Hi, here is my info:

College: Went to The College of William and Mary, a public university in Virginia. Graduated five years ago.
Major: Government (political science almost everywhere else), GPA of 3.1
Current industry: Working at a small software company near Washington DC, where I work with the company's sales staff and research possible new sales leads for them to sell the product. Done this for about a year. Before I spent about four years in local law firms doing legal research as a paralegal.
Target Score on GMAT: I'd like to say high 600's to 700. Any more is gravy.
How close am I to the goal: Took three CAT's with Revolution Prep and most of my work is with its course. Took another Kaplan CAT back in August when I started my prep. On the Kaplan CAT I got a 550. With Revolution Prep:

1st CAT was in early September, and I got a 580 (39Q, 31V)
2nd CAT was on 10/09, and I got a 640 (40Q, 37V)
3rd CAT was on 10/16, and I got a 670 (45Q, 37V)

In short, I have potential to score where I want, but I still have more work to do. One more month in my prep, as the GMAT is on a Saturday afternoon in mid November.
Target Schools:I am intending on going to an evening program, in the DC area. Top choice is Georgetown, then the University of Maryland. GW and American are after that respectively... I intend on staying here in the nation's capital.

Hello,

I actually signed up to the forum last year, lurked for a while, but only recently started getting serious about GMAT.

I’m currently working in buy-side research and plan to apply to master in finance program next year. Got 4 years WE, and finger-crossed those will get approved for CFA. I’m not looking to change field and the master degree is to help in my moving up to fund management and to regional/global level. It’ll also be a 1-year break from working, which I eagerly look forward to

Anyway, took my first GMAT yesterday and scored 710 (Q49,V37) with almost no preparation. The result is better than I expected and I suspect being unstressed helped a lot. I’ll probably retake again in March, this time with preparation. At the moment I’m trying to schedule my study plan and research which test prep materials would be the best. Any input will be much welcome

Good luck to everyone,

Sunny

Hello Everybody,

Been visiting this site occasionally for the past month or so and decided to take the plunge today and become a contributor. I"m 25 and work full time for the State of Michigan as a Secretary of State (DMV) Branch Manager. I will be taking the GMAT Labor Weekend. Looking to score the highest i possibly can. If I had to pick a target i would say 800 (why not reach for the sky right?) If I had to pick a realistic score i would say im shooting for 720 to 720 range. Attended Undergrad at a CAL State, graduated with a degree in Africana Studies and a 3.26 GPA. Looking forward to learning the GMAT in and out and meeting everyone in the forum.

Hey guys! I’ve been a sporadic visitor here for a few weeks. Now that I’m beginning my application preparatory process, I suppose I will be here more often and should introduce myself to you guys, although I’m probably not as interesting as ‘Randomguy2012’ up there. Graduated from UT Arlington in 07 – international business major – 3.29. Have worked predominantly in the management consultancy field (KPMG and Protiviti) in Houston, Bombay and Kuwait, where I currently reside. Academically, I’ve completed the FRM, CFE and PGDFM. I am also a CFA level 2 candidate. I am currently the President of the Kuwait Cycling club and Captain of the Protiviti cricket team, which I guess could boost my profile. GMAT – 740 (Q50, V40). I’m targeting the class of 2015. Look forward to interacting with you guys!

Hi all,

My name is Loryn and i've been lurking the site for a few weeks now after a disappointing first attempt (450). I know I can do better than this...I have horrible testing anxiety which played a large factor in my score and I ran out of time in 2 sections as well. I also grew up with a comprehension problem that I have fought with for my whole life. I've decided that studying alone is just too overwhelming for me and I now have tutor who scored a 710 and she also has gone through the same type of testing anxiety I have, which is really helpful because she always has great techniques and tricks she teachs me to help deal with the anxiety i get from the GMAT. My biggest problem is that I see a question, see all the words and freak out...My tutor is working with me now to help me see the problem in it's simplest terms and recognize exactly what I need to do.

I'm trying to get into a part-time program at Northwestern. I'm currenlty just aiming to hit 650, as the average of this years class was a 695 (but maybe I should aim a little higher?? Suggestions??). The GPA average from the current years class is a 3.4 and I currenlty hold an overall GPA of 3.55, my last two years of college, I decided I wanted to go further with my education and got a little more serious, in those last two years I was able to achieve a 3.75 GPA. I also work in the Public Safety Industry, because I really enjoy working with the general public and being able to help others. I find it very rewarding. I am hoping that all of these things will help get me into Northwestern's part time program.

I spend a lot of time studying, 2 hours a night every M-T, and an average of 4 hours each day/night on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I meet with my tutor twice a week for 2 hours each session as well. Hoping that this help me hit that 650 or higher on my next attempt which is shy of just 2 months away!

HERE I GO!!!

I've been reading these forums for a few months now, and they've definitely helped with my decision to get an MBA and GMAT study efforts. I'm applying for the Class of 2016 but still need to narrow down my list of schools, so I've decided to stop lurking and make some posts that'll hopefully help others with their decisions.

greetings all,
My name is Paul and I have a ba in finance. I work in finance in NYC and plan to take GMAT in August/September. Took the exam before, landed a 650(just under 80% on both verbal and math), need to get at least 50 more points. I know that practice, practice, and practice is the key. Target schools are nyu's stern & columbia. You should see me here a lot more next few months. Thanks to Praetorian and Bob who are doing a terrific job with this site.

I would say that from 590, Kaplan will only do you some good if you can afford it. I know it is a big sacrifice but look at it as an investment. If I had to pick between a course which would change my future and a trip elsewhere, you know what I would pick Well, that is only me but my 2 cents is that you should go for it. For someone in the high 600s to take a course would perhaps not be worth it as much as someone in the 500s. Remember, your future may depend on it
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Best Regards,

Paul

It's been nice to 'meet' those who have decided to post a bit about themselves. It definitely made me feel more comfortable and real about the people I'm having discussions with.

So here's a bit about myself. My name is Annie and I've been working in Administration & Accounting for the past 4 years in Kiev. I have a BBA in Management. I know for sure that I would like to continue my education (an MBA in the US), but I sill haven't come up with a definite plan.

I have to say that over the past couple of weeks the spirit of this site and of the discussions have given me inspiration to really search & reach out for the goals I want to accomplish. My main fear is not being able to undergo all the rigors of the application process as a whole, not just the GMAT. As far as GMAT goes, I really enjoy Verbal and find it fun and workable, whereas math scares the 'heck' out of me! I guess I'll just have to attack the Math Section with a vengeance.
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Searching for an answer...

Hi I am currently working as a business analyst in a marketing department in Miami. I have a BS in Computer Science from India and a MS in Compter Science from Illinois State University. I have developed business applications for the past 6 years.

Like everybody else here I am aiming to get in to the top 10 schools. I am not sure what to specialize in yet. I am aiming for a 750 and I have been preparing for the past 3 weeks. I improved from 600 to 700 proving the hard work has paid off.

My biggest weakness is SC followed not so closely by RC. I look foward to studyng with you guys. Good luck!

Rajiv