Should I Take A GRE Prep Course?
Deciding whether to take a GRE prep course is tough.
Prep courses can be expensive and take a lot of time. So the question is, is a GRE prep course worth it?
You might think that because I teach and GRE prep course and work for a GRE prep course company, my answer would be a certain “yes”. But in reality, it’s a resounding and certain “maybe”.
Helpful, right? Sorry. But I firmly believe that a prep course is incredibly valuable for some people but not for others. Here are the factors I usually encourage students to consider in deciding if a prep course will be worthwhile for them.
How much improvement do you really need?
It’s a good idea to take a reputable practice exam to see where your scores currently stand. Manhattan GRE offers a free practice test that you can use to see where you are right now. Then, check in with the programs to which you plan to apply and see what score would make you a competitive applicant there.
If you only need minimal improvement, or you only need improvement in one area, you might be able to do that on your own! Either way, you’ve got to know where you are starting and where you need to end up before you can make an informed plan.
How likely are you to stick to a schedule on your own?
This is a big question, and it requires you to be honest with yourself. I suggest you look at past behaviors and assume they will remain the same. For example, I tend to stick to a self-made study schedule, but completely abandon a self-made workout schedule after a couple days. For that reason, I trust myself to study on my own, but make myself sign up for fitness classes.
If you historically have trouble keeping a study schedule and often find yourself falling behind, cramming, or pushing exams forward, you will probably find that a prep course is worth it. If you’ve studied for the GRE once on your own and not gotten the score you wanted, or you’ve moved your test date in the past because you didn’t meet your study expectations, a prep course might be just the missing piece.
How much do you value external encouragement?
Most prep courses don’t have the grades, homework checking, and tests that high school and college courses have. Instead, they rely on the fact that students have their own very strong motivation to study: they want to do well on the GRE so that they can be better admissions candidates at the programs of their choice.
That said, a good prep course teacher and class will encourage you. You will have to answer questions in a timed environment and be asked to explain your answers. You’ll also be reminded of what you need to do each week and why it matters. For most students, that external encouragement and support is really valuable. If you are someone who is motivated by being reminded, encouraged, and pushed toward your goals, you’ll probably find that a prep course is worth it for you. If the score is enough motivation for you and you prefer to keep your successes and failures to yourself, you may do better working on your own.
How well do you learn from books?
By now, you probably know which learning style suits you best. If you have a history of learning well from books, you are a better candidate to study on your own. However, if you’ve found that you have trouble learning material by reading alone, you’ll almost certainly benefit from a prep class. A class will give you a chance to learn by listening, speaking, and doing. If that mix of learning styles has helped you in the past, it’s likely to help you again.
Ask yourself this: in your last few math classes, did you find attending the class valuable? In other words, did you ever have insights or understanding in class that you didn’t have when doing the homework? If so, you’ll probably find that a prep course is valuable to you. If you traditionally have found that attending class added little to no value over doing homework from a book, you might be more comfortable and work faster managing the material on your own.
How much does studying on your own cost?
We all know that prep courses aren’t cheap. If the cost of your study choice is an important factor to you, make sure you consider all the costs involved. How much will it cost you to purchase all the study materials you need, including practice problem banks and practice tests? Does a higher score allow you access to more financial aid? Does it increase your chances for admission to a school that saves you money by being closer to home, giving you access to better career options, or having a lower tuition?
It’s important to consider both long-term and short-term costs when deciding if a prep course is right for you. If an extra 5 or 10 percentage points on the exam lower your grad school costs noticeably, it’s worth spending quite a lot to get where you need to be!
Every student certainly doesn’t need a course to get them to the right score for them. Still, most students find that the structure and support help them to get the score they need in a faster and more predictable way. And that can be a much-needed stress relief during that all-so-stressful grad school application season!