University Entrance Exams

You're considering University as your next step after high school? You can help yourself prepare for those entrance exams that may make or break your plans. In addition to the flashcards available, there are plenty of things you can start doing today to optimize your brain health so that you can stay focused when preparing for this path ahead! 

Get into the Best School

The university you attend is one of the most important choices in your career.  Whether you like it or not, it has a significant impact when you start job hunting. Who says no to Ivy League graduates, right?

Hence, as early as now, you have to prep yourself to increase your test scores, no matter if you are preparing for SSAT or studying for the SAT.  You owe it to yourself to spend the time now studying. You may also start researching about these tests and the type of questions you might encounter. You may even hire a private tutor to prepare you for them.

Have you considered studying Latin to increase your SAT score? Studies have shown that students of Latin score better than average across the board when it comes to the SAT. 

Of course, you also have to make sure your GPA makes it to the high school’s or university’s requirements. Your GPA shows your aptitude not just for a given couple of hours but for the entirety of your stay in school. 

While these may be daunting initially, keep in mind that you’re doing this to get into the best school, so you have a high chance of landing your dream job.  So get started with studying today.

GPA vs. SAT & ACT: What's More Important for Admissions?

Which matters more, GPA or SAT? There has been an ongoing debate about this, but sources that state a high test score can make you stand out in the school you are applying for, albeit your GPA is low.

Improving your SAT scores or increasing your ACT scores can matter more than GPA because:

SAT is standardized while GPA is not. The former compares a student to other students in the country while the latter compares one to the rest of the class or school students.

GPA can be inflated. There have been reports that schools purposely increase their students’ scores to make it look like the school produces top-notch students.

Yet this doesn’t mean that a high SAT score can predict one’s overall success in college. A study conducted by Bates College revealed that it is still the GPA that predicted the students’ performance in college. A comparison of their high school GPA showed little to no difference from their GPA in college upon graduation.

This is probably because the GPA is not just a score that’s determined during exams. It’s also a reflection of the students’ determination and discipline throughout their high school life.

In other words, a high SAT score may give you a big opportunity to get into the school you want, but it is still your GPA that determines whether you can perform well in college.

So even if you're starting with the PSAT for now or just getting your GED, now is a great time to start preparing for the SAT or ACT to supplement whatever grades you've been getting throughout high school.

Tons of SAT II Study Guides

For nearly all of the SAT II subject tests, such as French, Spanish, Biology, History, etc., there are study guides you can buy online or use for free.

Brainscape is one of the sites that provide SAT II study guides for almost every subject. You can study thousands of flashcards for free and upgrade to Pro if you'd like unlimited access.

These flashcards are based on past test questions and are created by collaborating with various publishers, tutors, top-performing students, and teachers.

Also, unlike the ones in other flashcard apps, the subjects in these flashcards are organized for optimum results.

It means you can easily find the subject you want to study and see other flashcards related to what you’re using currently. You may also search for a collection and see all the subjects under that category.

If you can’t find one, Brainscape allows you to create your own flashcards that will serve as your study guide, which you may then share with your classmates.

Study Effectively with Spaced Repetition

Having a study guide is not enough for you to ace your SSAT, SAT, SAT II, or ACT. You have to know how to study effectively. One way to do that is through spaced repetition.

Spaced repetition is the practice of repeating the concept you are studying over and over again, but there should be space or breaks in between. This concept believes that recurrent exposure is needed to learn something, whether it’s a fact or skill. Besides, it considers spacing as a crucial part of retaining information.

Spaced repetition has been known for learning scientists for ages.  In a study conducted by Gordon in 1925, college students were asked to learn an oath. They were divided into two. The first one listened to the oath six times without breaks. The other listened six times as well, but with a three-day break in between.

They were then asked to recall what they heard right after hearing it for the sixth time and again four weeks after. The first group fared better in the immediate recall, but the second group had better results when asked after four weeks. Hence, this test shows that repetitive exposure without spacing or breaks is beneficial for a short-term application, while the latter is for long-term retention.

Thousands of additional cognitive science studies have proved the theory of spaced repetition over the past century.  The general principle is that when there is the spacing between the repetitive learning, the brain tries to retrieve how the information was presented. It’s like there’s a time when you forget the information, so your brain works to retrieve it. This process enhances memory.

On the other hand, if there’s no break in the repetitive learning and the learners were asked immediately, the information is fresh. Thus no retrieval happens. There is no forgetting what happens. Because there is no retrieving process, the memory is not enhanced. Consequently, after several days, the information is forgotten.

In studying for tests, spaced repetition is necessary, especially if you learn concepts ahead of time.

One way to do this is to use paper flashcards. You may create flashcards on your own and repetitively study the information and organize/reorganize as you memorize it little by little.

But online flashcards, such as the ones in Brainscape, are so much more convenient, as they automatically organize your studies by spacing your studies over a longer period of time.  Brainscape is also collaborative so that you can compete or cooperate with multiple students, and it will keep all your records in sync between the website and the mobile app.

Even if you wait until right before the exam to start studying (not recommended!), using Brainscape can help maximize the amount you can learn in a short period of time.  So do yourself a favor stop procrastinating and start exploring the flashcards in this section!