By ANNE FAZIO
Managing Editor
 

For those of us who have not made a commitment to law, medical, or business school, the GRE is the required examination. Each year roughly 125 students at Bates take the GRE. It is given to test a student's general English and math knowledge and logical analysis skills after four years of college with the opportunity to test in more specific areas. As one Bates senior stated, "The GRE is basically the SAT'S for graduate school -- it's just a formality."

That is not to say that only seniors should take the test, although it is generally easier after four years of instruction. Jessica Tracy from the Office of Career Services feels that, "It would probably be easier to take them now or close to the time of graduation because you are still in the test taking mode. But it's a personal thing, and they should be taken when you're ready."

However, students are concerned with the fact that though they test general knowledge will they be prepared? Many students at Bates have never stepped foot in a math or English class because they have concentrated on other disciplines. Even those who have taken classes specific to sections of the test still feel inadequately prepared. Sandy Weymouth '98 states that, "I'm frightened by them only because I'm a geology major, and the department doesn't teach any of the specific classes needed for the [optional] geology section."

On a more optimistic note, there are options for those who need to take the GRE. The OCS offers resources such as study guides and the GRE informational test booklet (free of charge when you sign up for the test) which provides sample questions. Another option is to buy your own book such as Cracking the System published by The Princeton Review. It is an inexpensive and affective way of preparing for this type of test, but for those of you who want to spend $700 or $800, there are review courses offered by The Princeton Review and Kaplan.

The GRE will be held on November 1 and December 13 at Bates. Registration for these tests is September 26 and November 7. For those who miss the deadline there is the option of a computerized test (the pen and pencil is used at Bates) in Portland, Augusta or Boston. All you need do is call 1-800-GRE-CALL, and a test representative will schedule a date at your convenience. Finally, for any with questions about the GRE, there is a web address -- The GRE Online.