Need Academic+GRE® Advice, Urgent

[Moshe.gorin]

Dear GRE English-Net Forum,

Hope all is well. I'm interested in applying for top biomedical engineering programs (e.x. UPenn). I have a high grade point average (3.7) from Cornell engineering. I've read several forums that have said GRE scores are not so important - just a benchmark to get you in the door, and grades+research is more important. I think it's much more important for me to focus on classwork and research than waste more energy on the GREs.

I took the GREs once about 1.5 months ago and got low scores (450 Verbal, 570 Math) but since then I've gone through several test preparation tools including Kaplan LIVE Online, Princeton Cracking, KAPLAN Premiere, 800Test, Powerprep. On practice tests I'm scoring in low 700s on quant, but I don't know how to improve this or if it's necessary.

What seems to work best for me is just keep taking practice CAT tests - but honestly I feel I'm wasting my time. I can do all the questions and the questions I get wrong are mostly from careless errors. I was thinking about pushing myself to work through the NOVA Math Prep and KAPLAN's advanced math courses, but I'm not sure this is necessary.

I told one school I'm interested in that I'd take the GREs by this coming tuesday (March 2nd), however I understand that if I don't perform well I can't take the GREs again for another month. Perhaps if I don't do well enough (above 700 on math?) I need to study more and take them again in April.

My goal is to be finished with the GREs as soon as possible.

One question I had was: are schools concerned with multiple GRE scores? For example, if I sent GRE scores 2 or 3 times (one time very low) would that reflect poorly?

Please help me work out a GRE study plan, my email is moshe.r.gorin@gmail.com . Perhaps there is an academic advisor I can talk to as well.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Moshe