Here are some more hot tips from one of our students who is a star performer on the GRE. This time it’s Tanmay Gurjar. As you can see, his performance has won him another of our ‘gold medals’! First here is a brief ‘bio’.
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Name: Tanmay Gurjar
Stream/College: Bachelor’s, Mechanical Engineering, COEP (currently in final year)
GRE Score: 335
Break up – Quant – 169, Verbal – 166
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First of all, let me say that what worked for me may not work for everybody else, so please adopt the approach which best suits you. But here are some tips based on what I did.
1. I started my test prep in about March. I did nothing but vocab for the first two months. I worked at a rate of hundred words a day. The words require constant revision and verbal practice becomes much much easier once vocab is in place. I used Dilip Oak’s flash cards for vocab because I could use the cards to revise easily in my free time, especially in college.
2. After vocab was done I started practising RC from the Dilip Oak’s material. I solved one long and one short passage per day. But the important thing is time management. So, I started timed practice almost immediately.
Simultaneously I practiced SC and SE questions from the Dilip Oak’s material.
3. The Verbal section is not that hard. But timing is absolutely crucial. I found during initial practice that I required much more time for RC’s. I read and understood the entire passage before attempting any questions. So as a rule I attempted all the SC and SE questions in the verbal section first. I allotted 9 minutes to attempt these 10 SE/SC questions – and if vocab is in place it’s really not that difficult.
4. Quant is pretty easy. So you can’t afford to lose marks in this section. Practice from Dilip Oak’s material is more than sufficient. Timed practice is important in this section too. In this section generally DI questions take the most time. So I kept these questions (14-16) for the last. About 1 hour of regular practice for about 1-1 ½ months is enough.
5. After some prep I went for full length practice tests. They really helped me iron out all my flaws. I attempted a total of 9 full length tests in general including 4 Dilip Oak CBT’s
6. Lastly the review feature is a very big boon. Use it to recheck everything if you get time, especially in maths. In fact, on my final GRE I found I had attempted 4 questions wrong in Quant. If I hadn’t reviewed them, I would definitely have paid the price.
In conclusion, I would say that the GRE test is not all that hard if you study regularly. I am sure all of you can crack it as well.
BEST OF LUCK to you all!!!!!!
We have assembled US university application deadlines for Fall 2013 semester. Here are 118 universities with application deadlines from December to July for the Fall 2013 semester.. Note that these are the general (or graduate school) deadlines. Be sure to check the departmental deadlines for the specific department you are applying to since these may differ from the general deadlines. Remember also that some universities have separate deadlines for sending documents by mail and for online submission. Finally, keep in mind that if you are applying for financial aid the deadlines are earlier. Wherever information is available on these aspects we have included it.
Related: US University Application Deadlines – Spring 2013 Semester
December 12
- Indiana University, Bloomington – 1 Dec 12
- University of Miami, Coral Gables – 1 Dec 12
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill – 1 Dec 12
- University of South Carolina, Columbia – 1 Dec 12
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology – 15 Dec 12
- Tufts University – 15 Dec 12
- Yale University – 15 Dec 12
- Michigan State University, East Lansing – End of Dec 12
January 13
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – 1 Jan 13
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County – 1 Jan 13
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute – 1 Jan 13
- University of South Florida, Tampa – 2 Jan 13
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville – 10 Jan 13
- Washington State University, Pullman – 10 Jan 13
- Florida Institute of Technology – 15 Jan 13
- Indiana University Purdue University – 15 Jan 13 with funding, 1 Mar 13 without funding
- State University of New York, Buffalo – 15 Jan 13
- State University of New York, Stony Brook – 15 Jan 13
- Texas A & M University, Kingsville – 15 Jan 13
- Texas Tech University – 15 Jan 13
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor – 15 Jan 13
- Vanderbilt University – 15 Jan 13
- Duke University – 30 Jan 13
- Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago – 31 Jan 13 with funding, 1 May 13 without funding
February 13
- East Carolina University – 1 Feb 13
- Kansas State University – 1 Feb 13
- University of Rhode Island, Kingston – 1 Feb 13
- University of Tulsa – 1 Feb 13
- Eastern Michigan University – 15 Feb 13
- Marquette University – 15 Feb 13
- University of Illinois, Chicago – 15 Feb 13
- University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth – 15 Feb 13
- University of Oregon, Eugene – 15 Feb 13
March 13
- University of Maine, Orono – 1 Mar 13
- California State University, Chico – 1 Mar 13
- California State University, Sacramento – 1 Mar 13
- Illinois State University, Normal – 1 Mar 13
- North Carolina State University – 1 Mar 13
- Oklahoma State University, Still Water – 1 Mar 13
- Portland State University – 1 Mar 13
- University of Nebraska, Lincoln – 1 Mar 13
- University of Oklahoma, Norman – 1 Mar 13
- University of Toledo – 1 Mar 13
- George Washington University – 15 Mar 13
- Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Brooklyn – 15 Mar 13
- South Dakota School of Mines & Tech – 15 Mar 13
- University of Colorado, Denver – 15 Mar 13
- University of Kentucky, Lexington – 15 Mar 13
- University of North Texas, Denton – 15 Mar 13
- University of Pittsburgh – 15 Mar 13
- California State University, Northridge – 31 March 13 Online, 30 April 13 Supplementary Documents (to be sent by courier)
April 13
- California State University, Long Beach – 1 April 13 Online, 15 April 13 Supplementary Documents (to be sent by courier)
- California State University, Fresno – 1 Apr 13
- Oregon State University, Corvallis – 1 Apr 13
- San Jose State University – 1 Apr 13
- Stevens Institute of Technology – 1 Apr 13
- University of Houston, University Park – 1 Apr 13
- University of Michigan, Dearborn – 1 Apr 13
- University of Texas, Arlington – 1 Apr 13
- University of Texas, San Antonio – 1 Apr 13
- University of Utah, Salt Lake City – 1 Apr 13
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University – 1 Apr 13
- West Virginia University, Morgan Town – 1 Apr 13
- Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo – 1 Apr 13
- Wichita State University – 1 Apr 13
- Florida International University – 1 Apr 13 & 1 Jun 13
- Lamar University – 15 Apr 13
- Northeastern University, Boston – 15 Apr 13
- Old Dominion University, Norfolk – 15 Apr 13
- South Dakota State University, Brookings – 15 Apr 13
- University of Georgia – 15 Apr 13
- University of Iowa, Iowa City – 15 Apr 13
May 13
- University of San Francisco – May 13
- Minnesota State University, Mankato – 1 May 13
- Mississippi State University – 1 May 13
- New Jersey Institute of Technology – 1 May 13
- North Dakota State University, Fargo – 1 May 13
- Northern Illinois University, Dekalb – 1 May 13
- Oakland University, Rochester – 1 May 13
- Southern Methodist University – 1 May 13
- Tennessee Technological University – 1 May 13
- University of Idaho, Moscow – 1 May 13
- University of Louisville, Louisville – 1 May 13
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas – 1 May 13
- University of North Carolina, Charlotte – 1 May 13
- University of Texas, Dallas – 1 May 13
- University of Texas, El Paso – 1 May 13
- Villanova University – 1 May 13
- Wayne State University – 1 May 13
- Western Illinois University – 1 May 13
- California State University, Fullerton – 4 May 13
- California State University, Los Angeles – 15 May 13
- University of Louisiana, Lafayette – 15 May 13
- University of North Carolina, Greensboro – 15 May 13
June 13
- Louisiana Tech University, Ruston – 1 Jun 13
- Monmouth University – 1 Jun 13
- Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville – 1 Jun 13
- University of Detroit, Mercy – 1 Jun 13
- University of Wyoming, Laramie – 1 Jun 13
- Drexel University – 13 Jun 13
- Texas State University – 15 Jun 13
July 13
- Arkansas State University – 1 Jul 13
- Florida State University – 1 Jul 13
- New York Institute of Technology – 1 Jul 13
- Santa Clara University – 13 Jul 13
- Lehigh University – 15 Jul 13
- Marist College, Poughkeepsie – 15 Jul 13
- Missouri University of Science & Technology, Rolla – 15 Jul 13
- University of South Alabama, Mobile – 15 Jul 13
August 13
- New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology – 1 Aug 13
- University of Houston, Clear Lake – 1 Aug 13
- New Mexico State University, Las Cruces – 26 Aug 13
Miscellaneous
- University of Massachusetts, Lowell – 12 months prior to the beginning of the semester in which you would like to join
- University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee – 12 months prior to the beginning of the semester in which you would like to join
- University of Memphis – 4 months prior to the beginning of the semester in which you would like to join
- Lawrence Technological University –90 days prior to the first day of the semester in which you would like to join
- Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison – Rolling
- Rochester Institute of Technology – Rolling
This week we bring you the second part of a really trophy-winning article: Ashwin’s tips for cracking the GRE.
In this part he gets even more specific, with tips for the Practice Tests and each of the sections – Analytical Writing, Quantitative Reasoning and the super-hard Verbal Reasoning section. Read on. There are literally dozens of pointers that you can really benefit from.
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Tips for the Practice Tests
1) If you haven’t given exams like Pravinya, MTS, NTS etc. the GRE exam may be a new experience. If that is so, I would advise you to give one of the mock tests within a week of finishing classes just in order to know where you stand (editor’s note: you can use the Oak’s free test for this purpose).
2) Practice, practice, practice. The more preparation you do the better you will score. It just works that way. There are studies that show if you prepare just one hour beyond the point where you feel you know everything, you can increase your marks by up to 5% (which is significant in an exam like this one).
3) Make sure that you complete all 4 Oaks exams, the entire set of Kaplan mini tests, the Princeton review and Kaplan free tests in the last 3 weeks before the exam. It will help you get used to the length of the exam: sitting 4 hours plus at a go is not an easy task!
4) DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE RESULTS. Take the exams as practice keeping in mind that the marks in your mock tests are just a baseline to begin from. Make sure to analyze your results though. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Spot areas in which, with a little more effort, you can easily score more marks. See if you are repeatedly making the same type of mistakes and eliminate them.
5) If you have prepared properly, the exam has been set in such a way that you have time to make at least one complete review. Make sure you use the mark and review buttons provided to the fullest extent.
6) With this in mind, make sure that you utilize all the time provided in the Quant sections. What I mean by this is that, even if you finish the section early, review and revise to check if you have made silly mistakes as long as time permits.
7) In the Verbal sections though, I would recommend at most a single review. Second guessing yourself beyond that point will actually cause you to lose marks.
Tips for the Quantitative Section
1) Note that the sums are meant to be solved in a maximum time of one and a half minutes. Ideally, however, a lot of the sums (especially in the first quant section) can be solved in half a minute. If you can limit the amount of time you spend on easy questions, it will give you that much more time to focus on the harder questions.
2) It is very important to note that the pattern of GRE is very different from most other exams you have done so far. The GRE algorithm is interested in the correct answer and not the correct method. There are several types of sums which may be easier to solve by brute force methods, than by applying complex formulae.
3) Basic maths is very useful. I would recommend learning by heart, the squares of all numbers till 30 and cubes till 20 before taking the exam.
Tips for AWM
1) As an engineer I emphasized mathematics more than AWM. However, it is essential that some amount of studies be directed towards AWM which, requires special focus if you are oriented towards a language-based major.
2) Ensure that you make full use of the AWM sessions (editor’s note: if you are a student at Oak’s you can take 4 individual AW counseling appointments of 1 ½ hours each – in these our counselors will discuss your essays and give you in-depth feedback on how to improve them). Ideally, I would recommend 2 sessions per week in the last 2 weeks before the exam.
3) I would also recommend that you practice writing timed essays (i.e. within 30 minutes per essay) – at least 2 of each type i.e. issue and argument. It would also help if you prepare points (though not essays) for 6 more of each type.
4) If you are fairly fluent in English and have your own writing style, do not try to modify it. The results can often be disastrous.
5) Try to avoid high flying words. In an effort to sound sophisticated you may misuse a word and end up falling flat on your face. Simple fluent and well-structured essays will get you decent marks. If you need something beyond that I am, unfortunately, not in a position to advise you.
Tips for the Verbal Reasoning Section
1) The following sites were very useful to me in preparing for the exam:
Try to make full use of them. Ensure that you read at least 2 full length articles per day online. This will familiarize you with the level of English language required by the test and also help you with practicing reading online.
2) Also try to download a few phone apps to learn words on the go. I found Kaplan Vocab very useful.
3) For learning words quickly, although the flashcards are invaluable, it is essential that you know their usage, specifically their connotation (whether they sound positive or negative) and collocation (which other word they go with and which ones they don’t) since this helps in eliminating incorrect answers. (Editor’s note: the VaiVocabulary DVD are useful in this regard)
4) One of the most useful methods in learning words was that of grouping similar words together. It helps covering vocabulary in large batches.
5) At a glance in the Verbal section you can generally eliminate all but 2 probabilities. The last 2 are slightly tricky generally and, in sentence completion type questions, may cause trouble if you are not aware of the exact usage of the words. But it is very important to remember that it is much easier to pick a correct choice out of 2 than out of 5-6 options, so elimination is very important.
6) For sentence completion, text completion and sentence equivalence questions, after you have chosen your answers make sure you read them in the context of the sentence as a whole. Don’t just read the answers in the part of the sentence in which the blanks appear. Very often you may find that options that appear to make sense when you read them looking only at the immediate context don’t make sense when you consider the sentence as a whole. Reading your answer will help you to catch quite a few mistakes.
7) Reading comprehension was my weak point. Quite frankly, I simply followed the rules recommended in class to get the answers to these questions. The ‘read the introductory line and the last 2 lines’ method is very useful in this question type.
Well I believe I have rambled on long enough. I would like to reiterate that the exam as a whole is fairly simple and should not be given so much worry as to create burnout. There are many cases where people overstress before the exams and cannot think as clearly during the exams on account of the same. Do not take it too lightly either ; although I must admit, at least in my experience, I have yet to come across anyone who took it too lightly. And remember you always have the option of a do over.
Good luck with your preparations.
Also must reads:
Application essays for B-schools touch upon various facets of your personality as an applicant. B-schools use these as substitute for short-listing interviews to choose good candidates for the final telephonic interview. We can divide application essays into three categories:
1. Essays on Your Professional Career and Aspirations
Such essays usually cover the following points:
a. Your short-term (immediate post-MBA) and long-term career goals
b. The career path that has brought you to the present position
c. Why the present stage of your career is the most suitable time to undertake MBA studies
d. Why you have chosen to apply to that particular Business School.
2. Biographical and Speculative Essays
Biographical essays ask you to describe
a. moral dilemmas you have faced
b. your experiences of success and failure
c. successful and/or unsuccessful team efforts that you have participated in as a member or a leader
d. what you are like as a person outside of your work place
e. events and persons that have influenced you
Speculative essays can be about:
a. what you would have done if you had stepped into the shoes of a celebrity (of your choice)
b. who you would choose as a traveling companion or dinner guest
c. what you would write in a biographical editorial on the eve of your retirement
d. what you would like to change about your past
From these essays, the selection committees want to know your values, intelligence, foresight, initiative, sociability, sensibility, originality, self-perception, ambition, etc. Be truthful, be candid and be positive. State how you handled the experiences and what lessons you learnt. Give a realistic evaluation of your own contribution to your successes. This approach to essay-writing will set you apart from the rest of the applicants more surely than imitating well-written essays of others available on the Internet.
3. Essays on Your Reasons for Applying to that Particular B-School
You will be applying to several B-schools. To support your choice of B-school, discover the details of their offerings and their vision and the mission statements. Think and state how these would help you achieve your career goals. Investigate the links to professors’ websites, where you might find their informed opinion about what the admission committee wishes to know from the essays.
In conclusion, be honest and introspective. Explore your motives; draw on your experience and be precise. Do not to veer from the essay topics and do not to exceed the given word-limit; use the right words to convey the intended meaning, and above all, write in Standard English.
Besides gaining you admission to the B-school you desire, you will find writing of these essays an enlightening experience that will help you think clearly about your career and other important goals.
Here’s a useful link with more useful information: making compelling MBA applications
For help in preparing application essays click here.
The GMAT has been facing competition from the GRE for some time. Around 600 business schools accept the GRE scores. The less expensive revised GRE, introduced last year, has changed its gears a bit and moved from a heavily vocabulary-based Verbal section to one based more on reading comprehension and critical reasoning skills.
In other words the GRE has become more similar to the GMAT. The GMAT is gearing up for this challenge with the new Integrated Reasoning section.
The Graduate Management Council itself says: “Today’s business word is rich in data. To succeed, you’ll need to analyze information from a variety of sources, and develop strategies and make decisions based on that information. It’s called Integrated Reasoning and it’s something you do every day.” On MBA.com they also say that in a recent survey, 740 management faculty worldwide identified several skills as important for prospective graduate management students. These are skills that the business community says are — and will continue to be — essential to success at the management and executive level:
1. Synthesizing information presented in graphics, text, and numbers
2. Evaluating relevant information from different sources
3. Organizing information to see relationships and to solve multiple, interrelated problems
4. Combining and manipulating information to solve complex problems that depend on information from one or more sources
Therefore the new Integrated Reasoning section, which is intended to test these skills, consists of questions requiring a blend of skills in critical reasoning, complex problem-solving, interpretation of visual data and conversion of quantitative data between graphical and verbal formats. Though this sounds very complicated, it’s not all that difficult according to the official blog on MBA.com: “Students who have participated in pilot studies for the Next Gen GMAT and who have taken the Integrated Reasoning section have told us that they are already using these skills in their undergraduate study or at work. One student said, ‘…it’s just the PowerPoint, spreadsheet paradigm we live in every day.’”
To read a good analysis of the competition between the GRE and GMAT read this article: ‘The Battle of the B-School Gatekeepers‘