Take the GRE

Taking yet another test as a student can be very unappealing. Many dietetics students are already incredibly busy with a demanding class and/or volunteer/work schedule, and fitting the GRE in is no small task. But not doing so may severely limit the internships you'll be able to apply to.

For example, in California, if you choose not to take the GRE you won't be eligible to apply to 6 of the available internships. And in Pennsylvania 3 internships won't be an option. While this isn't the majority of internships, having more options of where to apply may increase your chances of matching successfully.

Another place where taking the GRE will be a feather in your cap is in the scramble. The scramble takes place three days after notification day, when potential interns are informed if they were matched to an internship program or not. If you are not matched, you can participate in the scramble and contact programs that did not fill all of their slots, in an attempt to match that way. Having taken the GRE before this point will give you the chance to contact a greater number of programs during the scramble, because without it you will not be qualified for some of the internships with openings.

Because of how busy your senior year as an undergraduate student may be, look into taking the GRE before then if possible. The summer or winter break before your senior year is a good opportunity to not only study for the GRE (if you need to; you can borrow books to study from from your local library), but also to take it without interfering with your normal school year schedule.

The GRE is not a fun test, but taking it is worthwhile if you're able to do so. Being able to apply to a greater variety of internships by taking the GRE may help improve your chances of being matched.

Source(s): Applicant Guide to Supervised Practice. (2009)., D & D Digital. (2007). D & d digital. Retrieved from http://www.dnddigital.com/