Or probably I should have given the title "Not so FAQ" cos these are not the questions you usually see in other GRE FAQs. These are some specific info that would help you on your path to the test day. When I encounter problems, I find solutions and I post them here, to make it easier for others.
If this post helped you or if you have other questions, please leave a comment. It would be really helpful for me. Thanks.
1) Can I use the same ETS username/user ID for registering both GRE and TOEFL online?
A: No. You need two separate IDs
2) Can I modify the Score Recipient universities later?
A: Yes. For TOEFL, log onto the TOEFL website and goto View Orders>Order No. Click the Modify button corresponding to Score Recipients. For GRE, send an email to gre-info@ets.org with your details.
3) Public vs Private Universities
A: From what I've heard, public universities will have lower course fees, yet there would not be much difference between the two types regarding the quality of education. Some public universities are costly too.
4) Do I need to write TOEFL if I already have a good GRE score?
A: Depends on the university you are applying to. For a lot of them, TOEFL is required. Some do not ask you for the TOEFL score if you were studying in a college where the medium of communication and coursework was english. If you have time, appear for both the exams. I did.
5) I have a blank surname on my passport. Is this an issue?
A : YES. Get it corrected as soon as you can. You should have the new passport in hand before appearing for the GRE test. If you do not have much time left before the test, apply by "tatkal" scheme.
6) Should I approach educational consultants?
A: Depends. I have a rough idea about the procedure through my friends who have already successfully flown to the US. Still, I needed help with shortlisting the universities, preparing documents, etc. So I chose to consult the experts.
Update: My consultant/counsellor at Manyagroup, Princeton Review was incompetent. The only good outcome from joining them is that I got to approach this whole thing in a systematic way and my SOP was polished well by their editor.
But, if I had left everything to them, I would not have gotten admits from the top universities. 4 out of 5 admits I received are from universities that I applied on my own after thorough research online!
For info, help in shortlisting, etc, visit Edulix Forum.
http://www.edulix.com/forum/index.php
7) Can I prepare for GRE on my own or should I join a coaching centre?
A: I prepared on my own. My experience at Visu Coaching Centre was not good. They dismissed the class after a few days and did not even refund the fees. So, I bought Manhattan GRE book series from Amazon and started preparing by myself. The material is extremely well written but the teachers at the coaching centre were not good enough. I prefer learning this way. You should choose what's best for you.
Update: I scored high in GRE and TOEFL as well. So, it's possible to prepare on your own :)
8) Do they have locker facilities at the test centre?
A: I dont know whether it's the same everywhere, but you could call them up and check. The guys at the test centre where I took the test didnt pick up my calls. So I left everything in the hotel room itself. But they had locker facilities at the centre, big enough to put your bag in.
9) Where can I find the GRE Registration Number?
A: While filling application forms for Northeastern, Cornell, etc you would need to provide your GRE Registration Number. Once you have taken the exam, you can go to the ETS website, view your score report. You can find your Registration Number on the left side of the report.
10) My GRE score is lower than I expected. I couldn't complete the test/ran out of time. I am confident that I will score better if I retake it. Should I? Or should I just apply with the current score, as I heard GRE is not the only deciding factor.
A: Retake. If you have time and can score higher in Quants. I first got 720 for Quants. I didn't get an admit from NCSU or SUNY. I retook the test, got Q800. Got admits from NYU, OSU, USC, NEU and IUB. Definitely not the only factor, but it matters. If you are reading this in January or Feb, retake GRE ASAP.
My GRE Diary - Experience Notes
