When should I start studying for the GRE?

The best time to start was six months ago. The second best time is today. (That's a riff on a Chinese proverb about planting trees — and it applies perfectly here.)

Don't beat yourself up if you feel behind, but don't delay either. There's really not a problem with starting too soon; there is a problem with starting too late.

We recommend starting at least six months before your earliest application deadline. A lot of people need longer than they think, and it's nice to be done with your studies entirely before you're up against the deadline for completing and submitting the rest of your application.

That said, we work with plenty of students who don't have six months, and it's doable for many in three — though some of them could have scored higher with more time. If you're weighing whether to rush for a Round 1 deadline or wait, in most cases it's smarter to apply Round 2 with a stronger score than to submit Round 1 with a score you're not satisfied with. Working backward from that, it's even smarter to have buffer time so you're done with studying several months before the application deadline.

One important reason for that buffer: you may benefit from multiple attempts at the exam, and you can only retake it every 21 days. Having a few months of runway means you have a backup plan — and knowing you can retake it takes real pressure off your first attempt.

So if you're planning to apply in September, start in the early spring — March or April, or even January. In many cases, you'll be glad you started early. The students who feel most confident on test day are almost always the ones who gave themselves more time than they thought they'd need — not less.