GRE & Graduate School

Physics GRE information

The most helpful studying you can do when preparing for the GRE exam is memorizing all the physics equations you can! A large majority of the questions require you to know the formula(s) directly related to the question. If you don't know the formula(s) involved, your probability of successfully answering the question is 20%. Here are two links; one is to a formula page, and the second is to the same page, except it is missing the formulas. This gives you practice actually writing out the appropriate formulas. Once you have filled in the appropriate formulas, you can check to see if you're right. They are both in MS Word format and are approximately 14-15 pages long. I filled out one entire 14 page packet each day for 3 months. It would generally take a hour and a half to fill out the packet and check it. When the test was given to me, I knew all the formulas. But, this is not simply memorization. When memorizing the formulas don't just memorize the formulas as in there's an m over r or something like that. Ask yourself, does this make sense? Do the units make sense? Analyse them! You will remember the formulas much better if you aren't simply memorizing them and instead making sense of them!

FORMULAS

FILL-IN FORMULAS

Here are four physics GRE practice tests:

Below is a link that will give you solutions to all the exams listed above. Albeit these solution aren't the easiest to look at, and may be wrong. My advice would be not to use these solutions at all, but we are not all the same. I would work through one exam at a time. You will most likely not be able to answer most of the questions off the top of your head (initially). So use your introductory physics book to help you. Doing the work using your introductory physics book will help you more than looking up the solution or asking someone else. For the problems that you can't answer even with your introductory physics book, ask a professor to explain the problem or resort to the site below.

http://grephysics.yosunism.com/ans/all-solutions_list.php

GRE Physics Tips:

Here's a fun fact! For every question you get right, you get one point added to your score. For every question you get wrong, you lose a quarter point. So, if you get every question wrong, you only lose 25 points. This also means if you answer 20 question right and get 80 questions wrong, you get a zero (which isn't good, but at least it's not a negative score). But, this also means if you can narrow the answer down between two choices, the odds may be in your favor.
This is not a fun fact. Your are not allowed to use a calculator or click pencils.
Some questions can be solved just be comparing the units. All the answers you have to choose from have the same units, but by using unit analysis, you may be able to find the variable(s) that your equations are missing, or to find out if you messed up some where.
The exam is 2 hours 50 minutes long and you have 100 questions to answer. That means you have 1 minute 42 seconds to answers each question. First, answer all the questions you feel most comfortable working on, then go back to the questions you are less comfortable answering and try them. Unless you have a Master's or a Ph. D in Physics, you probably won't be able to answer all of the questions (don't feel bad).

Graduate School Information

Grad school shopper is the most useful website when searching for a graduate school. This site gives you all the information you need initially when looking for a graduate school.

http://www.gradschoolshopper.com/

So, what are you suppose to look at?

Look at the number of faculty in the department/area (Table A) that you would like to enter. The more professors working in that area means that you will have more research opportunities in that area. Read their web pages! Does their research sound interesting? Send them an email and ask questions. They may be able to give you some insight to their current research needs.

Check the admission, financial aid, and housing section (3). This will tell you what they are looking for academically in a graduate student and the number of students they selected out of the number of applicants.

GRE General Information

If you haven't already, start early. The GRE general exam is given through out the entire year. Get it off your back soon, it's like dead weight that you have to carry around. So, if you're a junior/sophomore/freshman it's not too late! Spend the summer studying for it and take it before classes start in the fall. It's all about dedication!!!

Here are a couple of method's for approaching this exam:

Buy a GRE practice book! Kaplan's GRE Premier Program book is pretty good (ISBN:1419551337). It come with a CD-ROM disc that simulates the actual exam, it will help your timing. There's also a CD-ROM that ETS will send you. Since I received it after I took the exam I haven't looked at it, but I will soon for the sake of all of you.

Some universities offer GRE preparation classes. If you can find one, take it, it can't hurt (well, maybe your pocket book). More on these later...

This will give you a good start! These sections will be continuously updated...