Preparing for Graduate School Entrance Exams

With the job market becoming increasingly more competitive, going to graduate school may be needed in order to ensure your success. However, talking about going to grad school and actually getting in are two different things. There are some steps you should take early on to increase your chances of getting in to the grad school you want to go to.

First of all, start early in your college career. If you think you will want to go to grad school later on keep your GPA up, many grad schools don’t except students with a GPA lower then 3.2, so remember to study. Once you know that you what to go to grad school and what you want to go for, you should make a list of schools you want to attend. Your list should be about 5-10 schools long. Applying to grad school is like applying to college all over again, including the entrance exam. Graduate school entrance exams are tests like the GRE, GMAT, and MCAT, these are just a few examples there are many more. You will need to find out what test you will need in order to apply, once you know this information you can start preparing for the test. Below are some tips to help you prepare.

1. Find out what score you need to get in
Once you’ve picked you schools do some research, what scores did others who have been admitted to the school get on their grad school entrance exam. Once you have an idea of what score you need, set a goal score for yourself. This will give you a boost of motivation when studying.
2. Start you prep at Honorssocity.org
The honors society is a great place to start your prep. They offer discounted classes and other prep that can help you get into grad school.
3. Invest in prep books
Prep books are great way to prepare, obviously. They offer material review and practice tests. Once you buy the book make sure you do the prep work. It’s recommended that you study with those books for 2-3 hours a day for 3 months prior to taking grad school entrance exams.
4. Make flashcards
Making flashcards for basic concept, or vocabulary is a great idea. Making these flashcards not only helps you learn the material but once they’re made they’re portable and you can take them anywhere. Which means you can study anywhere.
5. Use the quizlet app
If you’re not familiar with quizlet, it is an app that lets you share flashcards and other study material about any subject. This is a great way to study for the GRE subject tests, which include subject’s biology and psychology, just to name a few. Again this is a great way to study on the go
6. Make outlines
Outline the things you need know, what you already know and what you don’t know. Once these outlines are done you will know better what you need to study and where you should focus your efforts.

Taking the time to studying a head of time and putting in the effort needed can make all the difference when it come to getting the score you want on your grad school entrance exam. Remember you can never be over prepared. Good luck!