Bearcat2310 Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 So recently I've come across a lot of information regarding schools and the GRE where approximately 1/3 of PA schools DO NOT require the GRE. Would it be smart if I have not taken the GRE yet to just consider not taking it all together, allocate my time focusing on increasing my volunteer work/ HCE hours and just apply to those schools earlier on in the application cycle that do not require the GRE? Or would it be in my best interest to just study for the test, hopefully score well and broaden the spectrum of schools I'm able to apply to and it be farther into the application deadline? There seems to be a rational logic with both options but I'd definitely appreciate opinions or any other insight regarding this reasoning good or bad! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 So recently I've come across a lot of information regarding schools and the GRE where approximately 1/3 of PA schools DO NOT require the GRE. Would it be smart if I have not taken the GRE yet to just consider not taking it all together, allocate my time focusing on increasing my volunteer work/ HCE hours and just apply to those schools earlier on in the application cycle that do not require the GRE? Or would it be in my best interest to just study for the test, hopefully score well and broaden the spectrum of schools I'm able to apply to and it be farther into the application deadline? There seems to be a rational logic with both options but I'd definitely appreciate opinions or any other insight regarding this reasoning good or bad! Thank you!Personally, I would take the test. As I recall, you can decide whether or not to have the grades sent to any schools after you see how you do.PA school — and your boards — involve taking lots of tests. Getting over test anxiety as soon as possible would be a good thing and limiting your options as to schools to apply to seems like a weak move.Good luck!Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT2PA Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 If you're going to consider not taking it, you need to look at the programs that don't require it and A: decide if those are programs you would otherwise be competitive for and B: if those are programs you would like to attend. Of all the ways to pick programs to apply to, choosing ones simply because they don't require the GRE seems like the least valuable measure in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hustleforthePAC Posted May 24, 2019 Share Posted May 24, 2019 The gre is the easiest way to boost your application in a short time. Accumulating thousands of volunteer and direct patient care hours takes time. There's about 80 /260 schools that don't require the gre and while paying $27 to ets adds up quick- it Casts a wider net and is cheaper than having to reapply in case you're waitlisted at a non gre school that has only 18-25 spots in a cohort (The first 4 schools are sent free of your choice after taking the test) non gre PA schools that have no supplemental essays required have more applicants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PA115 Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 The schools I wanted to apply to didn't require it so I didn't take it. The GRE is such bs and I don't think it's a good indicator of how good you'll do in PA school anyway. Check out the schools that don't require it and see if it seems like a good fit for you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thePAway Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 taking the test opens up so many more options for programs and i only studied for 10 days and did well on it. will knowing geometry and random vocab make you a better PA- probably not. will it give you way more options for not that much effort-yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearcat2310 Posted June 12, 2019 Author Share Posted June 12, 2019 I've studied for the GRE with Magoosh for probably 6 months and it's been an extremely ineffective studying strategy when I could have allocated my time else where. All of the material I was supposed to "learn" or "refresh" never actually stuck so instead of wasting another application cycle I figured it might be more rational to aim for those schools that do not require the GRE this cycle. I also have several schools on my list that do not require the GRE and I have minimal volunteer hours at the moment while my PCE continues to increase working in a hospital so that's why I was asking about the alternative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 I would take the test anyway and, if you want, send the results to schools that want it.Learning how to take on-line, high stakes tests is a critical skill to develop; the PANCE awaits at the end of the trail.Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alykat05 Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 On 6/12/2019 at 7:58 PM, Bearcat2310 said: I've studied for the GRE with Magoosh for probably 6 months and it's been an extremely ineffective studying strategy when I could have allocated my time else where. All of the material I was supposed to "learn" or "refresh" never actually stuck so instead of wasting another application cycle I figured it might be more rational to aim for those schools that do not require the GRE this cycle. I also have several schools on my list that do not require the GRE and I have minimal volunteer hours at the moment while my PCE continues to increase working in a hospital so that's why I was asking about the alternative. If you've been studying for the GRE for 6 *MONTHS* and it's not sticking, you are going to have a hellish time in PA school and passing the PANCE. And I'm not saying this to scare anyone; I'm saying this because I saw multiple classmates of mine fail out and waste lots of money and time. PA school is hard, you have to learn a lot of material very fast. The GRE should be a breeze in comparison. Otherwise, I agree with the above posters. I would take it. If you score well, it opens up more doors. If you score poorly, just apply to the ones that don't require it, like you would have even if you hadn't taken it. What is the harm in taking it other than investing time in studying? If you study for it for 1-2 more weeks (or however long), is that REALLY detracting from other things you could be doing in a significant way? In my opinion, no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearcat2310 Posted June 17, 2019 Author Share Posted June 17, 2019 On 6/13/2019 at 8:55 PM, alykat05 said: If you've been studying for the GRE for 6 *MONTHS* and it's not sticking, you are going to have a hellish time in PA school and passing the PANCE. And I'm not saying this to scare anyone; I'm saying this because I saw multiple classmates of mine fail out and waste lots of money and time. PA school is hard, you have to learn a lot of material very fast. The GRE should be a breeze in comparison. Otherwise, I agree with the above posters. I would take it. If you score well, it opens up more doors. If you score poorly, just apply to the ones that don't require it, like you would have even if you hadn't taken it. What is the harm in taking it other than investing time in studying? If you study for it for 1-2 more weeks (or however long), is that REALLY detracting from other things you could be doing in a significant way? In my opinion, no. It's probably been an inconsistent 6 months but yes. Especially the quant. Everything else doesn't seem to be terrible. I'm not worried about this "hellish time" with the PANCE given it's going to be over material pertaining to something I'm passionate about and interested in that actually pertains to a future career. Not the variety of ways to disguise the way of finding the circumference of a circle. It seems like a useless metric which approximately 1/3 of schools have indicated. The people I've talked to on admissions committees at schools who even require it have said the GRE for them has been basically a "check mark" on a students application not exactly a defining characteristic on whom they decide on admitting. Hence the reason I've been debating this decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 If you honestly think that preparing for the PANCE will be easy because you will be absolutely "passionate" about everything you are going to be taught in PA school, then you will likely be in for a surprise. They may be out there, but I've never met anyone like that. If you don't want to take the GRE, then accept the consequences and just don't, but please don't try to rationalize it the way you have. The alternative is to accept it as just another challenge, download the math primer from the GRE site, go through it, and take your best shot. A good bit of life is going to involve similar efforts. Might as well tune up for it now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearcat2310 Posted June 17, 2019 Author Share Posted June 17, 2019 9 hours ago, UGoLong said: If you honestly think that preparing for the PANCE will be easy because you will be absolutely "passionate" about everything you are going to be taught in PA school, then you will likely be in for a surprise. They may be out there, but I've never met anyone like that. If you don't want to take the GRE, then accept the consequences and just don't, but please don't try to rationalize it the way you have. The alternative is to accept it as just another challenge, download the math primer from the GRE site, go through it, and take your best shot. A good bit of life is going to involve similar efforts. Might as well tune up for it now. I don't think I ever mentioned the PANCE being "easy" I think what I have found is a path less followed that seems to end in the same manner as those who've taken the GRE which is admittance to a program and a future in the PA profession. There's no wrong rationalization here. These are facts. 1/3 of schools are not requiring it and to your surprise less are going to probably require it moving forward to focus on more defining metrics (GPA, PCE Hours, Volunteering, etc). As I mentioned in the initial post I don't mind continuing to study for the GRE and seeing what happens but I wanted to get other opinions weigh my options and utilize my time as efficient as possible. I guess as the saying goes in regard to your particular "opinion" on this would be "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" whereas quite typically the path less traveled leads you to a beautiful destination. But I do appreciate your 2 cents! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, Bearcat2310 said: I don't think I ever mentioned the PANCE being "easy" I think what I have found is a path less followed that seems to end in the same manner as those who've taken the GRE which is admittance to a program and a future in the PA profession. There's no wrong rationalization here. These are facts. 1/3 of schools are not requiring it and to your surprise less are going to probably require it moving forward to focus on more defining metrics (GPA, PCE Hours, Volunteering, etc). As I mentioned in the initial post I don't mind continuing to study for the GRE and seeing what happens but I wanted to get other opinions weigh my options and utilize my time as efficient as possible. I guess as the saying goes in regard to your particular "opinion" on this would be "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" whereas quite typically the path less traveled leads you to a beautiful destination. But I do appreciate your 2 cents! I meant no disrespect. My point is that, even if -- someday -- a large percentage of programs won't require the GRE, about 2/3rds of them apparently still do this year, which is presumably when you are applying. Your approach is puzzling to this old dog, but I wish you the best of luck in finding a beautiful destination. Edited June 17, 2019 by UGoLong 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD2012 Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 The obstacles you're facing with the GRE is a taste of the things you'll be dealing with in some of the subjects during PA school, over and over again. Because the material pertains to a career that you are "passionate" about will not make it easier to learn (i.e. Pharmacology). You're going to be learning about a 100 medications for each exam when you're only going to be using 10 of them. It sucks. The GRE is just a very tiny hurdle in this whole crazy process. What I have been hearing though, is that eventually the GRE will be replaced with a more science-based exam like the MCAT but for PA schools. It's only what I've heard so far from some of the faculty. I wish you luck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearcat2310 Posted June 17, 2019 Author Share Posted June 17, 2019 3 hours ago, UGoLong said: I meant no disrespect. My point is that, even if -- someday -- a large percentage of programs won't require the GRE, about 2/3rds of them apparently still do this year, which is presumably when you are applying. Your approach is puzzling to this old dog, but I wish you the best of luck in finding a beautiful destination. It's all good. Thank you for all your help I do really appreciate your help/advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearcat2310 Posted June 17, 2019 Author Share Posted June 17, 2019 2 hours ago, JD2012 said: The obstacles you're facing with the GRE is a taste of the things you'll be dealing with in some of the subjects during PA school, over and over again. Because the material pertains to a career that you are "passionate" about will not make it easier to learn (i.e. Pharmacology). You're going to be learning about a 100 medications for each exam when you're only going to be using 10 of them. It sucks. The GRE is just a very tiny hurdle in this whole crazy process. What I have been hearing though, is that eventually the GRE will be replaced with a more science-based exam like the MCAT but for PA schools. It's only what I've heard so far from some of the faculty. I wish you luck. I've heard the same regarding the GRE. They're to either do away with it or replace it something that is better gauged towards the PA profession. But I do understand the GRE being a mole hill compared to the rest of the entire mountainous process of getting accepted into PA school and THEN passing the PANCE. It's all a process that everyone has to go through regardless how pointless a criteria might be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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