Set a target score and test date for my graduate admissions test
A target score grounded in your programs' published data, a test date that leaves room for a retake, and a weekly prep load.
The prompt
Help me set a target score and choose a test date for my graduate admissions test.
Test: [e.g. "GRE", "GMAT", "LSAT", "MCAT"]
Programs I'm applying to: [LIST]
Their published score data: [PASTE MEDIANS OR RANGES FROM EACH PROGRAM'S OFFICIAL CLASS PROFILE]
Application deadlines: [DATES]
Diagnostic or past score (if any): [SCORE AND DATE, or "none yet"]
Hours per week I can study: [DETAILS]
Other parts of my application: [e.g. "strong GPA", "limited work experience"]
Rules:
- Use only the score data I paste. Do not guess program medians or ranges. If I haven't provided them, tell me where to find them (each program's class profile or admissions page).
- Suggest aiming at or above the median of my target programs, adjusted for the strength of the rest of my application.
- Check whether any program is test-optional or accepts an alternative test, based on what I paste, and mark it [CONFIRM on the program's site].
Return:
1. A target score, plus a minimum acceptable score, with the reasoning.
2. A recommended test date that leaves time for one retake before my earliest deadline, including score reporting time [CONFIRM with the testing organization].
3. The gap between my current and target score, and a realistic weekly study load and total prep length for that gap (state the uncertainty).
4. A short list of first actions this week: take an official diagnostic, register, gather materials.
This is step 1 of the "Prepare for a graduate admissions test" pack. The target and timeline feed step 2 (diagnosing a practice test).
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Learning & Teaching prompts
What to fill in
- e.g. "GRE", "GMAT", "LSAT", "MCAT"
- LIST
- DATES
- SCORE AND DATE, or "none yet"
- DETAILS
- e.g. "strong GPA", "limited work experience"
- CONFIRM on the program's site
- CONFIRM with the testing organization
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the Few-Shot structure (Few-shot prompting). A few-shot prompt includes one or more worked examples of the input and the output you want, so the model can copy the pattern instead of guessing it.
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