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FROM Magoosh Blog: [Webinar] 3 Hacks to Transform Your MBA Application |
Are you looking for tricks, tips, and shortcuts on how to edit, proofread, and polish your MBA applications to perfection? Our friends over at Accepted will be hosting an interactive webinar, 3 Hacks to Transform Your MBA Application, which will cover cool editing techniques to help applicants transform rough drafts into polished, compelling essays. A sneak peek at what the webinar will cover: ● How to edit your MBA essays from top to bottom, from context to particulars. ● The secret to professional-grade your essay proofing. ● The ingredients of a good edit. You won’t get into b-school with a poorly-written, poorly-edited essay. Do your application a favor and attend Accepted’s webinar! 3 Hacks to Transform Your MBA Application airs live on Thursday, Dec. 16th at 10:00 AM PST/1:00 PM EST. Click here to reserve your spot! The post [Webinar] 3 Hacks to Transform Your MBA Application appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: GMAT Tuesday: “Hello” to Idioms |
“Hello! It’s me!” Kevin from GMAT Tuesdays, not Adele from the famed “Hello” music video! We are diving into 3 new idioms this week: forbade, in danger, and concluded. Make sure you know which ones take gerunds, which ones take infinitives, and which ones take neither. 😀 Here’s this week’s board: The post GMAT Tuesday: “Hello” to Idioms appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: An Overview of Magoosh’s Free GMAT Resources |
Magoosh’s GMAT experts have created a plethora of free GMAT resources to help you study more effectively and efficiently. Here’s a big list of our free resources so that you can spend more time studying and less time looking for the best materials. I’d recommend bookmarking this page so you can come back to it in the future! GMAT eBooks Our eBooks will give you a crash course on various GMAT topics. Introduction to the GMAT eBook: This eBook will introduce you to the GMAT exam. It covers topics like the format of the test, an overview of each of the different sections, and general study strategies. Idioms eBook: This eBook covers everything you need to know about idioms. It includes detailed explanations and examples of all 27 idiom types. Integrated Reasoning eBook: This eBook will help you understand the Integrated Reasoning section and various strategies for each type of question. It includes practice questions and study recommendations as well. GMAT Flashcards Our GMAT experts created math and idiom flashcards so you can study anytime, anywhere. You can download our apps on Google Play or iTunes App Store to study on the go, or try the desktop version. Math Flashcards: These flashcards include all of the math topics and formulas covered on the GMAT and offer practice questions to make sure you understand the material. Idioms: These flashcards include basic and advanced idioms so that you can practice regardless of your level of expertise. GMAT Newsletter If you want GMAT tips and tricks delivered right to your inbox, sign up for Magoosh’s GMAT Newsletter. Study Schedules Our GMAT experts have created comprehensive and customizable study schedules to help you make the most of your study time. Each study schedule includes a list of essential and optional resources and hand-picked assignments. We have GMAT study schedules for 1, 3, and 6 months of studying, but you can easily adapt them to meet your needs. This blog post will help you customize our study schedules based on the length of time you want to study and the areas you want to focus on. YouTube Channel Every Tuesday, Kevin, one of our GMAT experts, creates a GMAT Tuesday video. Each video covers a different GMAT topic, ranging from score report essentials to spotting parallelism in sentence corrections. Check out GMAT Tuesdays and more videos on our YouTube channel. Book Reviews We know there are tons of GMAT prep books out there, so our GMAT experts have taken the time to write comprehensive book reviews about the most popular books. Check out all of our book reviews on this section of the blog. Video Explanations for Official Guide for GMAT Review 2016 The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) releases practice questions in their Official Guide for GMAT Review each year. Our GMAT experts have created video explanations for these questions to help you understand each concept and avoid common mistakes. GMAT Blog You’re here, so you might already be familiar with Magoosh’s GMAT blog. Our blog includes helpful information about the GMAT like important test dates, tips for applying to business school, practice questions for each GMAT topic, and more! The post An Overview of Magoosh’s Free GMAT Resources appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: MIT Sloan GMAT Scores |
MIT Sloan is one of the most selective MBA programs. It’s 2014 acceptance rate was at mere 13.8%, lower than Wharton (20.7%), Booth (23.5%) and Kellogg (23.2%). Granted, it’s incoming class is smaller, but still! 13.8% is pretty terrifyingly low. MIT is a world-renowned engineering university, and you’ll find that prominence bleeding into its MBA program. About 33% of the 2017 incoming class has an undergraduate degree in engineering, and that’s not including the math and science majors. If you include math and science, more commonly known as STEM, you’ll find that group makes up 47% of Sloan’s class. 47%! That is significantly higher than other top programs. STEM majors make up 39% of Stanford’s class, 36% of Harvard’s, and 25% at Wharton’s. What does this mean for your application? If you aren’t coming from a STEM background, you want to make sure you find a way to prove that you’ll be able to keep up with all the other quants in class. And the GMAT is one way to do so. Sloan’s average GMAT score for the class of 2017 is 716, which is a 3-point increase from the class of 2016. The middle 80% is 670-760, which is wider than Harvard’s and Wharton’s, but narrower than Booth’s and Stanford’s. This means that while you do have some wiggle room, your exception story and essays may not be enough to overcome your 620. Also, as you study for the GMAT and set your goals and expectations, keep in mind that you don’t want your score to be completely dominated by the verbal section. Aim to score in the 80th-percentile in the quant section. This will demonstrate that you can also play ball in your Data, Models, and Decisions class. Sloan GMAT Score Ranges The safe zone: 730-800. Scoring on the low end of this range puts you comfortably higher than the average of 716, which is where you want to be. Of course, this is assuming that your work experience, GPA, resume and recommendations are also in line with the Sloan averages. Don’t forget that your numbers alone won’t be enough to get you in. Your story, your values and your future goals also need to be a good fit. The “in the running zone”: 700-730. Scoring in this range definitely still gives you a solid chance with adcom, but other aspects of your application (work experience, GPA, resume, recommendations, essays) will need to be very impressive and/or diverse. The “pretty please?” zone: 650-700. If you score in this range, your application is likely going to face some serious extra scrutiny, particularly if you fall on the low end. Your uniqueness factor has to be at least at 9 out of 10 to be considered, particularly if you fall below the average, even more so if you fall outside of the middle 80% range. The RARE exception zone: 600-650. There are going to be very very few exceptions in this range, but not many at all. You need to be a real superstar and your uniqueness factor has to be an 11 out of 10 to be accepted if you fall in this range. MIT Sloan Class of 2017 Profile Source Chart data from MIT Sloan website The post MIT Sloan GMAT Scores appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: Northwestern Kellogg GMAT Scores |
Forget sunny California and Boston. You can’t wait to fill your suitcase with wool socks and long underwear, and head off to the Windy City! Chicago is home to Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, an MBA program focused on general management with a very strong reputation for marketing. With a large study body (close to 500 students per class), Kellogg’s acceptance rate typically hovers around 20%. This rate is on the high side compared to its peers, but by no means will it be easy for you to get in. The bad news: Kellogg proudly boasts that the median GMAT score for its class of 2017 is 724, a whopping 8-point jump from the prior year. This means your score needs to be in the 95th percentile just to be considered average. The good news: Kellogg allows all of its candidates to interview, which gives you the opportunity to use your dazzling personality and dashing good looks to distract the adcom from your less-than-desireable GMAT score. There is also a video essay portion of the Kellogg application, which also shows that the adcom places a significant emphasis on your interpersonal skills. Kellogg GMAT Score Ranges The safe zone: 740-800. Scoring on the low end of this range puts you comfortably higher than the average of 724, which is where you want to be. Of course, this is assuming that your work experience, GPA, resume and recommendations are also in line with the Kellogg averages. Don’t forget that your numbers alone won’t be enough to get you in. Your story, your values and your future goals also need to be a good fit. The “in the running zone”: 700-740. Scoring in this range definitely still gives you a solid chance with adcom, but other aspects of your application (work experience, GPA, resume, recommendations, essays) will need to be very impressive and/or diverse. The “pretty please?” zone: 650-700. If you score in this range, your application is likely going to face some serious extra scrutiny, particularly if you fall on the low end. Your uniqueness factor has to be at least at 9 out of 10 to be considered, particularly if you fall below the average, even more so if you fall outside of the middle 80% range. The RARE exception zone: 600-650. There are going to be very very few exceptions in this range, but not many at all. You need to be a real superstar and your uniqueness factor has to be an 11 out of 10 to be accepted if you fall in this range. Kellogg Class of 2017 Profile Source Chart data from Kellogg website The post Northwestern Kellogg GMAT Scores appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: Berkeley Haas GMAT Scores |
How good are your chances of getting into Berkeley Haas with your GMAT score? Of course, your score isn’t going to be a tell-all. You still need a well-rounded application, with a strong GPA, solid work experience/recommendations, and essays that coherently express your future goals while simultaneously demonstrating that you’d be a good fit. To see if your stats may make the cut, check out Berkeley’s class profile to see if you fall within the middle 80%. Of the top business schools, Haas has the smallest class size, only 246 students in its class of 2017. The small class size means that it is crucial that each person accepted must bring something distinct to the program to create a well-rounded class. It also means that adcom can afford to be very choosy with its acceptances. They get a ton of applications with 740+ scores and so they really look beyond the numbers. When they look beyond the numbers, they are searching ways in which you exemplify their defining principles. Definitely familiarize yourself with the four defining principles and find ways to incorporate them subtly throughout your application. Back to GMAT scores… Haas GMAT Score Ranges The safe zone: 740-800. Scoring on the low end of this range puts you comfortably higher than the average of 724, which is where you want to be. Of course, this is assuming that your work experience, GPA, resume and recommendations are also in line with the Haas averages. Don’t forget that your numbers alone won’t be enough to get you in. Your story, your values and your future goals also need to be a good fit. The “in the running zone”: 700-740. Scoring in this range definitely still gives you a solid chance with adcom, but other aspects of your application (work experience, GPA, resume, recommendations, essays) will need to be very impressive and/or diverse. The “pretty please?” zone: 650-700. If you score in this range, your application is likely going to face some serious extra scrutiny, particularly if you fall on the low end. Your uniqueness factor has to be at least at 9 out of 10 to be considered, particularly if you fall below the average, even more so if you fall outside of the middle 80% range. The RARE exception zone: 600-650. There are going to be very very few exceptions in this range, but not many at all. You need to be a real superstar and your uniqueness factor has to be an 11 out of 10 to be accepted if you fall in this range. The post Berkeley Haas GMAT Scores appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: 4 Tips to Demonstrate Your Future Contributions on your MBA App |
B-schools like to know that their students will enthusiastically join in and support their student bodies and alumni groups, as well as society in general. However, lavish pronouncements and assurances of future humanitarian efforts are generally unconvincing. How can you best show your future potential? In your MBA essays, highlight what you’ve achieved in the past. The majority of adcom members are firm in their belief that historical performance is an excellent indicator of skills and interests, as well as a forecast of the future. The following four tips will help you create essays that convince the adcom readers that you are destined for greatness, and that your history of giving is indicative of a future of generosity and impact. 1. Communicate your past successes and, if possible, quantify their impact. Demonstrating your past contributions will show that you have the managerial and people skills and well as the creativity to be a future influence. For example, if you organized a gala event that was attended by 250 people and that raised $3 million, not to mention awareness of the constant threat of malaria in East Africa, then you’ll definitely want to share this information. 2. Talk about abilities that you’ve acquired that will facilitate future roles. You can prove to the adcoms that you’re ready to contribute by showing that you have the necessary talents and abilities to succeed. Support your claims by demonstrating how you’ve worked to build your skill set, for example by taking extra courses or through on-the-job experience. Scrutinize your successes and failures (if asked for them), to show that you continue to reflect and develop. When asked about disappointments or obstacles, prove how you’ve grown through adversity. Show that you are always developing. 3. Show that you have versatile skills. You’ll need to demonstrate how you can share your abilities with your fellow students, professors or coworkers. Share experiences that demonstrate how your abilities, intellect and beliefs can influence others. Also show that you are flexible and know how to compromise. 4. Discuss how your target school will assist you. You’ve convinced the adcom readers that you have the skill sets that they want, and that you’re prepared to share them. Now you need to strengthen the notion that their school is THE place to launch your future from, that they have the tools to help you achieve your goals, and that you will in turn make them proud. In order to impress the adcom readers, your essay on your impact needs to include each of the above areas – your past achievements, your skill development, how you plan to impart your knowledge and experience to others, and how your target school will help you make a difference in the future. Remember, the past shows a lot about the future, so be sure to communicate what you’ve accomplished and how you’ve gotten to this place. Doing so will demonstrate that you have the skills to make future contributions. The post 4 Tips to Demonstrate Your Future Contributions on your MBA App appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: GMAT Tuesday: Official Guide – Reading Comprehension #99 |
Happy Holidays from Magoosh! Join me this week as we take on another main idea question in reading comprehension. We take a look at question 99 in the Official Guide to the GMAT, 13th edition. I’ll go over strategies for this type of questions and how to spot wrong answer traps. Check out this week’s board: The post GMAT Tuesday: Official Guide – Reading Comprehension #99 appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: GMAT Tuesday: “Must Be True” Math Questions |
The very tricky and very nefarious “must be true” question type can foil the best math minds. Without practice, prep, and a good strategy, you might find yourself wasting a lot of time on these questions. Today I’ll cover a useful strategy for these questions and work through a problem in the Official Guide to the GMAT—question 32. And if you need even more tips, I recommend reading this article on our blog. Here’s this week’s whiteboard. The post GMAT Tuesday: “Must Be True” Math Questions appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: GMAT Tuesday: How Do I Use Semicolons? |
Although not explicitly tested on the GMAT, it’s good to know how these are supposed to used. It’s easy to be thrown off if you come across these and aren’t sure what they mean. A student asked about them, so I want to clear the air and make clear what they mean. And here’s this week’s board! The post GMAT Tuesday: How Do I Use Semicolons? appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: GMAT Tuesday: Sentence Correction – Complex Subject Verb Agreement |
Long sentences are all over the GMAT. The sentence correction section loves to bog students down with modifying phrase, absolutes and appositives, to obfuscate the true meaning of the sentence. In this weeks video, I offer some tips for attacking these long sentences so that you can whittle them down to their core parts so you can correct any subject-verb agreement error. Here’s this week’s board! The post GMAT Tuesday: Sentence Correction – Complex Subject Verb Agreement appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: The Word “However” on the GMAT |
The word “however” is a tricky word with an interesting history. First, a couple practice questions in which this word appears. 1) After the merger of Fastco and Celeriton, the CFO of Fastco has been charged with reporting the earnings of the employees of both companies, and however he choose to do so, he will have to abide by relevant state tax laws. (A) however he choose to do so (B) in order to choose to do so (C) in whatever ways he is choosing to do this (D) by choosing to do this (E) when he chooses to do so 2) Of all the things that Washington could have done in conducting the American Revolution, the war against the British would not have succeeded without French intervention. (A) Of all the things that Washington could have done in conducting the American Revolution (B) Washington might have conducted the American Revolution in a number of ways (C) Besides what Washington did in conducting the American Revolution (D) However Washington may have conducted the American Revolution (E) Washington conducted the American Revolution, however The word “however” Because of an unusual history that I will try to convey, this word has two distinct meanings and can be used in two different ways on the GMAT. I will call these uses “Use #1” and “Use #2.” Use #1 is the original and logical consistent use of the word, and because this use as fallen out of fashion, many students are unfamiliar with this use. Use #2 is a more modern use of the word, originally colloquial, that has gained wide acceptance: this is the meaning that most students recognize. Because Use #2 is much more familiar, I will start with that. Use #2: synonym for “nevertheless” Use #2 expresses contrast. The technical term for this use is a “conjunctive adverb.” Essentially, it is synonym for “nevertheless.” BTW, “however” in Use #2 and the word “nevertheless” are conjunctive adverbs, that is, adverbs that tell us something about the logical relationship of two clauses. Consider these sentences: 3) Climate change causes a gradual warming of the world’s oceans; however, this may result in greater extremes of either hot or cold weather in specific regions. 4) The profits in the American regions of Hampshire Industries rose by 3% in the past year, but the staggering losses in the European and Southeast Asian sectors, however, has put the company at risk. In each sentence, the word “however,” used in Use #2, as a conjunctive adverb, makes even clearer the contrast between the two clauses: their logical relationship is one of contrast. Even though the term “conjunctive adverb” may be new, this is the very widespread and common use of the word “however,” and I believe this use, Use #2, is what you already understand well. Use #1: indefinite adverb This was the original meaning of the word and, as we will see, is the most logical meaning of the word. Nevertheless, this use is unfamiliar to modern readers, especially those unaccustomed to sophisticated writing. This is a longer discussion. We need to understand the nature of indefinites. Let’s start with pronouns. There are four kinds of pronouns: = personal = {I, you, he, she, it, they} = e.g. “I like her but don’t like them.” = demonstrative = {this, that, these, those} = These “demonstrate” something by indicating it. e.g. “This is faster than any of those.” = relative = {who, which, that} = These introduce clause, that is, they “relate” two clauses, e.g. “Here is the book that I recommended.” “Theodore Roosevelt is the President whom I admire the most.” = interrogative = {who, what, which} = These are question words = “Who wrote that book? What is the book’s argument?” Notice that there is a certain overlap between the relative pronouns and the interrogative pronouns. This is a pattern that will continue below. Clauses can also begin with relative adverbs {how, where, when, why} 5) The back of the box tell us how to construct the device. 6) I know why the caged bird sings. All of these words also can be used as interrogative adverbs, words that begin questions. 7) Where can we find a subway station? 8) When was the period of the Crusades in Europe? OK, the relative and interrogative forms of all these words are spelled the same—they just have different uses. All of these words also have an “indefinite” form, which involves sticking the suffix “-ever” on the back of the word. Indefinite pronouns: whoever, whatever Indefinite adjective: whichever Indefinite adverb: whenever, wherever, however Here are two blog articles about the agreement and logic of indefinite pronouns. Think about the difference between “who” and “whoever.” With either the relative or interrogative use of “who,” I have the identity of a particular person in mind. 9) relative = “I know who broke the window.” 10) interrogative = “Who broke the window?” In the first, I know the identity of the specific person. In the second, I want to know the identity of the particular person. Either way, the focus is on one individual in particular. By contrast, when I use the indefinite, I am saying that I don’t know and don’t care, at least at that moment, about the identity of a specific individual, and even with that identification left uncertain, I am going to make my statement. indefinite = “Whoever broke the window will have to pay for its repair.” You see, this sentence is conveying information that remains true irrespective of the identity of the particular individual who broke the window. In general, we use the indefinite form of a word when we want to make a more general statement that doesn’t depend on the particulars. The relative or interrogative use of the adverb “where” refers to a specific location. 11) relative = Henry Morton Stanley confirmed where the Nile has its source. 12) interrogative = Where is the tallest mountain in South America? If knowledge of a specific location doesn’t matter to make our statement, we use the indefinite adverb “wherever.” 13) Wherever you live, you will have to pay taxes. 14) Wherever the Moon is in the sky, we see only the half facing Earth. The relative or interrogative use of the adverb “when” refers to a specific time. 15) relative = When Moby Dick was published, only a few intellectuals recognized its tremendous significance. 16) interrogative = When is Venus visible as the Evening Star? If knowledge of a specific time doesn’t matter to make our statement, we use the indefinite adverb “whenever.” 17) Whenever you travel to San Francisco, it would be a good idea to bring a coat. 18) Whenever it rains, the basement leaks. The relative or interrogative use of the adverb “how” refers to a specific way of doing something. 19) relative = The diagram demonstrates how ancient Near Eastern people understood their world. 20) interrogative = How do you get to Scarborough Fair? If knowledge of a specific way of doing something doesn’t matter to make our statement, we use the indefinite adverb “however.” 21) However you travel into NY City during the morning rush hour, it will not be an easy experience. 22) However this chair is assembled, we have to assemble over a hundred copies of it in the next two hours. You can understand an indefinite by temporarily removing the “-ever” suffix. When we talk about “wherever something happens,” we are talking about a place “where something happens,” but we don’t care about the specific place. When we talk about “whenever something happens,” we are talking about a time “when something happens,” but we don’t care about the specific time. When we talk about “however something happens,” we are talking about “how something happens,” but we don’t care about the specific means by which it happens. This is Use #1 of the word “however,” which fewer than 25% of GMAT takers truly understand. The relationship between the two uses If Use #1 was what the word originally meant, how did Use #2 come about? One common clause, used to express qualification or doubt or contrast, was “however that may be.” 23a) Spiro Agnew ascended to the office of Vice President, the highest office every held by a Greek-American; however that may be, he resigned shamefully, amid charges of corruption and tax evasion. In that sentence, the word “however” is used in Use #1. In colloquial speech, this entire common clause, “however that may be,” was abbreviated to “however.” 23b) Spiro Agnew ascended to the office of Vice President, the highest office every held by a Greek-American; however, he resigned shamefully, amid charges of corruption and tax evasion. In this version, “however” is used in Use #2. In general, Use #2 derived from a kind of abbreviation of the clause “however that may be” and similar clauses; in those original clauses, “however” was used in Use #1. What’s legitimate? Every authority on English grammar agrees that Use #1 is correct. This is unfamiliar to many modern readers, but it is perfectly correct, and appears on the GMAT SC. Use #2 originally evolved as a colloquial mistake, an illogical mistake, but this usage has become so widespread that this is also accepted almost everywhere. In particular, you will see Used #2 on the GMAT SC as well. Both uses of “however” appear on the GMAT SC and can be used correctly by GMAT standards. I will share a minority point of view. In my own opinion, I think Use #1 is the only logical and acceptable use of “however” and that Use #2 is an abhorrent illogical colloquialism that the well-spoken should scrupulously avoid. Admittedly, I am being far more conservative that the GMAT in this position, because the GMAT is fine with both uses. I may be one of the only people on the planet to have this opinion, though if T.S Eliot were alive, I could imagine that he would agree with me. Consider my position for you own writing, but know that GMAT accepts both uses as perfectly correct. Summary If the above article gave you any insights, you may want to look at the two practice questions again before reading the solutions below. Pay attention to how sophisticated writers use the word “however,” and notice any patterns. Practice Problem Explanations 1) The correct response is (A). Choice (A) uses the word “however” in its original Use #1 sense, as an indefinite adverb. The clause it contains is in the subjunctive, which accounts for what may appear to be an irregularity in SVA. Notice the meaning. The CFO most report the earnings. How he reports these earnings is what he gets to choose, but he doesn’t get to choose whether to report the earnings. (B) changes the meaning. The CFO doesn’t have a choice about whether he reports the earnings. (C) is very wordy, and it contains a pronoun mistake: the pronoun “this” cannot have an action as its antecedent. (D) changes the meaning and repeats the pronoun mistake. (E) also changes the meaning. Reporting the earnings is not his choice. How to report the earnings is his choice. The only acceptable answer is (A). 2) Version (A) is clumsy and wordy. We get the idea of Washington‘s choices, but this is a poor colloquial construction that has, at best, a tenuous connection to the rest of the sentence. This is incorrect. Version (B) is correct on its own, but when inserted into the sentence, it creates a run-on with a comma splice. This is incorrect. Version (C) changes the meaning: in the whole sentence, it almost makes Washington’s actions sound detrimental to the American cause! Version (D) conveys the meaning in a grammatical correct form, using Use #1 of the word “however.” This one is promising. Version (E) changes the meaning, insofar as it ignores the issue of Washington’s choices in conducting the war. The only possible answer is (D). The post The Word “However” on the GMAT appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: Doing GMAT Critical Reasoning Quickly |
Many students find GMAT CR challenging. In addition to learning the individual strategies, there is also the challenging of processing these questions efficiently and not allowing each one to develop into a tremendous time sink. How does one increase one’s overall speed on GMAT Critical Reasoning? Critical thinking One reason the GMAT ask Critical Reasoning questions is to test you capacity for critical thinking. Think about the kind of person with an MBA, a person in some kind of responsible management position in the modern business world. Think about what a disastrous job this person would do if he were gullible, believing everything he saw or hear without any doubt! The very best way to lose money in the business world is to believe absolutely everything everyone tells you! Critical thinking is a complex idea with several definitions, but certainly it involves an element of criticism or questioning or skepticism toward any piece of information that comes toward you. You may give more credence to a piece of information directly from a respected source, but your skepticism rises if the source is unclear or unknown. Your default response to any new piece of information is to ask yourself, “Could this be true? Is this reasonable, given everything else I know about this topic?” Critical thinking also involves thinking about motives about different people in different situation. Doctors and policemen, for example, are paid professionals who regularly provide help, so if they ask for something or tell you to do something, it is much more likely to be something in your self-interest. An advertising selling a product has a very particular economic motivation, so what the advertiser says may or may not have anything to do with your self-interest. Get into the habit of thinking about information and people’s motivations every day. Practicing this mindset every day will help you gain speed on the GMAT CR. Advertising I mentioned advertising in the last section. We live in a world in which advertising is omnipresent, and most people passively ignore it. Of course, this is exactly what advertisers want, so that you absorb the message subliminally and it works on you unconsciously. I am going to recommend: for GMAT CR practice, pay attention to advertising. In particular, use critical thinking to analyze ads. Fundamentally, every advertisement is an argument, usually an argument that you should part with your money in some way. Think about all questions that the GMAT asks about CR arguments. How would we strengthen the argument? How would we weaken the argument? What’s the assumption of the argument? What further information would allow us to evaluate the argument? All of these are questions you can ask about any advertisement. The advantage of thinking about ads this way is that you can get GMAT CR practice virtually every moment of your day. Many ads are based primarily on emotional impact and, in fact, have huge logical holes. Seeing through the emotional pizzazz and apprehending the logical flaws is an excellent critical thinking exercise, if you get gain speed at this, again, it will help you do GMAT CR faster as well. Reading A blanket way to improve all GMAT Verbal performance is to develop a habit of reading. Sophisticated news sources will contain arguments. Folks in the business world often have arguments to make and politicians never stop making arguments. Read articles about business and politics and apply the same analysis to every argument you find. Many times, the author of the article also has a subtle and understated argument of his own to make: discerning this argument is a more advanced challenge. This sort of reading is also helpful because it will give you instincts for the priorities of the real world. The real-world feel of the GMAT CR is little appreciated. The GMAT writes CR arguments that reflect the motivations and priorities of folks dealing with real-world situations. Having good instinct for the modern business world is yet another perspective that can help folks move through GMAT CR questions faster. Summary None of these strategies are easy. Then again, none of the habits of excellence are easy, and in fact, anyone who appreciates the full challenge of excellence understands the thorough commitment it entails. If you have further thoughts about what might help folks do the GMAT CR more efficiently, please share your thoughts in the comment section below. The post Doing GMAT Critical Reasoning Quickly appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: MBA Goals: Getting Them Down & Doing it Right |
Writing a clear and convincing MBA goals essay can make the difference between acceptance and rejection when applying to b-school. Having clear goals will help you because:
#1 Build on Past Experiences Consider past job experiences you’ve had. What did you like about the positions you held? What did you dislike? Use this as a springboard to generate more ideas of what you’d appreciate in your future — or, conversely, what you definitely do not want to see in your future work environment. #2 Have a Conversation Find someone in the business world who you admire or view as particularly successful in certain areas of business, and take them out to lunch. Get into the nitty-gritties of the position and find out everything you can about this field. Then do the same thing with people in other fields or positions that you may be considering. This will give you a more global understanding and perspective of the choices out there. #3 Reach Out for Help Getting help from a reliable career counselor can give you the direction, clarity, and answers you need to make a better, more informed decision. Accepted has many experienced advisors we can recommend, so allow us to make the connection. #4 Make a Choice You’ve done a great job narrowing down your options, and now it’s time to make some decisions. Look at a list of possible careers, and see which opportunities fit the criteria you’ve unearthed from the previous steps above. You’ll be surprised to see how much clearer the path becomes once you’ve defined your MBA goals in this manner. Getting your MBA is now more substantial than ever. Read our admissions guide, Why MBA?, for more tips on how to answer this all-important question. Next time you encounter this question on an application or during an interview, you’ll be able to answer with confidence! The post MBA Goals: Getting Them Down & Doing it Right appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: [Webinar] Let’s Talk: Round 3 vs. Next Year |
Are you conflicted about when you should apply to business school? Are you debating between applying Round 3 of this year or Round 1 of next year’s application cycle? Tune in to Accepted’s upcoming webinar, Round 3 vs. Next Year: The MBA Admissions Debate, for expert guidance that will clarify the options and help you find the ideal time to apply, increasing your chances of acceptances. Listen as Linda Abraham introduces several applicants (fictional) with different profiles and backgrounds and shares advice that she would give candidates such as these. These snapshots will give you an opportunity to see how different elements influence this mega-decision. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at 10 AM PST/1 PM EST. Reserve your spot by registering for free now! The post [Webinar] Let’s Talk: Round 3 vs. Next Year appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: [Webinar] Secrets to a Smooth MBA Financial Journey |
Paying for b-school isn’t easy, even with financial aid and scholarships. And if you don’t have a plan, you may end up with some serious financial problems (including not being able to attend b-school, attending b-school but not being able to EAT, or ending up with more debt than you can handle). Our friends over at Accepted will be hosting a webinar, Paying for your MBA: Before, During & After, (presented by Prodigy Finance’s Zack Hirschfeld) that will cover: • Organizing your finances before school starts • Creating your MBA budget • Understanding loan repayments …and more! Date: Wednesday, February 3rd Time: 10:00 AM PST/1:00 PM EST Get organized. Save money. Embark on your MBA journey with financial confidence. Reserve your spot for Paying for your MBA: Before, During & After now (link will bring you to Accepted’s registration page)! The post [Webinar] Secrets to a Smooth MBA Financial Journey appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: GMAT Tuesday: GMAT OG Reading Comprehension #100 |
Happy Tuesday! 😀 This week we tackle an inference question from the Official Guide for GMAT. We already looked at the first question associated with this passage, which you can watch here. And here’s this week’s board! The post GMAT Tuesday: GMAT OG Reading Comprehension #100 appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: MBA Interview Perfection is Now Within Reach! |
While there’s no way to know exactly which questions will be thrown your way during an MBA interview, years and years of experience have shown the experts over at Accepted what you can expect. In Perfect Answers to MBA Interview Questions, a free Accepted admissions guide, you’ll get detailed advice on how to answer the most common MBA interview questions. The guide will walk you through a typical MBA interview, question by question, highlighting important do’s and don’ts to help you answer each one in the most impressive way possible. Practice makes perfect – we all know this! – and if you want to nail your MBA interview, you’ll need to throw in some serious prep time. Do it right with your free copy of Perfect Answers to MBA Interview Questions. Don’t answer the common questions in a common way! The post MBA Interview Perfection is Now Within Reach! appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
FROM Magoosh Blog: GMAT Tuesday: Common AWA Flaws – Inappropriate Comparisons |
Today, we take on argument flaws! The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) for the GMAT presents you with an argument that contains multiple flaws. There are a handful of argument flaws that appear in these arguments time and time again. Knowing these common flaws, how to identify them, and what to do when you see them will help you to move through the writing assessment with ease. In this video, we’ll be looking at inappropriate comparisons. In the video, we look at an example prompt, which you can find in the PDF of sample prompts on the mba.com website. Here’s a link to the page where you can download the example prompts. The post GMAT Tuesday: Common AWA Flaws – Inappropriate Comparisons appeared first on Magoosh GMAT Blog. |
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