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Summer is often the season for standardized test re-takes. With work and school typically in remission, grad school applicants use the summer to study anew for a second–or third…dare I say fourth?–crack at hitting their target score. This summer was … Continued

Q: I got accepted into a few of my second choice schools, which would be fine if I was rejected outright by my top choice schools…but I wasn't. My top two schools wait listed me. What do I do? The other … Continued

There's an (not so) old joke: What do you call a failed businessman? A business school professor. Surely if the guy teaching the stuff (how to make money) knew how to apply it (make money) would he be standing in … Continued

Flattery usually raises the same question as being overly polite does: What do you want? Which is why it is so dangerous to include statements that are intended to flatter the school in your application essays. Things like: “USC has … Continued

No matter how naturally gifted one is at tackling GMAT questions, there comes a point during everyone's test preparation when they wonder where these diabolical questions come from and what the whereabouts of their creators are. Because they need to … Continued

General consensus among grad school admissions officers is that the GMAT/GRE accounts for 40% of an applicant’s final admissions decision. There are exceptions, of course. Some specialty programs–religious studies, speech therapy, musicology, theology, folklorian literature, to name a few–technically require … Continued

Q: My quant factors (gre & gpa) are all really strong…what I am worried about is my “other” stuff–especially leadership positions. How do I answer the leadership essay that all B-schools require if I don't have any leadership experience? A: Really? None. … Continued

Journalist Annie Murphy Paul recently posted an article on the Mind Shift website entitled Why Confusion Can Be A Good Thing. In it, she discusses the role that confusion can play in augmenting learning. It's worth a read. Much of … Continued

There’s a longstanding rule for actors on stage or in front of a camera–never break the fourth wall. The literary equivalent of that for journalists and novelists is that the writer should never appear in his or her story. First-person … Continued

Ever wonder who you’re competing against when you sit down to take a standardized test? Well, your loyal, hardworking Twainstein staff has done the research for you and compiled a neat little list of fun facts that may surprise you … Continued