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Planning for Grad School: Where do I start?

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at USFSP chapter.

-The Different Types of Entrance Exams-

 

There are a lot of us getting to that point where we need to start planning for graduate school. However, I’m not sure all of us are ready for the big jump. One of the essential parts of planning for the grad school you are planning to attend is taking the proper entrance exams. Because this could be very confusing, below I have three of the most common types of exams and what they are about.

GRE’s:

The GRE website says that this is a revised general test and that it is “one test for graduate and business school.” This test gives students “more opportunities for success.” The GRE exam is a test for most students who want to continue their education in graduate school.

Parts of the test

·         Verbal Reasoning – Analyzing written material

·         Quantitative Reasoning- Problem solving and data analysis

·         Analytical Reasoning- Critical thinking

MCAT’s:

The MCAT website says that is test is a “standard, multiple-choice examination.” The MCAT exam is a test for students who want to get into medical school after they have received their undergraduate degree.

Parts of the test

·         Biological and biochemical foundations of living systems

·         Chemical and physical foundations of biological systems

·         Psychological, social, and biological foundations of behavior

·         Critical analysis and reasoning skills

LSAT’s:

The LSAT website says that this test “measures skills that are essential for success in Law school.”The LSAT exam is a test for students who want to pursue a career in law at a law school after they have received their undergraduate degree.

Parts of the test

·         Reading comprehension- Reading with understanding

·         Analytical Reasoning- Understand Relationships

·         Logical Reasoning- Analyze Arguments

Hopefully, this has helped you better understand what you need to do to start your journey to grad school. Don’t freak out about the future. Just breathe, and plan ahead.

Alana Long

Sources:

http://www.ets.org/gre

http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/about-the-lsat/

https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/

http://imgbuddy.com/taking-a-test.asp

Alana is a college Senior with a major in Mass Communications with a concentration in Journalism and Media Studies and a minor in Art History. Alana was born in raised in Southwest Florida, so she adores the water and beach lifestyle. She loves anything to do with fashion and plans to work as a professional fashion writer or PR professional when she gets out of college. Alana looks forward to writing for the University of South Florida St. Petersburg's chapter of Her Campus all four years of her upcoming college career and is currently a Campus Correspondent and Editor-in-Chief for her chapter. When she's not running to and from classes, she loves to go online shopping or watching YouTube videos.  
A Mass Communications Major with a passion for inspiring others.