University Application Deadlines for the 2013 Spring Semester

We have assembled US university application deadlines for spring 2013 semester. Here are 99 universities with application deadlines from June to December for the Spring 2013 semester.

Deadlines for the Spring Semester

Universities with Deadlines in June

  1. University of Maryland, Baltimore County – 1-Jun
  2. University of South Florida, Tampa – 1-Jun
  3. Texas Tech University – 15-Jun

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Why 6 and 8 are Important Numbers for the New GRE Analytical Writing Section

Analytical Writing in the Revised GRE testThose numbers are important because they are part of the changes that make Analytical Writing (earlier called the Analytical Writing Measure) trickier and more demanding on the Revised General GRE,which was released in August last year.

So, what are the changes? Firstly as noted above, the essay section is now called just Analytical Writing (or AW for short). The ETS has been making changes in various aspects of the GRE test to make it more like the GMAT. This is one of them. The second is that the Issue Essay is now just for 30 minutes rather than 45 as earlier. This again, makes the GRE more like the GMAT.

But the ‘6’ and ‘8’ are part of a feature that is entirely unique to the Analytical Writing section of the Revised General GRE test. The numbers come in because now instead of one question type for the Issue Essay, you now have 6, and instead of one question type for the Argument Essay you now have 8. Each of the question types directs the test-taker to do or comment on something very specific relating to the given topic – and in their introductory material the ETS repeatedly states that test-takers should follow the specific directions given for the topic, so obviously it is important that you better know exactly what each question type demands and also how to meet the specific requirements.

To find out more official information about this from the ETS visit the following link:

http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about/content/analytical_writing

For our perspective, wait for our upcoming blogs on the Issue and Argument Tasks. Till then, happy hunting as you check out the ETS’s requirements for the tweaked and tricky AW section!

Related Links

GRE Overview:

GRE Practical Details:

GRE Maths Tips
GRE Tips From Top-Scoring Students
TOEFL/IELTS

News Update: No Major Changes to US Visa Policy for Indian Students

Some good news from US policy holders: it’s now relatively easier to get US visas! Bad news: most of you obtaining US student visa for the very first time will not be benefited from the change. This policy change will most help those in the visa ‘renewals’ category. But unfortunately a large section of F1 Visa seekers are typically applying for the very first time.

US Student Visa

We are still reviewing the visa policy, however from the first look, it seems that not much has changed for students.

News Links:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/New-US-norm-to-ease-visa-renewal/Article1-828883.aspx

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/12361305.cms

Quantitative Reasoning Question Formats in the Revised General GRE Test: Get a Peek

Quantitative Reasoning in the Revised General GRE, like Verbal Reasoning has two sections with 20 questions each and for which 35 minutes solving time is given per section. Each Quantitative Reasoning section has mix of question types:

  • quantitative comparison
  • problem solving
    • numeric entry questions (single and double)
    • multiple correct choices (vertical check-box questions)
    • single correct choice (i.e. radio button questions vertical and horizontal)
  • data interpretation

This makes a total of 7 different formats which are illustrated in the screenshots below. The screenshots are of the Dilip Oak’s Online test, but they will give you a good idea of what these formats will look like when you take the GRE computer-based test.

Quantitative Comparison
Quantitative Comparison

Get information on the Oak’s Online GRE test

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GRE Test Prep: Reading Comprehension and Discrete Questions: Challenges & Tips

So, you are preparing for the GRE test. You know that the Verbal section is going to be demanding. What are the big challenges in the Verbal section of the Revised General GRE?

Challenge #1: Reading Comprehension Passages

Screenshot of a Reading Comprehension question in the Revised General GRE
Reading Comprehension Question

First, a bit of good bit of news: the Reading Comprehension passages on the Revised GRE test are short. A Verbal section generally contains 5 Reading Comprehension passages, most which are 20-25 lines long; and one of them may be as short as 3-5 lines. The longest passages are of about 40 lines or so. (See ETS’s introduction to reading comprehension, sample questions and tips)

But Reading Comprehension is never very easy. Firstly, the passages cover a wide variety of topics, most of which are very unfamiliar. Here are some topics that have appeared in the past:

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The Challenges in the Verbal Section of the Revised GRE Test (Hint: It has Gotten Tougher)

Verbal ReasoningWhen the Revised General GRE test was launched (way back on 1 August 2011), a whole host of changes was introduced. One consequence was a revamped Verbal Reasoning part in which there are now:

  • two Verbal sections in the test with a total of 40 questions, instead of one section with a total of 30 questions
  • no Antonyms and Analogy questions – these have been replaced by more Reading Comprehension passages.
  • Text Completion questions (which require you to fill up to 3 blanks in a passage which can contain up to five sentences) and
  • Sentence Equivalence questions (which require you to select two correct synonyms to fill in the blank in the sentence out of the 6 options given)
  • Sentence Completion questions with single- and double-blanks
    .

To sum up, Reading Comprehension is now more important, the Sentence Completion type questions got a little harder to get right and Vocabulary is more or less just as important as it was earlier – so, you still have to learn that GRE word list!). As a result of those two changes, students also find the Verbal section harder to complete on time. So, how do you handle that difficulty?

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