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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:53 pm
by Intelligentsia
hobbla, why are you taking the GRE if you have a 99th percentile LSAT?

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:55 pm
by Mosel
^^^ I was waiting for someone to say this.

It seems as if the idea that the GRE is 'easier' isn't necessarily in terms of the material tested, but more that the 'process' is easier because the GRE isn't quite as all-encompassing as the LSAT is in admissions.

speculation though.

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 8:58 pm
by hobbla
GRE is less emphasized than the LSAT in grad school admissions because grad school admissions adcomms recognize how horrible the GRE is.

The ONLY way to separate the 95th and 99th percentiles is on vocabulary, which is probably the single most useless and biased test I can think of.

The words which differentiate between the 98th and 99th percentile for example, are by there very nature so obscure that only 1% of the population which is specifically studying for that test understands those words.

Last time I checked words were used for COMMUNICATION - you know, sharing ideas in an understandable and intelligible manner.

The worst part is how easily the test could be fixed. Simply making the math section more difficult so that there is actually a 99th percentile (currently capped at 94th due to ease) would make the test much more useful.

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 9:13 pm
by hobbla
I'm taking the GRE because I would like to either pursue a dual JD/PhD or just do a PhD first and do a JD later (either with the same score or a retake 5 years + down the road).

It's not because I don't want to go to law school, it's just that I'm not sure if I want to go to law school more than I want to go to grad school (PhD track).

Ideally I'd like to go to MIT Behavioral Neuroscience and HLS (since the campuses are so close)/ Stanford Law school and Grad school, or Cal Berkeley Law School/ Grad school.

unfortunately most top PhD programs don't accept the LSAT in lieu of the GRE.

I have no idea what I want to do, just like every other college student.

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:55 am
by Steiner
Well it's good you're taking both exams then. Good luck. I'm considering a dual-program because I've got different ideas on what might help me out the most- hoping they both complement each other well.

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:15 am
by Diddy
I think making the comparison is a little difficult since they are such different beasts. It is kinda like saying "Which is more dangerous, the tiger or the lion?"

Because, really, at the end of the day regardless of which you got mauled by, you are torn apart and lucky to be alive.