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Updated on: 18 May 2009, 16:34
Originally posted by meesawoosa on 18 May 2009, 14:23.
Last edited by meesawoosa on 18 May 2009, 16:34, edited 1 time in total.
Last edited by meesawoosa on 18 May 2009, 16:34, edited 1 time in total.
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Hi everyone,
I just took the GMAT this morning and came away with a 730 - it's a solid score, and I'm really happy about my improvement, but it's HEAVILY skewed to verbal. (i.e. Q44 - 70th percentile; V47 - 99th percentile).
I wouldn't worry, except that I'm only applying to one business school - a top 5 business school where I've already been accepted to their law program. I want a JD/MBA, and I'm planning on applying to the bschool during my first year of law school.
Considering the selectivity of the business school, the fact that I have a mainly humanities educ. background and the fact that my work experience was in a less quantitative sector, do you think i should retake and try to get a higher quant score? I've heard that scoring below 80th percentile in quant can be "a kiss of death" for applicants to top b-schools...
That said, in my practice tests, my Quant scores ranged from 43-50. I'm pretty inconsistent, it seems, with quant, and I'm not sure whether retaking would necessarily help me, esp. since I might get a lower verbal score.
Thank you for your help.
As for the debrief of my test prep and taking experience:
I took my first practice test at a free practice test event held through Kaplan. I scored a 590, again much higher in verbal than in quant. I wasn't perfect in verbal, however, despite my having already taken the LSAT and scoring above the 95th percentile on it.
I studied using Princeton Review's Cracking the GMAT book. I thought some of the techniques/shortcuts were very helpful, especially on saving time in Quant, where I always felt/feel rushed, and the practice test/practice bins of questions in the book were great. Also, they have 2 complete practice tests that are online and computer adaptive, which was helpful.
In addition, I bought the official guide to GMAT Quant review from mba.com. This definitely helped me practice different types of questions and hone my math skills. I also took the free practice test on the free GMAT prep software available on mba.com.
I studied over a period of 8 weeks, but I was working full-time, so keeping to a steady/strict study schedule was difficult. My practice test scores were as follows:
590
750 (3 weeks later) - Q51, V43 --- I was shocked. I got very lucky on the quant portion here.
700 (1 week later) - Q43, V44
770 (2 weeks later) - Q49, V47
710 (1 week later) - Q43, V46
ACTUAL: 730 - Q44, V47
The actual test: AWA essays were easy. I finished both with a few minutes to spare to proofread/edit. Quant was difficult - I could tell. I hadn't studied number properties sufficiently, and I felt rushed for time. I had only 6 minutes left for the last 7 or so questions, and I had to guess on the last few. Verbal was easy easy easy. I always finish with about 30 minutes to spare on verbal, so I left the test site early.
If anyone has other questions, I'd be happy to try to help.
*edit*
To prep for verbal, I didn't need to do very much. I come from a very humanities oriented background, so most of college I was doing analytical reading/writing already. On top of that, like I said, I had already taken the LSAT and done very well on it - most of the GMAT verbal prep I did was just reviewing old LSAT materials.
For the LSAT (which I took back in June of 2007), I took a Princeton Review course and purchased several old LSAT's from LSAC online. I did a ton of practice questions in reading comprehension/logical reasoning, which def. helped these past few weeks on the GMAT's verbal section. For people wondering how to improve verbal scores who have already exhausted other GMAT prep materials, I would recommend buying some LSAT prep materials - I personally liked Princeton Review, though others swear by Testmasters. Logical reasoning and reading comp on LSAT vs. GMAT are pretty much identical.
For sentence correction, again, I had an edge considering I've been writing papers and editing papers for other students at my school for several years and I'm a bit of a grammar nut. Also, it was identical to what I had studied for the PSAT's waaaaaay back when in sophomore year of high school. I had forgotten a LOT of stuff, naturally, but the basic rules about misplaced modifiers, subject-verb agreement, and parallelisms came back really fast.
Other than this, actual GMAT-focused verbal prep I did was limited to what was available in the Princeton Review "Cracking the GMAT" book that I bought at Borders. Again - just a few practice questions and then the GMAT practice tests.
I just took the GMAT this morning and came away with a 730 - it's a solid score, and I'm really happy about my improvement, but it's HEAVILY skewed to verbal. (i.e. Q44 - 70th percentile; V47 - 99th percentile).
I wouldn't worry, except that I'm only applying to one business school - a top 5 business school where I've already been accepted to their law program. I want a JD/MBA, and I'm planning on applying to the bschool during my first year of law school.
Considering the selectivity of the business school, the fact that I have a mainly humanities educ. background and the fact that my work experience was in a less quantitative sector, do you think i should retake and try to get a higher quant score? I've heard that scoring below 80th percentile in quant can be "a kiss of death" for applicants to top b-schools...
That said, in my practice tests, my Quant scores ranged from 43-50. I'm pretty inconsistent, it seems, with quant, and I'm not sure whether retaking would necessarily help me, esp. since I might get a lower verbal score.
Thank you for your help.
As for the debrief of my test prep and taking experience:
I took my first practice test at a free practice test event held through Kaplan. I scored a 590, again much higher in verbal than in quant. I wasn't perfect in verbal, however, despite my having already taken the LSAT and scoring above the 95th percentile on it.
I studied using Princeton Review's Cracking the GMAT book. I thought some of the techniques/shortcuts were very helpful, especially on saving time in Quant, where I always felt/feel rushed, and the practice test/practice bins of questions in the book were great. Also, they have 2 complete practice tests that are online and computer adaptive, which was helpful.
In addition, I bought the official guide to GMAT Quant review from mba.com. This definitely helped me practice different types of questions and hone my math skills. I also took the free practice test on the free GMAT prep software available on mba.com.
I studied over a period of 8 weeks, but I was working full-time, so keeping to a steady/strict study schedule was difficult. My practice test scores were as follows:
590
750 (3 weeks later) - Q51, V43 --- I was shocked. I got very lucky on the quant portion here.
700 (1 week later) - Q43, V44
770 (2 weeks later) - Q49, V47
710 (1 week later) - Q43, V46
ACTUAL: 730 - Q44, V47
The actual test: AWA essays were easy. I finished both with a few minutes to spare to proofread/edit. Quant was difficult - I could tell. I hadn't studied number properties sufficiently, and I felt rushed for time. I had only 6 minutes left for the last 7 or so questions, and I had to guess on the last few. Verbal was easy easy easy. I always finish with about 30 minutes to spare on verbal, so I left the test site early.
If anyone has other questions, I'd be happy to try to help.
*edit*
To prep for verbal, I didn't need to do very much. I come from a very humanities oriented background, so most of college I was doing analytical reading/writing already. On top of that, like I said, I had already taken the LSAT and done very well on it - most of the GMAT verbal prep I did was just reviewing old LSAT materials.
For the LSAT (which I took back in June of 2007), I took a Princeton Review course and purchased several old LSAT's from LSAC online. I did a ton of practice questions in reading comprehension/logical reasoning, which def. helped these past few weeks on the GMAT's verbal section. For people wondering how to improve verbal scores who have already exhausted other GMAT prep materials, I would recommend buying some LSAT prep materials - I personally liked Princeton Review, though others swear by Testmasters. Logical reasoning and reading comp on LSAT vs. GMAT are pretty much identical.
For sentence correction, again, I had an edge considering I've been writing papers and editing papers for other students at my school for several years and I'm a bit of a grammar nut. Also, it was identical to what I had studied for the PSAT's waaaaaay back when in sophomore year of high school. I had forgotten a LOT of stuff, naturally, but the basic rules about misplaced modifiers, subject-verb agreement, and parallelisms came back really fast.
Other than this, actual GMAT-focused verbal prep I did was limited to what was available in the Princeton Review "Cracking the GMAT" book that I bought at Borders. Again - just a few practice questions and then the GMAT practice tests.
WOW 47 on Verbal - you are one of a few very rare people I have seen here to get 47 on verbal - very few. You finished 30 minutes early on Verbal? is there a small statue of you for sale I can buy anywhere?
Very impressive stats!
I should probably ask about the schools you are targeting and what concentration, but with so many MBA programs being quant-heavy, you probably want to improve your math - that would be my suggestion. You can get some harder math books - I heard Jeff Sackman's GMAT bible recommended and also GMAT Club Tests - they are both for 750+ target test takers. This would compensate for your Law School "advantage" as the Bschool admissions may think you just coasted the GMAT.
Another approach would be to check with the bschool, esp if you are a current law student - they should be able to give you a quick "profile" review and advise if it makes sense to retake - it may be good enough for them.
If you do need to improve, you should be able to improve enough to get into the 750+ territory in a month. (you can only schedule tests every 31 days)
What are the practice test scores you listed? Is that Princeton? GMAT prep?
Very impressive stats!
I should probably ask about the schools you are targeting and what concentration, but with so many MBA programs being quant-heavy, you probably want to improve your math - that would be my suggestion. You can get some harder math books - I heard Jeff Sackman's GMAT bible recommended and also GMAT Club Tests - they are both for 750+ target test takers. This would compensate for your Law School "advantage" as the Bschool admissions may think you just coasted the GMAT.
Another approach would be to check with the bschool, esp if you are a current law student - they should be able to give you a quick "profile" review and advise if it makes sense to retake - it may be good enough for them.
If you do need to improve, you should be able to improve enough to get into the 750+ territory in a month. (you can only schedule tests every 31 days)
What are the practice test scores you listed? Is that Princeton? GMAT prep?
I would just bask in the happiness of verbal score and not worry about quant. But I guess bb is right ... try the 
) Nice score.... 
