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Phd

bleu

I am going to apply for a couple of Phd programmes this year in the US.
I have an M-Arch and an MA,(one from the US and one from the UK), and was wondering if the GRE requirements the websites show for the PHd applications is really important if you already have 2 masters?
My GRE scores are from 7 years ago and I would really like to avoid the GRE's again...
Anyone with any information?

bleu

 
Aug 26, 10 11:10 am
Synergy

Why not call the universities you are applying to and ask them about it?

Aug 26, 10 12:24 pm  · 
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i was in the same situation a few years ago... scores are only good for 5 years, so you'll need to take it again... the admissions committee will most likely not even look at them, but its a university requirement, so you have to do it anyway...

also, if you're applying this year you should plan on taking it in the next month or two...

Aug 26, 10 2:20 pm  · 
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citizen

What will get you in is the quality of your 1) application essay, 2) writing samples, and 3) recommendation letters. As Phillip notes, the GRE requirement is likely from the university, not the department. Take it again if you have to, do your best, but don't sweat it too much.

Aug 27, 10 1:36 am  · 
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Smokety Mc Smoke Smoke

I would also add the all-important requirements of making sure that 1) there are faculty members available to support the kind of research you would like to do and 2) that you indicate that this is the case in your essays.

Aug 29, 10 12:04 pm  · 
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bleu

Thanks everyone..I guess as citizen says, I will take the Gre's again, and not worry too much about it...although i hate the thought.

Aug 29, 10 11:41 pm  · 
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Smoke's right. It is essential that your research interests align with at least one faculty member (and preferably more.) In my opinion THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT of getting accepted to a Ph.D. program.

Aug 30, 10 8:05 am  · 
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citizen

Yes, yes, yes. This is absolutely essential. Horror stories abound of doctoral students wandering their department for years without the full guidance and support of at least one faculty member (hopefully already tenured) committed to working closely with the student on his/her research program.

Bleu, this should be highest on your list of items to research and verify about the departments to which you're applying.

Aug 30, 10 12:33 pm  · 
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thispa

This is a late addition, but though I agree that the most important thing is having the right people (multiple; since one might not get along with (for various reasons) with the person they planned on working with), I'm not sure if it needs to be explicit in a statement of purpose. I say this because firstly, I made the most cursory reference to the specific institutions where I submitted applications (Princeton, Columbia, MIT, Michigan)--and mainly about library and archival resources and the structure of the program rather than faculty and I was accepted at 3 and wait-listed at 1, and secondly, a member of the admissions committee at one of the aforementioned institutions told me that often faculty will feel slighted if they are not mentioned in a SOP. I think there are other ways of displaying your understanding of the various PhD programs in architecture through your SOP and writing sample (not to mention your recommenders) without making explicit reference to specific faculty members.

Apr 2, 11 1:50 pm  · 
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