GRE or GMAT Summer Prep User Guide
Thinking about going to graduate school after college? Taking the GRE or GMAT the summer after your freshman or sophomore year of college could be a great idea—here’s why:
Preparing for the GRE or GMAT is Easier When Math is Fresh in Your Mind
Taking the GRE and—even more so—the GMAT after not having done any math for a while can be a lot more work than taking these tests soon after taking a math course. It’s much easier to get the test out of the way while all that math is still fresh in your mind. Also, the content required isn’t so advanced that you need years of calculus and higher-level coursework to nail it—you can do any problem on either test with good precalculus knowledge and a little elementary number theory that’s easy to learn.
Since many students taking these tests will fulfill most, if not all, their math requirements by junior year, it’s an excellent idea to get the testing out of the way the summer before.
Preparing for the GRE or GMAT is Easier After a Composition or English Course
The non-math parts of the GRE and the GMAT are based on a combination of reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar, along with some essay writing. Just as many students stop taking math classes that will help them prepare for the GRE or the GMAT after their second year of college, many others stop taking courses that help develop English language and composition skills that are helpful for the non-math parts of graduate admissions tests.
Students Can Focus on Junior and Senior Internships
Often, students spend time in their junior and senior years working in internship positions and doing original research, both of which look wonderful on a grad school application. If you already have your testing requirements out of the way, it’s much easier to really get the most out of your research or internships with minimal stress. It also means that you can have an easier time preparing for the GRE or the GMAT since it won’t be competing for your time with as many other things.
Also, there’s usually more free time for students to study in late spring (and into summer), and to find a good tutor or other guidance in setting up a study plan and preparing for these tests.
GRE and GMAT Scores Are Valid for Five Years
That means that you don’t have to worry about whether or not your scores are still valid when it comes time for you to apply to grad school, even if you work for a year after graduation. If you think you’ll work longer than that, you may need to plan a little more carefully, but it’s certainly still a good idea to consider it.
In short, if you have the time and opportunity to take these grad admissions tests early in your college career, you’re at a huge advantage when it comes time to filling out your grad school application, and it’s an opportunity you can’t get back once it’s been missed.
Marks Education offers proctored baseline graduate tests at no charge. We also offer highly tailored admission counseling for graduate and professional school applicants, led by Nisha Sardella. Contact us today to set up your free baseline test and learn more about our services, including GMAT and GRE tutoring.