Michigan licenses are recognized, which certifications are in demand, and of course, how affordable it is altogether.

In terms of getting your additional certification, I would not recommend going through an online program. As someone who completed my Master's online, I do think an online program at a fully-accredited university can be a valid option, but I wouldn't recommend it for an undergraduate teaching degree. I strongly believe that you'd be better off with a traditional teacher preparation program.

Best of luck!

[font face="heather" font color=black size=+2]~Cathy[/font]

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Misery has enough company. Dare to be happy. ~ VW ad
 
RE: GRE (?) for Graduate Program & other ??? (sorry...l...

Just want to add that I totally agree with the others to do the prep. I took the GRE 5 years or so ago, after being out of school for MANY years. Had I not done the prep, I would've been toast! I used the Kaplan CD, but I'm sure that there have been changes. It was a lot of work for me, but paid off. good Luck!
 
RE: GRE (?) for Graduate Program & other ??? (sorry...l...

I too had to take the GRE exams before graduate school. There is a general exam as well as specialized exams. I had to take both the general and the science exams.You should check to see if you are required to take a general alone or a general plus a specialized. Some institutions want only the first and some want both. If so, I would recommend that you take the two separate exams on different days as they are both very long exams (about a half day each when I took them). Eat a good breakfast and get a good night's sleep before you take them. I believe there are prep books now for both the general and speacialized GREs and courses for the general. I think I had to pay for mine but I don't rememeber how much. You can probably google GRE test sites and get the info that way.

PS- I just googled for you. This year in the US and US territories, it is $130 to take the test and $50 if you have to reschedule.

Link:
http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/...toid=85b65784623f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD
 
RE: GRE (?) for Graduate Program & other ??? (sorry...l...

THank you for the responses! I did go to the library today and checked out a "GRE" book and will look online tomorrow for more information.

Cathy, thanks for your suggestion about taking a traditional teacher cert. through school rather than online. I was told I would need 90 credits just to get my teachable major / minor; yet, through Univ. of Phoenix, I could get certified in 23 months. Makes me wonder......

I really want to say "Thank you" ladies for taking the time to respond to my question about the GRE. I'll really be doing some research now into what I need specifically for the program, etc.

Have a great weekend!

Patti
 
RE: GRE (?) for Graduate Program & other ??? (sorry...l...

I just wanted to send an update about the GRE:

After reading your responses, I went to the library and picked up a "GRE Study Guide" book and also e-mailed the director of the Orientation & Mobility program at Western Michigan.

Well, the director e-mailed me back yesterday and said "Take the book back to the library!"....the school doesn't require it. She apologized that the application is so confusing. So....great news!

Thanks for your help and have a great night!
Patti
 
RE: GRE (?) for Graduate Program & other ??? (sorry...l...

It seems to me that when I took the GRE back in the day there were a lot of what were like logic problems.

You know the ones: Mr. Brown is wearing a baseball hat and is not sitting across from the man who ordered tuna fish but is named Harry.

You have to figure out who's sitting where around the table, what their first and last names are, what kind of hat they are each wearing and what they each ordered to eat by the clues given (and not given).

Needless to say, I didn't do very well on the GRE.

Susan L.G.
 
RE: GRE (?) for Graduate Program & other ??? (sorry...l...

I took a GRE prep course (still haven't taken the exam yet) and they really focused in on vocabulary.

Jennifer
 
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