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How Many Medical Schools Should I Apply To?

You’re applying to medical school. You’ve taken the MCAT, started your AMCAS application, and planned enough time to complete secondary applications and travel to interviews. The medical school application process continues to become increasingly competitive; according to the AAMC, there were 830,016 applications and 21,030 matriculants in the 2016–2017 admissions cycle. With odds like that, it should be obvious that most applicants […]

How to Master Reading Sections on a Computer-Adaptive Test

The GRE is a CAT, or a Computer-Adaptive Test. But on some sections, the computer is less an assistance than a hindrance. The older you are, the more likely it is that you spent your childhood, teen years, and even adulthood learning how to read in a paper-based world. Standardized testing, especially reading comprehension, is […]

What's Tested on the GRE?

What’s tested on the GRE? The GRE measures your command of basic arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis, as well as college-level vocabulary. More importantly, it measures your ability to analyze and evaluate written material, think critically, and solve problems. There are three total sections on the GRE and some test-takers face an unscored experimental […]

Translating Words into Math on the GMAT

GMAT word problems often cause test-takers difficulty. The language usually doesn’t seem straightforward, and deciding how to begin answering the question can be challenging. Kaplan teaches students to think critically and to consider using a strategy such as Picking Numbers rather than always jumping into straight-up math to find the answers to Quantitative Reasoning questions. […]

GRE Argument Writing

For most test-takers, the Argument Task is a lot less frightening than the Issue Task. For one thing, it is a shorter task at 30 minutes, which means fewer words are expected. More importantly, though, the Argument Task relies less on outside evidence; your ability to recall an apt historical example or hypothetical situation–a rare […]

GRE Issue Writing

45 minutes of your entire exam will be devoted to the Issue Writing task, so even though it may not be the most famous section of the test, do not take it lightly. Do not assume that, because this is simply a timed essay, you do not have to study for it. Though practicing writing […]

Journey to Grad School: The Decision to Apply

So, you think you want to go to grad school? Well, when starting my college career, I didn’t. When I was a freshman, my instructors and peers said I would never need a master’s or doctorate degree for what I wanted to do. At first I listened, because every major and experience in college is […]

What's tested on the SAT Essay section?

The SAT Essay Test will assess your college and career readiness by testing your abilities to read and analyze a high-quality source document and write a coherent analysis of the source supported with critical reasoning and evidence from the given text. The SAT Essay Test features an argumentative source text of 650–750 words aimed toward […]

GMAT Geometry Problem Shortcuts

GMAT geometry problems tend to be one of the scariest of the Quantitative topic areas. Fortunately, all the geometry you need to remember could fit in the palm of your hand. Since you can’t actually put it in your palm on Test Day, here are some tricks for tackling GMAT geometry without notes.     […]