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15 Sep 2016, 13:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: What’s Going on With the ACT Essay: A Synopsis of Recent Issues with ACT Essay Scoring |
 In September of 2015, changes were made to the essay on the ACT. The essay now has a new system of scoring. In addition, students are asked to approach the essay in a different way than in previous years. There have been some issues that have come up as a result of these changes. Learn the specifics about some of the changes relating to the ACT essay: Differences Between the Old ACT Essay and the New ACT Essay On the old ACT essay, students were given a prompt and asked to take a stand on a particular issue. The new version of the essay gives students a prompt that outlines an issue and offers three perspectives on it. Students must analyze the issue as well as offer their own perspective on it. In addition, they are asked to describe the relationship between their perspective and the ones offered. Students are given 40 minutes to finish the essay, whereas they were given just 30 minutes on the previous version of the test. As a note, a student’s essay score is not affected by the stance they take on the given issue. The Old ACT Essay Scoring System vs. the Current System On the old ACT, students could score from two to 12 points on the essay. A student’s essay was read by two graders – each of these graders gave an essay a score ranging from one to six. The two scores were combined to determine the total amount of points. Today, students can score from one to 36 points on the new ACT essay. Graders evaluate several aspects of an essay, including its organization, language use, development, support, ideas, and analysis. This new scoring system is designed to reveal more information about a student’s specific writing skills. What Sorts of Issues Are Occurring With the New Essay Scoring System on the ACT? One of the recent issues with the new ACT essay scoring system involves students reporting unexpectedly low scores on the essay. Some students are performing well on every other part of the ACT but are getting a low score on the essay, and teachers and school counselors who know the capabilities of their students are questioning these low essay scores. This issue is prompting some students to request that their essay be re-scored. Another issue with the ACT essay has had to do with timing. Some students who took the ACT in September of 2015 applied to college via early decision or early action. Generally, the deadline for early decision applications is in November and the deadline for early action applications is usually in November or early December. In some cases, ACT essay scores were delayed, making students wonder if their application would still be eligible for early decision or early action. What Options Do Students Have Regarding Their Essay Score? Students who don’t agree with their ACT essay score can request to have their essay re-scored. They must make this request in writing within three months of getting their score. There is a fee of $50 to have an essay hand-scored. It takes up to five weeks to get the hand-scoring results. If an error is found, the updated scores are sent out to the student as well as others who received the original scores. Also, a student’s re-scoring fee is refunded. Tips for Writing an Effective ACT Essay One of the most effective ways students can prep for this section of the ACT is to write a practice essay. It’s a good idea for a student to time the essay-writing process so they will be able to finish in the allotted 40 minutes. Many students look at high-scoring essays to see what they need to include in order to earn an impressive ACT essay score. Our ACT courses at Veritas Prep are designed to help students tackle the essay as well as every other section on the test. Each of our talented instructors scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT. This means that Veritas Prep students are learning test-taking strategies from the experts! Students can take ACT prep classes from Veritas Prep either online or in person. We give you the tools to showcase your talents on the ACT! Still need to take the ACT? We run a free online ACT prep seminarevery few weeks. And be sure to find us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter! The post What’s Going on With the ACT Essay: A Synopsis of Recent Issues with ACT Essay Scoring appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
15 Sep 2016, 18:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: How to Write an Effective Argument Essay for the GRE |
 The Graduate Record Examination, or GRE, has three sections. One of those sections measures a student’s analytical writing skills. For this section, students are required to write both an issue essay and an argument essay. GRE graders look closely at the evidence included in a student’s argument essay as well as the organization of all of the various components. Learn what an argument essay is and get some tips on how to write an outstanding one for the GRE. What Is the GRE Argument Essay? The argument essay on the GRE requires students to evaluate an argument put forth by an author. A student’s job is to examine the author’s reasoning and evidence as well as the overall organization of the argument. Ultimately, a student must decide whether the author’s argument is logical. If a student decides that the author’s argument is illogical, then they must give specific reasons to support that analysis. For example, a student may point out unanswered questions or faulty pieces of evidence in the argument. Alternatively, if a student decides that an author’s argument is logical, then they must offer evidence supporting that analysis. When writing this essay, students should not reveal whether they agree or disagree with the author’s argument. Furthermore, students should not share their views on the subject being discussed. The purpose of this essay is to reveal a student’s skills in analyzing and evaluating an argument. Tips for Writing GRE Argument Essays There are many useful tips that can help students write an excellent argument essay. GRE test-takers may want to begin by jotting down notes on a scrap piece of paper as they read the author’s argument. The few minutes that a student dedicates to taking these notes can ensure that they include all of the important points in the final essay. Students should always read the instructions paired with each GRE argument task before starting to write. Not every argument essay has the same set of instructions – for example, some instructions require students to focus on an author’s assumptions, while others ask that students focus on unanswered questions in the argument. These are just two examples out of many types of instructions given to students tackling the GRE argument essay. It’s also a wise idea for a student to draft an outline for the essay before beginning to write it. Following an outline can increase the clarity and organization of an argument essay. Our GRE courses at Veritas Prep provide students with the tools and strategies they need to craft a notable argument essay. Our instructors have taken and mastered the GRE, enabling them to pass on valuable tips to students. We offer several tutoring options, including online and in-person instruction, to make GRE preparation as convenient as possible for our busy students.` Preparing for the Argument Essay Most students want to do everything they can to write a clear, organized argument essay. GRE prep should include essay-writing practice. Students can write a practice argument essay, then dissect it sentence by sentence to make sure it contains all of the necessary elements. As a note, the GRE gives students 30 minutes to write an argument essay, so it’s a good idea for students to time themselves when they complete their practice essays. That way, they know how much time they can spend on making notes, drafting an outline, and writing the essay. It’s also helpful for students to study essays that received a high score on the GRE. An outstanding argument essay contains vocabulary words that add to the clarity of the writing. Students can expand their supply of vocabulary words by reading online articles, newspapers, and magazines. They may want to jot down some words commonly used in these publications. Flashcards are helpful study tools for students who are learning unfamiliar words and their definitions. Our instructors can teach students how to write a GRE argument essay. We offer practical advice and guidance that students can use as they move through the steps of writing a convincing essay. Also, our instructors give valuable encouragement to students to help them have a confident mindset on test day. Contact Veritas Prep today and let us help you boost your essay-writing skills! Want to jump-start your GRE preparation? Register to attend one of our upcoming free online GRE Strategy Sessions or check out our variety of GRE Course and Private Tutoring options. And as always, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter! The post How to Write an Effective Argument Essay for the GRE appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
16 Sep 2016, 19:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Applying to Business School as an Entrepreneur |
 For the vast majority of business school applicants, pursuing an MBA is primarily about the opportunity to secure employment at their dream corporations. If you are one of the the ambitious few who are interested in entrepreneurship, your MBA dreams may align with incubating your own venture and forgoing the sanctity and security of the more traditional post-MBA career paths. Applying to business school as an entrepreneur sets up a very specific set of considerations applicants should be aware of, however. Let’s discuss a few things that should be considered before applying to MBA programs as an entrepreneur: Chances of Success: How confident are you in the viability of your concept/business? Applying to business school as an entrepreneur is very risky from an application perspective. The Admissions Committee will surely scrutinize your plan and its potential for success, so it is important you have run a similar “stress test” on your concept or business. Generally, business schools want to make sure their students are employed after graduation – an MBA who is not placed at a job at graduation (or 3 months after) can not only bring down the statistics of the school’s post-graduation employment report, but it can also cause that graduate to be an unhappy alumnus, which can lead to a negative perception of their MBA experience. As such, it will be best to make sure your entrepreneurial ambitions are clearly achievable, to both yourself and to the Admissions Committee. Back-up Plan: A high percentage of startup businesses fail. Do you have a contingency plan if your concept fails or if you just decide entrepreneurship is not for you? Schools will be looking to know that you have thought through all of the permutations and combinations of your decision. This can commonly manifest itself as an application question, essay prompt or an interview question, so have an answer ready that is well-thought-out and aligns with your past experiences. Program Support: Are you targeting MBA programs that have a track record of supporting entrepreneurship? The more your school is receptive to the challenges of the entrepreneurial lifestyle, the more well-received your application will be. Don’t think this makes your chances of admission much higher, as these schools are also looking to weed out those less committed to their goals. Also, some programs support entrepreneurs as alumni through funding and loan forgiveness, which could be advantageous during those lean early years of launching your business, and will be handy to keep in mind as you compile your list of target schools. Timeline: Does your timeline for diving into entrepreneurship make sense? Often, applicants will identify entrepreneurship as their short-term post-MBA goal. However, if the road map to starting your business appears a bit murky, shifting this short-term goal to the long-term may help make a better case for your profile. The Admissions Committee tends to be a bit more forgiving with long-term goals, given that so many things can happen before reaching them, but with short-term goals, the expectation is these should be highly achievable. Applying to business school as an entrepreneur can be challenging, but can also represent a tremendous opportunity to pursue your dreams. Consider the above factors before you start your own application process. Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or take our free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation for personalized advice for your unique application situation! As always, be sure to find us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter. Dozie A. is a Veritas Prep Head Consultant for the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. His specialties include consulting, marketing, and low GPA/GMAT applicants. You can read more articles by him here. The post Applying to Business School as an Entrepreneur appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
19 Sep 2016, 19:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Evaluating “Useful to Evaluate” Critical Reasoning Questions – Part II |
 Last week we looked at how to handle “useful to evaluate” questions in the Verbal section, and we left you with a tricky “useful to evaluate except” question. Let’s take a look at that problem today. “Except” questions are usually more difficult to deal with since we need to find four “correct” options (which we are not as used to). So, let’s take a look at this question: Following several years of declining advertising sales, the Greenville Times reorganized its advertising sales force two years ago. Before the reorganization, the sales force was organised geographically, with some sales representatives concentrating on city center businesses and others concentrating on different outlying regions. The reorganization attempted to increase the sales representatives’ knowledge of clients’ businesses by having each sales representative deal with only one type of industry or of retailing. After the reorganization, advertising sales increased. In assessing whether the improvement in advertising sales can properly be attributed to the reorganization, it would be helpful to find out each of the following EXCEPT: (A) Two years ago, what proportion of the Greenville Times’ total revenue was generated by advertising sales? (B) Has the circulation of the Greenville Times increased substantially in the last two years? (C) Has there been a substantial turnover in personnel in the advertising sales force over the last two years? (D) Before the reorganization, had sales representatives found it difficult to keep up with relevant developments in all types of businesses to which they are assigned? (E) Has the economy in Greenville and the surrounding regions been growing rapidly over the last two years? Let’s first break down what the argument says:
(A) Two years ago, what proportion of the Greenville Times’ total revenue was generated by the advertising sales? The proportion of advertising sales as a part of the total revenue is immaterial to us – we only need to evaluate why the advertising sales have increased. It is possible that the revenue from other sources has increased much more than the revenue from advertising sales, and hence, advertising sales could be a smaller proportion of the overall revenue now, however this doesn’t matter at all. This option has nothing to do with the increase in advertising sales, and hence, is the correct answer. Let’s take a look at all the other options too, just to be safe: (B) Has the circulation of the Greenville Times increased substantially in the last two years? This answer choice can be evaluated in two ways:
(C) Has there been a substantial turnover in personnel in the advertising sales force over the last two years? Again, the answer choice can be evaluated in two ways:
(D) Before the reorganization, had sales representatives found it difficult to keep up with relevant developments in all types of businesses to which they are assigned? This option can also be evaluated in two ways:
(E) Has the economy in Greenville and the surrounding regions been growing rapidly over the last two years? Answer choice E can also be evaluated in two ways:
We see that B, C, D and E are all useful in evaluating the argument. Therefore, our answer is A. We hope you will find it easier to handle such questions in the future! Getting ready to take the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+, and Twitter! Karishma, a Computer Engineer with a keen interest in alternative Mathematical approaches, has mentored students in the continents of Asia, Europe and North America. She teaches the GMAT for Veritas Prep and regularly participates in content development projects such as this blog! The post Evaluating “Useful to Evaluate” Critical Reasoning Questions – Part II appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
20 Sep 2016, 18:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Why It’s Hard to Be a Poet in Business School |
 Once MBA classes start, they move very quickly, and although you’ll want to spend a lot of time outside of class trying to understand the new concepts you are learning, you won’t have much time. For someone who doesn’t have a strong quantitative background, taking statistics, accounting, and economics at the same time can be quite challenging. If you’ve never seen a financial statement or learned how to do derivatives, you might want to consider doing some work before you get to campus. Take a look at what classes you’ll need to take over the course of your MBA program. These will likely be similar across programs, so you can figure out which classes will be most helpful for you to take at your local community college, extension program, or online before school begins. If you’ve never taken economics, pick up a book about demand curves and learn how businesses determine how much of a product to sell. If you haven’t taken a math class since your freshman year of college, take at least one before you get to campus. With a basic understanding of statistics, accounting, and economics, you’ll be much more successful during your first year of school, and you’ll also be a great resource to your classmates who might be struggling a bit more than you. Recommended classes to take are business statistics, financial accounting, and microeconomics, but if you only find “accounting” or “statistics” courses, those will still be quite helpful. Taking on extra quant-based coursework might seem like a daunting task while you’re working full time, studying for the GMAT, and writing essays for your business school applications, but it is definitely worthwhile – just think, you’ll be this busy if not busier in business school, so you might as well start now and learn how to manage your time. Those quant classes will also help you prep for the GMAT, so it’s really a win-win. When you’re feeling overwhelmed during your first few weeks of school, just remember that you’re not alone. There will be a lot of people in your class who come from a humanities background, and you will still have a lot to offer your classmates, even if it is not through your accounting or statistics expertise. Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or take our free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation for personalized advice for your unique application situation! As always, be sure to find us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter. Colleen Hill studied Middle Eastern and North African Studies at UCLA before heading to Michigan’s Ross School of Business to pursue international development consulting in Africa. She’s very happy she took accounting and statistics in the year before she moved to Ann Arbor. The post Why It’s Hard to Be a Poet in Business School appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
21 Sep 2016, 18:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Success by Numbers: Statistics Tutoring |
 Whether you’re studying for the AP statistics exam or taking an AP course in statistics, a statistics tutor can be very helpful. A good tutor can make this challenging subject more accessible to you. Naturally, when you sign up to work with a tutor, you want to benefit from each and every session. When you come prepared and pick a qualified tutor, it’s much easier to make the most of your time spent with a tutor for statistics. Bring a List of Questions As you study for an Advanced Placement course or prepare to take the AP statistics test, you’re likely to encounter questions about the reading material. One of the best things about having a tutor in statistics is you can ask a lot of questions and get satisfactory answers, so bring a list of questions to each tutoring session to get the answers you need to progress in your studies. Sometimes asking a pointed question about a lesson or a chapter in a statistics textbook can open the doors to a new understanding of a topic. Complete Practice Problems Each Session You can memorize facts about statistics, but you need to know how to apply that information on a test or a homework assignment. During a statistics tutoring session, you can get all of the practice you need under the guidance of an expert instructor. As you complete statistics problems and exercises, you can get tips from your tutor on how to solve these problems more efficiently. This individual attention can prepare you for tackling many forms of statistics problems. Get Note-Taking Tips If you are getting tutoring to help you perform better in a course, you may want to garner some note-taking tips from your instructor. An experienced tutor can show you how to take class notes while paying close attention to the lecturer. Also, your tutor can help you to filter out incidental information and take down facts that may appear on a test. Your tutor may even be able to offer some shortcuts that can reduce the amount of time you spend reading textbook chapters. In short, your tutor can offer you tips that will prove helpful to you later on when it’s time to review. Learn Test-Taking Strategies Learning test-taking strategies from your tutor can help you to perform better in a statistics class or on the AP statistics test. At Veritas Prep, our statistics tutors can provide you with valuable strategies that you can use on a test. For example, a tutor can guide you on how to spot answer options on a multiple-choice test that are obviously incorrect. Crossing these answer options out can make any problem appear more manageable. Also, your tutor can show you how to pinpoint the most important parts of a statistics question. This can be especially helpful if the question includes lots of details. Often, the strategies you learn during a tutoring session can help you to feel more confident in your test-taking abilities. Ask for Practical Tips Tutors for statistics who have taken the AP statistics test or completed an AP statistics course can offer tips that they learned along the way. For instance, an experienced tutor may advise you to look over all of the questions on a statistics test before starting work on the ones that you feel most comfortable with. This can give you confidence as you move on to more challenging questions. Another example of a practical tip provided by a tutor is to write out all of the steps leading to your answer. This allows you to look back at your work to see where you went wrong if the answer you arrived at is not included in the options given. It’s no coincidence that our skillful tutors are experts in the subjects they teach. This means that when you receive tutoring for statistics from us, you’re learning from someone who thoroughly understands this discipline. You’re sure to benefit in a big way when you sign up for statistics tutoring sessions with a Veritas Prep instructor. We make getting help easy by offering you a variety of tutoring options, including online instruction. Call us or send an email to learn how to partner with a professional statistics tutor today! The post Success by Numbers: Statistics Tutoring appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
22 Sep 2016, 12:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: GRE Physics Prep Solutions and Study Guide |
 The GRE physics subject test is for students who plan to study this subject in graduate school. The results of this test can help graduate school officials determine a student’s course of study in the area of physics. GRE prep is necessary when students want to showcase their full range of knowledge on this subject. Look at the material on the GRE physics test and find out how to prep for it. What Is On the GRE Physics Test? The GRE physics subject test has 100 questions. Each of those questions has five answer options to choose from. Students encounter many different topics on the exam. Questions on classical mechanics make up 20 percent of the test – dynamics of systems of particles, three-dimensional particle dynamics, Newton’s laws, and kinematics are just a few of the topics that relate to classical mechanics. Other topics on the physics test include electromagnetism, optics and wave phenomena, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, atomic physics, special relativity, and laboratory methods. Nine percent of the test is devoted to specialized topics such as nuclear and particle physics, condensed matter, astrophysics, and computer applications. Math on the GRE Physics Test As a student studies for the test in physics, GRE prep should include a review of mathematical methods used in physics. Some of the questions on the test require students to know how to apply these methods. Coordinate systems, partial differential equations, boundary value problems, and multivariate calculus are a few examples of math topics that students should be familiar with for the test. The Scoring System for the Physics Test Before starting to follow any physics GRE study guide, students must be familiar with the scoring system for the test, as it is different from the system for the general GRE. Students can score between 200 and 990 points on the GRE physics test – the test is scored in ten-point increments. A score report displays a student’s test score as well as the person’s percentile ranking. Students’ scores are valid for five years from the year they take the test. GRE Physics Preparation Tips For students taking the GRE, physics preparation should begin with a practice test. The results of the practice test will give students an indication of what skills they need to work on. Plus, taking a timed practice test allows students to set a reasonable pace that allows them to finish the entire test in the allotted 170 minutes. It’s also a good idea for students to review the material they learned in physics courses in undergraduate school. This includes textbooks, course notes, and assignments. As students move through a physics GRE study guide, they should remember that test questions are based on material learned in undergraduate physics classes. Students who set aside several months for GRE physics preparation are giving themselves an advantage – they are able to study in a way that allows them to fully absorb the necessary material. Achieving Success on the GRE Physics Test Students gain an advantage on the GRE physics test when they tackle the easiest questions first. This helps to build their confidence as they go back to work on the more puzzling test questions. Plus, this tactic prevents students from wasting a lot of valuable time on a single challenging problem. Eliminating answers that are obviously wrong is another simple thing students can do as they work through the test. Narrowing the number of answer choices makes the process of finding the correct option a little bit easier. Working out problems on a piece of scratch paper can also be helpful to students as they move through the physics test. Sometimes, the correct answer seems more apparent when a student sees all of the work in front of them. At Veritas Prep, we provide effective GRE tutoring services. Students have the opportunity to work with tutors who have achieved great success on the GRE. Consequently, students can get the inside track on what they need to know about the test. We help students who are looking for physics GRE solutions! We are also experts at preparing students for the GRE via our online and in-person courses, and we teach students strategies that they can use on every test question. For students who are studying physics, GRE solutions are readily available at Veritas Prep! Want to jump-start your GRE preparation? Register to attend one of our upcoming free online GRE Strategy Sessions or check out our variety of GRE Course and Private Tutoring options. And as always, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter! The post GRE Physics Prep Solutions and Study Guide appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
23 Sep 2016, 13:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Kickstart Your GMAT Prep: How to Start Preparing for the GMAT |
 Anyone who has ever applied to business school knows that there are several requirements to fulfill. One of those requirements is to submit a GMAT score. Naturally, you want to do your best on the GMAT to increase your chances of getting into a preferred business school, but where should you begin? Consider some tips on how to start preparing for GMAT questions: Increase the Amount of Reading You Do You may wonder how to start preparation for GMAT questions in the Verbal section. As someone who wants to pursue an MBA, you probably read finance-related materials such as newspapers and magazines – you may even be part of an online organization that gives you the latest financial news. Increasing the amount of reading you do can help you prep for Reading Comprehension questions on the exam. By reading a variety of finance-related materials, you expose yourself to vocabulary words that may appear on the test. Also, reading financial articles and books can get you thinking like a business executive, which is the mindset you should have as you sit down to take the exam. Absorbing the information contained in finance-related materials can contribute to your performance on the GMAT, as well as serve you in your future career. Complete Practice Questions for the GMAT When thinking about how to start preparing for GMAT questions, you should certainly put a practice test on your to-do list. A practice GMAT serves you in several ways – for one, you’ll become familiar with the types of questions you’ll encounter on test day. Secondly, you’ll get an idea of how quickly you have to work in order to finish each section of the test before your time is up. In addition, you can use the results of your practice test to create a study schedule that allows you to dedicate the largest amount of time to your weakest subjects. A free GMAT practice exam is available to you from Veritas Prep. We provide you with a performance analysis as well as a score report so you know what you have mastered and what needs a little work. Once you dive into your studies, it’s a good idea to take follow-up practice tests to gauge your progress. Create and Follow a Study Schedule Anyone who is wondering how to start their GMAT preparation must recognize the importance of a study schedule. As with most other exams, gradual study is the best path to success on the GMAT. You may want to study for two or three hours, five or even seven days per week. The appearance of your study schedule is going to reflect the results of your practice tests. For example, say you need to sharpen your geometry and algebra skills. You may create a schedule that dedicates an hour to geometry on Tuesdays and Thursdays and an hour to algebra on Mondays and Wednesdays. If you find that you need to improve your Reading Comprehension skills, then you may carve out time on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to work on that. Creating a varied study schedule is an effective way to stay organized and keep up with your study goals. Learn Strategies to Master the Exam As you learn how to start your GMAT preparation, it may surprise you to discover that memorizing facts and word definitions is not the key to mastering this exam. You have to take the right approach to the GMAT by thinking like the people who created the test. You have to know how to apply the knowledge that you possess. Our curriculum shows you what you need to do to successfully navigate your way through the questions on the GMAT. Our instructors teach you how to avoid jumping to the seemingly obvious answer and falling into traps set by the creators of the test. We have several instructional options that allow you to choose the most convenient way to start preparing for GMAT questions. We hire instructors who have teaching experience and practical experience with the GMAT. You’ll be learning from professional instructors whose scores on the GMAT put them in the 99th percentile. If you’ve been wondering how to start preparation for GMAT questions, Veritas Prep can help. Get in touch with our offices today and begin your journey to success on the GMAT! Getting ready to take the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+, and Twitter! The post Kickstart Your GMAT Prep: How to Start Preparing for the GMAT appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
23 Sep 2016, 19:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Which Type of Business Degree is Right for You? |
 Some students who apply to business school know exactly what type of degree they want to earn. Others know they want to pursue a career in business but may not be sure about a specific degree. Fortunately, there are many types of business degrees that may appeal to students who are still undecided. Consider the following descriptions of different types of business degrees that can help students learn a little about the options available to them: Accounting A degree in Accounting involves courses that teach students fundamental accounting principles, and how to interpret financial documents and keep them organized. Students also learn how to find discrepancies in financial documents and determine the reasons for them. Successful professionals in this field are logical thinkers, detail-oriented, consistent, and organized. Some examples of jobs for individuals with Accounting degrees include public accountant, financial reporting manager, compliance professional, and tax accountant. At Veritas Prep, we provide a variety of services to students who are considering a degree in Accounting, or any of the other different graduate business degrees. For instance, our online instructors prep students for the GMAT, the GRE, or both. We use practice tests and other top-quality study resources to boost a student’s confidence for test day. In short, we have years of experience helping students who are on the path to earning different business degrees. Business Administration There are many types of business degrees that teach students how to take on a leadership role within a company – a degree in Business Administration is an ideal example. While earning this degree, students gain knowledge of how to assign tasks to the members of a team to ensure that a project is completed on time. Also, students learn how to communicate effectively with team members, clients, and other project leaders. A professional working in the field of Business Administration has to know how to effectively manage a project and improve a company’s bottom line. Office administrator, general manager, and administrative services manager are just a few of the job options for students with a degree in business administration. Business Technology Students researching different types of business degrees that relate to technology should take a closer look at this area of study. A student earning a Business Technology degree learns about the latest business software used by companies and corporations. Also, students garner knowledge about web marketing, managing an office with today’s technology, and using electronic communication tools in a business setting. Some examples of jobs held by individuals with a Business Technology degree include business software specialist, web marketing specialist, and database user specialist. Finance Finance is one of the more well-known types of business degree programs. Students earning this degree learn about portfolio management, financial analysis, and interpreting statistics. Individuals with a degree in finance have many career paths available to them. For example, a person who wants to integrate sales into a career plan may want to look into becoming a financial services sales agent. The position of personal financial adviser is an example of a career where a person uses their financial education to help people plan for retirement or balance their investments. Some other potential job titles include financial analyst, financial manager, and investment banker. Marketing Many students who are pursuing a business degree want to get into the field of Marketing. This is a degree for someone interested in learning about consumer research, marketing strategies, and product research. Today’s companies need professionals who know how to introduce a new product based on solid market research. Plus, companies want to know how to attract new customers while retaining loyal ones. Advertising managers, sales managers, commercial directors, and market research specialists are all examples of jobs available for individuals with a Marketing degree. Students looking at the different types of business degree programs can count on Veritas Prep for tips and guidance. Our knowledgeable team members teach students strategies to use on business school exams and assist in preparing admissions paperwork. We can add an element of organization to the complicated process of applying to schools. Contact our team today and ask about our valuable services. Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or take our free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation for personalized advice for your unique application situation! As always, be sure to find us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter. The post Which Type of Business Degree is Right for You? appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
26 Sep 2016, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Quarter Wit, Quarter Wisdom: Evaluating Nasty GMAT Answer Choices |
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In some Quant questions, we are given big nasty numbers in the answer choices and little else in the question stem. Often in such cases, the starting point is difficult for the test-taker to find, so today, we will discuss how to handle such questions. The first and only rule with these types of problems is that familiarity helps. Evaluate the answer choices that make sense to you first. Let’s look at a few questions to understand how to do that: Which of the following is NOT prime? (A) 1,556,551 (B) 2,442,113 (C) 3,893,257 (D) 3,999,991 (E) 9,999,991 The first thing that comes to mind when we consider how to find prime numbers should be to “check the number N for divisibility by all prime factors until we get to the √N.” But note that here, we have four numbers that are prime and one number that is not. Also, the numbers are absolutely enormous and, hence, will be very difficult to work with. So, let’s slide down to a number that seems a bit more sane: 3,999,991 (it is very close to a number with lots of 0’s). 3,999,991 = 4,000,000 – 9 = (2000)^2 – 3^2 This is something we recognise! It’s a difference of squares, which can be written as: = (2000 + 3) * (2000 – 3) = 2003 * 1997 Hence, we see that 3,999,991 is a product of two factors other than 1 and itself, so it is not a prime number. We have our answer! The answer is D. Let’s try another problem: Which of the following is a perfect square? (A) 649 (B) 961 (C) 1,664 (D) 2,509 (E) 100,000 Here, start by looking at the answer choices. The first one that should stand out is option E, 100,000, since multiples of 10 are always easy to handle. However, we have an odd number of zeroes here, so we know this cannot be a perfect square. Next, we look at the answer choices that are close to the perfect squares that we intuitively know, such as 30^2 = 900, 40^2 = 1600, 50^2 = 2500. The only possible number whose perfect square could be 961 is 31 – 31^2 will end with a 1 and will be a bit greater than 900 (32^2 will end with a 4, so that cannot be the square root of 961, and the perfect squares of other greater numbers will be much greater than 900). 31^2 = (30 + 1)^2 = 900 + 1 + 2*30*1 = 961 So, we found that 961 is a perfect square and is, hence, the answer! In case 961 were not a perfect square, we would have tried 1,664 since it is just 64 greater than 1,600. It could be the perfect square of 42, as the perfect square of 42 will end in a 4. If 1,664 were also not a perfect square (it is not), we would have looked at 2,509. We would have known immediately that 2,509 cannot be a perfect square because it is too close to 2,500. 2,509 ends in a 9, so we may have considered 53 to be its square root, but the difference between consecutive perfect squares increases as we get to greater numbers. (4^2 is 16 while 5^2 is 25 – the difference between them is 9. The difference between 5^2 and 6^2 will be greater than 9, and so will the difference between the perfect squares of any pair of consecutive integers greater than 6. Hence, the difference between the squares of 50 and 53 certainly cannot be 9.) Therefore, our answer is B. Let’s try one more question: When a certain perfect square is increased by 148, the result is another perfect square. What is the value of the original perfect square? (A) 1,296 (B) 1,369 (C) 1,681 (D) 1,764 (E) 2,500 This question is, again, on perfect squares. We can use the same concepts here, too. 30^2 = 900 31^2 = 961 (=(30+1)^2 = 900 + 1 + 2*30) 40^2= 1,600 41^2 = 1,681 (=(40+1)^2 = 1,600 + 1 + 2*40) 50^2 = 2,500 51^2 = 2,601 (=(50+1)^2 = 2,500 + 1 + 2*50) We know that the difference between consecutive squares increases as we go to greater numbers: going from 30^2 to 31^2 is a difference of 61, while jumping from 40^2 to 41^2 is a difference of 81. All the answer choices lie in the range from 900 to 2500. In this range, the difference between consecutive squares is between 60 and 100. So, when you add 148 to a perfect square to get another perfect square in this range, we can say that the numbers must be 2 apart, such as 33 and 35 or 42 and 44, etc. Also, the numbers must lie between 30 and 40 because twice 61 is 122 and twice 81 is 162 – 148 lies somewhere in between 122 and 162. A and B are the only two possible options. Consider option A – it ends in a 6, so the square root must end in a 6, too. If you add 148, then it will end with a 4 (the perfect square of a number ending in 8 will end in 4). So this answer choice works. Consider option B – it ends in a 9, so the square root must end in a 3 or a 7. When you add 148, it ends in 7. No perfect square ends in 7, so this option is out. Our answer is, therefore, A. We hope you see how a close evaluation of the answer choices can help you solve questions of this type. Go get ’em! Getting ready to take the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+, and Twitter! Karishma, a Computer Engineer with a keen interest in alternative Mathematical approaches, has mentored students in the continents of Asia, Europe and North America. She teaches the GMAT for Veritas Prep and regularly participates in content development projects such as this blog! The post Quarter Wit, Quarter Wisdom: Evaluating Nasty GMAT Answer Choices appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
26 Sep 2016, 19:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Selecting the Right Time to Apply to Columbia Before the Regular Decision Deadline |
 Columbia Business School is one of the few top MBA programs that offers a unique rolling admissions format for submitting your application. The standard concept behind rolling admissions is that the school offers a window for applicants to apply to the program (as opposed to the traditional 3-round admissions schedule). What makes this format unique is that instead of waiting for all applications to be received after the deadline to review, the school reviews the applications as they arrive. This format provides lots of flexibility to candidates but can also present some unique challenges when deciding the best time to apply. Typically for more traditional application deadlines, as long as a candidate submits their application prior to the deadline, there is no advantage to the timing. However, with rolling admissions schools like Columbia, the timing of your submission can be advantageous (or problematic) for your candidacy. Columbia’s Regular Decision deadline is historically in April, with the following year’s applications being released shortly afterwards – typically in May or June. With such a long application cycle and no clear round-by-round distinction, some candidates may cheer at all the time they have to apply to Columbia. But not so fast – there are some clear advantages to applying early. Let’s discuss the advantages of applying to Columbia Regular Decision early: Scholarships Business school can be very pricey, and with its Ivy League stature, Columbia is no different. Columbia sets a January submission deadline every year for those interested in being considered for merit fellowships. By applying months in advance of the deadline, early applicants can ensure they have a chance at additional funding for their Columbia education. Space Although Columbia’s application goes live every year early in the summer, even as a rolling admissions school, the Admissions Committee does not start reviewing applications until early December. The earlier candidates can submit their application, the more space there will be in the potential class, the smaller the current pool of other applicants there will be, and the higher visibility their application will have. Interest Applying early is a strong sign of interest to Columbia. A school like Columbia that regularly competes with other top programs (such Wharton, HBS, and Kellogg) for top talent, wants to know that their application is a priority to you. The fact that the school has an Early Decision option signals the value it places on interest in attending Columbia. So, submitting an application right after January for the April deadline is not the best indicator of your interest, or of your preparation for pursuing an MBA at Columbia. These are just a few tips to help make sure you are submitting your Regular Decision application to Columbia at the right time. For more thoughts on Columbia, check out our Essential Guide to Top Business Schools for free, here. Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or take our free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation for personalized advice for your unique application situation! As always, be sure to find us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter. Dozie A. is a Veritas Prep Head Consultant for the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. His specialties include consulting, marketing, and low GPA/GMAT applicants. You can read more articles by him here. The post Selecting the Right Time to Apply to Columbia Before the Regular Decision Deadline appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
27 Sep 2016, 12:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: GRE Data Interpretation Prep Tips |
 One of the three parts of the GRE is the Quantitative Reasoning section. This section includes questions that involve geometry, algebra, and basic arithmetic. It also challenges students with questions on data interpretation. GRE test-takers must examine a collection of data in order to answer these questions. Find out more about the data interpretation questions on the GRE here and learn some helpful tips on how to arrive at the correct answers. With our help, you can do your best on the test! Data Interpretation Questions on the GRE On the GRE, data interpretation problems feature many types of graphs, charts, diagrams, and tables. There are several questions that accompany each visual expression of data. The questions then delve into the different types of data revealed in the illustration. These math problems measure a student’s ability to understand and interpret the information shown on a graph or chart. Not surprisingly, students who are familiar with many types of graphs and charts are likely to perform well on these questions. Tips for Answering GRE Data Interpretation Questions One helpful tip to use when solving data interpretation problems is to take 30 seconds or so to review the information in the graph, chart, table, or diagram. Be on the lookout for measurements, amounts, units, or other labels that can help in the process of interpreting the data. Also, look at what is being calculated – one graph may use percentages to convey data, while another uses dollar figures. This brief review of the details on a graph or chart can help guide a student as they begin to consider the questions that follow. Another tip is to estimate the numbers found in a chart or diagram in order to arrive at the correct answer. In some cases, amounts and other statistics may not be conveyed in round numbers – coming up with an estimate can lead a student to the correct answer. Eliminating answer options that are obviously wrong is another useful tip for students. This can be done after a student mentally predicts the answer. Narrowing down the number of possible answers can make GRE interpretation questions seem more manageable. After choosing an answer, it’s a good idea for a student to think about whether the answer fits logically with the data that has been presented. If not, a student may want to mark the question and return to it later on in the test. Spending too much time on one puzzling question can prevent students from finishing the Quantitative Reasoning section in the allotted amount of time. Plus, it can help to take a few minutes to think about a question before approaching it for the second time. Studying for the Data Interpretation Questions on the GRE Completing a set of practice math problems is the best way to prep for the data interpretation questions in the Quantitative Reasoning section. A practice test gives students the opportunity to sample the types of data interpretation questions that they will encounter on the actual test. Also, the results of a practice test allow students to see where they need to improve. Becoming familiar with different types of graphs, diagrams, and charts is another way to prepare for data interpretation questions on the GRE. GRE interpretation questions may contain bar graphs, line graphs, box plots, scatter plots, and circle graphs along with others. Having knowledge of these figures will give a student the tools they need to interpret any set of data, regardless of how it’s presented. At Veritas Prep, we provide expert tutoring to students who are preparing for the GRE. Our professional instructors have all earned high scores on the exam, which means they are uniquely qualified to help students prepare for the test. We offer online and in-person courses with which students can get the tools they need to ace data interpretation questions. Our instructors are there to answer students’ questions and give them some encouragement along the way. We are proud to guide students toward their best scores on questions that involve data interpretation. GRE test-takers can rely on our tutoring services to assist them in preparing for these questions, along with all of the others on the exam. At Veritas Prep, we combine superb tutoring with excellent study resources to provide students with top-quality GRE preparation. Contact our offices today! Want to jump-start your GRE preparation? Register to attend one of our upcoming free online GRE Strategy Sessions or check out our variety of GRE Course and Private Tutoring options. And as always, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter! The post GRE Data Interpretation Prep Tips appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
27 Sep 2016, 19:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Should You Retake the GMAT? |
 Perhaps the most often-asked question during the entire MBA application process is,“Should I retake the GMAT?” The answer to this question will differ from case to case depending on an applicant’s score, their target schools, and their overall profile. If you are considering retaking the GMAT, doing a short cost-benefit analysis, similar to a business endeavor, can aid your decision-making: 1) Recognize the Investments Needed Apart from the test-taking fee that you will incur for a retake, think about the hours you will need to put in to re-prepare for the GMAT, and whether this will affect the timeliness of your MBA applications. Make sure you consider whether or not you have the availability and the energy to put into this endeavor. Often ignored, but just as important, factor in the opportunity cost of the hours you will need to spend preparing for your retake. Could you spend those efforts somewhere else to strengthen your profile? Maybe you could get involved in productive activities at work, volunteer in the community, or polish your essays. If your application is already strong in these areas, then a GMAT retake could be a better use of your time. As such, engaging a test prep service may be the right way to go – taking a GMAT prep course or spending time with a private tutor will optimize the hours that you put into studying, and will be an investment that pays for itself in the long run. 2) Evaluate the Probability of Success The next step would be to evaluate how likely you are to achieve your desired results. The most straightforward consideration (that requires a truly honest self-assessment) is how you have already performed on the GMAT relative to your potential:
3) Weigh the Potential Benefits Researching the class profile of your target program, and how you compare to the school’s average GMAT score, should give you an indication as to where you stand. The standardized nature of the GMAT allows for the most straightforward and objective comparison between applicants, so ideally, you will want to score higher on the GMAT than the school’s average. All things equal, a higher score should improve your chance of admission, and even your opportunities for scholarships. Thus, the expected value of increasing your GMAT score could be high and really worth investing in. Knowing that you didn’t leave too many potential GMAT points on the table can also simply help you be at peace. This is an important benefit, as it will allow you to focus on the next steps in the application process, and know that you have given the GMAT your best shot. Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or take our free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation for personalized advice for your unique application situation! And as always, be sure to find us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter. Written by Edison Cu, a Veritas Prep Head Consultant for INSEAD. The post Should You Retake the GMAT? appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
28 Sep 2016, 16:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: The Benefits of Thinking With a Growth-Mindset Mentality |
 During a little summer beach vacation, I had the chance to read Carol Dweck’s Mindset. (Yes, this is my beach reading. Don’t judge.) If you’re not familiar with Dweck’s work, she’s the psychologist who pioneered the concepts of the fixed-mindset and the growth-mindset. In a classic study, students at a middle school were interviewed and asked whether they believed that intelligence was an inherent characteristic (fixed-mindset) or that intelligence was something you can cultivate and improve through hard work (growth-mindset). It will come as no surprise that the growth-mindset group improved their grades over the course of the year by significantly more than the fixed-mindset group did. These effects became more pronounced through high school and college. Dweck’s book is full of interesting tidbits about the history of testing. For example, Alfred Binet, one of the pioneers of IQ testing, didn’t believe that his tests measured intelligence. Rather, he saw them as a way to identify which students hadn’t properly benefited from their public school education, so that a different, more effective approach might be employed. Put another way, the test not only wasn’t supposed to measure intelligence, it was designed on the premise that there was no such thing as fixed intelligence, – that anyone could improve and thrive if they had access to the proper tools and strategies. I’ve written a bit about Dweck in the past, but I’m beginning to see that the implications of her research are even broader than I’d initially suspected. It should go without saying that here at Veritas Prep, we’re advocates of growth-mindset – in fact, the whole notion of test prep is rooted in a growth-mindset mentality! Moreover, I’ve noticed that this fixed vs. growth notion isn’t just applicable to performance on GMAT in general, but has implications for how test-takers attack individual questions. Here’s a question I tackled with a tutoring student the other day: How many positive three-digit integers are divisible by both 3 and 4? A) 75 B) 128 C) 150 D) 225 E) 300 My student began by recognizing that if a number is divisible by both 3 and 4, it’s divisible by 12 as well, so the question was really asking how many three-digit numbers were multiples of 12. Then he looked up and told me that he didn’t know what to do. Now, there is, of course, a way to solve this problem formally. You can find the number of elements in an evenly spaced set by using the following formula: [(High – Low)/Interval] + 1. The smallest three-digit multiple of 12 is 108 (clearly, 120 is a multiple of 12, so you can quickly see that the previous multiple of 12 is 120-12 = 108). The largest three-digit multiple of 12 is 996. (It’s divisible by 3 because 9 + 9 + 6 = 24, which is a multiple of 3. And it’s divisible by 4 because the number formed by the last two digits, 96, is divisible by 4.) So, one way to tackle this problem is to plug these numbers into the aforementioned formula to get [(996-108)/12] + 1 = (888/12) + 1 = 74 + 1 = 75. But if you don’t know the formula, and you see this question on test day, this approach can’t help you. So rather than offer this equation, I pushed my student to think about the problem with a growth-mindset mentality. I reminded him that you don’t have to solve things formally on this test, and that he could definitely figure out a way to arrive at the correct answer based on logic and intuition. Once he stopped dwelling on the fact that he didn’t know how to do the problem formally, he used the following logic: Between 1 and 1,000 there are 100 multiples of 10 (1,000/10 = 100). Clearly, between 100 and 999 there are fewer than 100 multiples of 12, as 12 is bigger than 10. If the correct answer is less than 100, it has to be 75, as this is the only answer choice under 100. He was able to solve a question he thought he couldn’t do in about 5 seconds. Thus, the power of the growth-mindset mentality. Takeaway: Read Carol Dweck’s book. Work on internalizing the main ideas. Switching from a fixed-mindset mentality to a growth-mindset mentality can have a profound impact, not only on how well you perform on the GMAT, but on how ably you tackle problems in every domain of life. Plan on taking the GMAT soon? We have GMAT prep courses starting all the time. And be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter! By David Goldstein, a Veritas Prep GMAT instructor based in Boston. You can find more articles written by him here. The post The Benefits of Thinking With a Growth-Mindset Mentality appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
29 Sep 2016, 14:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Should You Retake the GMAT? |
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Perhaps the most often-asked question during the entire MBA application process is,“Should I retake the GMAT?” The answer to this question will differ from case to case depending on an applicant’s score, their target schools, and their overall profile. If you are considering retaking the GMAT, doing a short cost-benefit analysis, similar to a business endeavor, can aid your decision-making: 1) Recognize the Investments Needed Apart from the test-taking fee that you will incur for a retake, think about the hours you will need to put in to re-prepare for the GMAT, and whether this will affect the timeliness of your MBA applications. Make sure you consider whether or not you have the availability and the energy to put into this endeavor. Often ignored, but just as important, factor in the opportunity cost of the hours you will need to spend preparing for your retake. Could you spend those efforts somewhere else to strengthen your profile? Maybe you could get involved in productive activities at work, volunteer in the community, or polish your essays. If your application is already strong in these areas, then a GMAT retake could be a better use of your time. As such, engaging a test prep service may be the right way to go – taking a GMAT prep course or spending time with a private tutor will optimize the hours that you put into studying, and will be an investment that pays for itself in the long run. 2) Evaluate the Probability of Success The next step would be to evaluate how likely you are to achieve your desired results. The most straightforward consideration (that requires a truly honest self-assessment) is how you have already performed on the GMAT relative to your potential:
3) Weigh the Potential Benefits Researching the class profile of your target program, and how you compare to the school’s average GMAT score, should give you an indication as to where you stand. The standardized nature of the GMAT allows for the most straightforward and objective comparison between applicants, so ideally, you will want to score higher on the GMAT than the school’s average. All things equal, a higher score should improve your chance of admission, and even your opportunities for scholarships. Thus, the expected value of increasing your GMAT score could be high and really worth investing in. Knowing that you didn’t leave too many potential GMAT points on the table can also simply help you be at peace. This is an important benefit, as it will allow you to focus on the next steps in the application process, and know that you have given the GMAT your best shot. Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or take our free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation for personalized advice for your unique application situation! And as always, be sure to find us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter. Written by Edison Cu, a Veritas Prep Head Consultant for INSEAD. The post Should You Retake the GMAT? appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
29 Sep 2016, 14:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: The Benefits of Thinking With a Growth-Mindset Mentality |
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During a little summer beach vacation, I had the chance to read Carol Dweck’s Mindset. (Yes, this is my beach reading. Don’t judge.) If you’re not familiar with Dweck’s work, she’s the psychologist who pioneered the concepts of the fixed-mindset and the growth-mindset. In a classic study, students at a middle school were interviewed and asked whether they believed that intelligence was an inherent characteristic (fixed-mindset) or that intelligence was something you can cultivate and improve through hard work (growth-mindset). It will come as no surprise that the growth-mindset group improved their grades over the course of the year by significantly more than the fixed-mindset group did. These effects became more pronounced through high school and college. Dweck’s book is full of interesting tidbits about the history of testing. For example, Alfred Binet, one of the pioneers of IQ testing, didn’t believe that his tests measured intelligence. Rather, he saw them as a way to identify which students hadn’t properly benefited from their public school education, so that a different, more effective approach might be employed. Put another way, the test not only wasn’t supposed to measure intelligence, it was designed on the premise that there was no such thing as fixed intelligence, – that anyone could improve and thrive if they had access to the proper tools and strategies. I’ve written a bit about Dweck in the past, but I’m beginning to see that the implications of her research are even broader than I’d initially suspected. It should go without saying that here at Veritas Prep, we’re advocates of growth-mindset – in fact, the whole notion of test prep is rooted in a growth-mindset mentality! Moreover, I’ve noticed that this fixed vs. growth notion isn’t just applicable to performance on GMAT in general, but has implications for how test-takers attack individual questions. Here’s a question I tackled with a tutoring student the other day: How many positive three-digit integers are divisible by both 3 and 4? A) 75 B) 128 C) 150 D) 225 E) 300 My student began by recognizing that if a number is divisible by both 3 and 4, it’s divisible by 12 as well, so the question was really asking how many three-digit numbers were multiples of 12. Then he looked up and told me that he didn’t know what to do. Now, there is, of course, a way to solve this problem formally. You can find the number of elements in an evenly spaced set by using the following formula: [(High – Low)/Interval] + 1. The smallest three-digit multiple of 12 is 108 (clearly, 120 is a multiple of 12, so you can quickly see that the previous multiple of 12 is 120-12 = 108). The largest three-digit multiple of 12 is 996. (It’s divisible by 3 because 9 + 9 + 6 = 24, which is a multiple of 3. And it’s divisible by 4 because the number formed by the last two digits, 96, is divisible by 4.) So, one way to tackle this problem is to plug these numbers into the aforementioned formula to get [(996-108)/12] + 1 = (888/12) + 1 = 74 + 1 = 75. But if you don’t know the formula, and you see this question on test day, this approach can’t help you. So rather than offer this equation, I pushed my student to think about the problem with a growth-mindset mentality. I reminded him that you don’t have to solve things formally on this test, and that he could definitely figure out a way to arrive at the correct answer based on logic and intuition. Once he stopped dwelling on the fact that he didn’t know how to do the problem formally, he used the following logic: Between 1 and 1,000 there are 100 multiples of 10 (1,000/10 = 100). Clearly, between 100 and 999 there are fewer than 100 multiples of 12, as 12 is bigger than 10. If the correct answer is less than 100, it has to be 75, as this is the only answer choice under 100. He was able to solve a question he thought he couldn’t do in about 5 seconds. Thus, the power of the growth-mindset mentality. Takeaway: Read Carol Dweck’s book. Work on internalizing the main ideas. Switching from a fixed-mindset mentality to a growth-mindset mentality can have a profound impact, not only on how well you perform on the GMAT, but on how ably you tackle problems in every domain of life. Plan on taking the GMAT soon? We have GMAT prep courses starting all the time. And be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter! By David Goldstein, a Veritas Prep GMAT instructor based in Boston. You can find more articles written by him here. The post The Benefits of Thinking With a Growth-Mindset Mentality appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
29 Sep 2016, 18:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Extracurricular Activity Suggestions for MBA Students |
 Most people who decide to pursue an MBA understand that business schools are looking for well-qualified candidates. Admissions officials want to know about a candidate’s academic accomplishments, professional life, and career goals. Extracurricular activities also play an important part of a business school application. Some activities for MBA students can highlight skills and talents a person can use in business school. Consider some extracurricular activities that can help an individual stand out in a crowd of business school applicants: Organizing a Fundraising Activity at Work Fundraising is one of the most rewarding extracurricular activities for MBA candidates. For example, a person can enlist the help of colleagues to organize an auction to raise money for a local homeless shelter, or a person may want to organize an employee challenge that brings some fun into the workplace and raises money for a local organization at the same time. Organizing any kind of fundraising activity at work highlights a person’s management and leadership skills. Plus, this sort of activity can raise a lot of money for a worthy cause in the community. Mentoring a Teenager Mentoring a young person is one of the most popular extracurricular activities for MBA applicants. A candidate dedicates a certain amount of hours each week to taking a preteen or teenager on outings in the community. Not surprisingly, a mentor can help build the confidence level of a young person. Also, a mentor is a constant source of encouragement and support in a child’s life – a mentor can help with school work or even influence some big decisions made by the teen. Furthermore, a mentor can guide a teenager as they decide on a career path. Business school admissions officials recognize the time, dedication, and leadership it takes to mentor a young person. Studying a Musical Instrument An impressive list of MBA activities can also include playing a musical instrument. For example, a person may note that they have studied the clarinet for five years. This shows dedication to perfecting their skills on the clarinet. They may also note that they give free clarinet lessons to three high school students once a week. This reveals their ability to teach others and willingness to share their talents. This is an especially impressive extracurricular when a person has studied a musical instrument for several years. Coaching a Sports Team Many effective activities for MBA students are related to sports. For example, a person may coach a local baseball team made up of eight- and nine-year-olds, or a person may coach a track team made up of children with special needs. Participating in these types of extracurricular activities requires strong leadership and management skills. Once again, business school admissions officials will be all the more impressed if the candidate has coached a team for several years. Teaching a Class Many management activities for MBA students involve teaching a class. Teaching a GED class to adults is one way for an MBA candidate to show off their leadership skills. Other ideas include teaching a citizenship class, giving swimming lessons, or providing instruction to students who want to learn about business etiquette. Sharing a skill by teaching a class makes for a desirable quality in a business school applicant. Volunteer Work A candidate for business school may want to volunteer at a hospital, church, or community center. It’s best for a person to choose a volunteering opportunity that they are really passionate about. Someone who dedicates a few hours or more to volunteer work every week is showing a sense of maturity, responsibility, and concern about the community they live in. At Veritas Prep, our MBA admissions consultants are experts at providing tips and advice regarding management activities for MBA students. Our professional consultants have a wealth of practical experience with the business school admissions process. We know what the top business schools are looking for in potential students! Go online to fill out a free profile evaluation and get feedback on your pre-MBA activities as well as all of the other elements of your business school application. We use our knowledge and resources to help individuals craft an application that is sure to get the attention of business school admissions officials. Contact Veritas Prep today. The post Extracurricular Activity Suggestions for MBA Students appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
30 Sep 2016, 19:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: How to Prepare for the GMAT at Home: Online GMAT Prep |
 When you think about preparing for the GMAT, you may picture yourself sitting in a classroom with others who plan to take the exam. This is one way to go about it, but there are other effective ways to prep for this challenging test, too. For those who are pressed for time or are worried that the GMAT will be a tough exam to prepare for, GMAT online courses may be the answer. This is an especially convenient option if you work full-time and cannot commit to attending a traditional prep class at a specific time each week. With a bit of planning, it’s entirely possible, or even preferable, to successfully complete your GMAT preparation online. Set Up an Effective Study Environment When you decide on online preparation for the GMAT, you must set up an environment that enables you to focus on your studies and get into a serious mindset. This means turning off the television, radio, and CD player in your study room. Also, look for other distractions around the room. Do you have a large window where you can see people and cars on the street? You may want to close the curtains during study time to avoid the temptation of people-watching. In addition, let others in your household know when you plan to study and ask them to avoid knocking on your door during that time. Clear space on your desk so you have enough room for your computer and all of the other study materials you need. Then, you can try going it alone, or you can work your way through the thorough program of online GMAT preparation at Veritas Prep. In our online courses, we show you how to think like the test-maker! Setting up a quiet, organized study area before you start can help you to get the most out of your instruction and private study time. Complete a Practice Exam Completing a practice exam is a critical part of getting ready for the GMAT. Online preparation is more effective when you are aware of both your strongest and weakest subjects. At Veritas Prep, we provide you with the opportunity to take a free exam to gauge your skill level in all four sections of the test. Furthermore, we supply you with a score report and performance analysis so you have a detailed picture of the specific topics to work on. When you prepare for the GMAT with a Veritas Prep tutor, they will review your practice test results with you. We’ll help you approach each subject with practical strategies that can improve your performance on test day. Craft a Study Schedule Based on Practice Test Results Making an organized, logical study schedule is another key element of successful GMAT preparation online. You must decide how many hours you’re going to dedicate to GMAT study each day. For example, you may put aside four hours a day, five days a week for study. Another person may study for two hours per day, seven days a week. The study schedule you create depends on your other daily obligations. When drafting a schedule, it’s helpful to vary the subjects you study each day. For instance, if your practice test results reveal that you need to focus your attention on Reading Comprehension as well as Algebra questions, you could assign one of those topics to Tuesdays and Thursdays and the other to Mondays and Wednesdays. This can help you to maintain interest in your GMAT studies. Make Note of Any Puzzling Questions It’s not uncommon for questions to come up as you are studying for the different sections of the GMAT. Online preparation with Veritas Prep means you can access one of our instructors to ask questions on any day of the week; you don’t have to wait for your next online tutoring session to get your pressing questions answered. Sometimes a simple answer to one question can provide the understanding you need to master a concept on the GMAT. If you’d like to study online for the GMAT, we can make it happen at Veritas Prep! Each of our capable GMAT instructors achieved a score on the exam that landed them into the 99th percentile of test-takers. Simply put, we believe that our students should learn from the best! Our team of instructors at Veritas Prep is ready to help you master your online courses and ace the GMAT. Contact our offices and sign up to start studying today! Plan on taking the GMAT soon? We have GMAT prep courses starting all the time. And be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter! The post How to Prepare for the GMAT at Home: Online GMAT Prep appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
03 Oct 2016, 13:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Quarter Wit, Quarter Wisdom: Try to Answer This GMAT Challenge Question! |
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Today, we will give you a GMAT challenge question. The challenge of reviewing this question is not that the question is hard to understand – it is that you will need to solve this official question within a minute using minimum calculations. Let’s take a look at the question stem: Date of Transaction Type of Transaction June 11 Withdrawal of $350 June 16 Withdrawal of $500 June 21 Deposit of x dollars For a certain savings account, the table shows the three transactions for the month of June. The daily balance for the account was recorded at the end of each of the 30 days in June. If the daily balance was $1,000 on June 1 and if the average (arithmetic mean) of the daily balances for June was $1,000, what was the amount of the deposit on June 21? (A) $1,000 (B) $1,150 (C) $1,200 (D) $1,450 (E) $1,600 Think about how you might answer this question: The average of daily balances = (Balance at the end of June 1 + Balance at the end of June 2 + … + Balance at the end of June 30) / 30 = 1000 Now we have been given the only three transactions that took place:
One might then end up doing this calculation to find the value of x: [(1000 * 10) + (650 * 5) + (150 * 5) + ((150 + x) * 10)] / 30 = 1000 x = $1,450 The answer is D. But this calculation is rather tedious and time consuming. Can’t we use the deviation method we discussed for averages and weighted averages, instead? After all, we are dealing with large values here! How? Note that we are talking about the average of certain data values. Also, we know the deviations from those data values:
350 * 20 + 500 * 15 = x * 10 x = 1,450 (D) This simplifies our calculation dramatically! Though saving only one minute on a question like this may not seem like a very big deal, saving a minute on every question by using a more efficient method could be the difference between a good Quant score and a great Quant score! Getting ready to take the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+, and Twitter! Karishma, a Computer Engineer with a keen interest in alternative Mathematical approaches, has mentored students in the continents of Asia, Europe and North America. She teaches the GMAT for Veritas Prep and regularly participates in content development projects such as this blog! The post Quarter Wit, Quarter Wisdom: Try to Answer This GMAT Challenge Question! appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
03 Oct 2016, 19:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Prove That You’re Ready for College by Taking AP Classes |
 You know when parents say things like, “If Riley and Maya jumped off a cliff, would you?” Of course you wouldn’t – you just want to be allowed to (take public transportation alone, go to a concert, etc.) like Riley and Maya. Well, AP classes are definitely something you want to be doing if Riley and Maya are doing them – and this time, your parents will agree. If you are applying to competitive colleges, you can’t afford to be the only applicant without AP classes on your transcript. What are AP classes? AP classes are essentially “high school classes on steroids”. By taking AP classes, you’re showing college admissions officers that you can perform at a higher level than the average student at your school, and that you are ready for the big show – college. For example, you can take a standard high school US History class and become really annoyed with concepts like tariffs and accept that the British are pretty lame. Or, you can challenge yourself by taking AP European History. The subject matter will be more in-depth and you will become an avid tea drinker in order to fully immerse yourself in the European way (plus, you may need the tea to stay up late studying). AP classes come with a specially trained teacher, increased critical thinking, and more work. If you perform well, it also means a higher-than-4.0 GPA and a more impressive college application. What are AP exams? Because AP classes are designed to be on par with college classes, you can take official AP exams offered by The College Board that will prove you should earn real college credit for your studies. If you’re taking AP classes, these exams are imperative because they can allow you to possibly bypass general education courses in college. Essentially, AP classes will save you money and free up time to volunteer for worthy causes – at least this is what you will say on your application. In reality, you will probably use your free time to nap. AP exams are scored on a one to five scale. Aim to score at least a four if you are planning to apply to competitive colleges. Fun fact: you are able to take AP exams without having been enrolled in their respective AP classes, so even if your school does not offer AP courses, you can still study up on a particular subject to take its AP exam. Will all colleges accept my AP work as college credit? Some will and some won’t. It is important to research each college you are applying to and find out exactly how AP classes and exams translate to that particular school. Harvard, for example, does not offer college credit for AP classes on a one-to-one basis. However, Harvard does use AP exam results for course placement, as well as to give students the opportunity to apply for Advance Standing – meaning you can graduate in three years instead of the traditional four. The University of California (UC) system, on the other hand, does count AP classes as elective college credits as long as you score a three or higher on the official exam (to be a competitive applicant, you should still aim to score a four or five). Additionally, UC schools will allow you to use AP classes to bypass introductory college courses. What if my high school doesn’t offer AP classes? Some high schools offer only a few AP classes while others may offer none. College admissions officers review your transcript while also evaluating what academic opportunities you had at your high school, so they will know whether you were actually able to take AP courses or not. Even if your high school doesn’t offer AP classes, you can still show admissions officers that you’re ready for college-level work by enrolling in courses at your local community college. And if transportation is an issue, many community colleges offer courses online. What about IB courses? The International Baccalaureate (IB) program is offered at schools worldwide, though it is not nearly as popular in the United States as it is in other countries. Like AP classes, the IB coursework is more rigorous than standard high school classwork, and by scoring well on an IB exam, you can earn college credit and/or advanced placement. You can learn more about IB courses here. So I need to prepare for AP exams and the SAT/ACT? Basically, yes. Aside from studying for these exams, however, you also need to do well in your other schoolwork and still have time for extracurricular activities, sports and prom. Fortunately, Veritas Prep is here to help you prepare for your exams and consult you on your time management. Veritas Prep college consultants and tutors can work with you to create an in-depth timeline and help you plan class schedules so that you are taking all the right steps during your high school career. Riley and Maya have already signed up! Do you need help with your college applications? Visit our College Admissions website and fill out our FREE Profile Evaluation for personalized feedback on your unique background! And as always, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+, and Twitter! The post Prove That You’re Ready for College by Taking AP Classes appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
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