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17 Dec 2014, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: SAT Tip of the Week: 5 Sources to Prepare Essay Examples |
 Are you struggling with finding sources for your essay? You’re not alone! It can be challenging to find current examples to help you prepare for this part of the SAT. Check out these 5 tips to help you gain ideas to craft your essay: 1. CNN Student News (https://www.cnn.com/studentnews/) – Hate reading the newspaper? Want to watch a fast-paced video instead? CNN Student News is your answer. One caveat: while the “fun facts” may interest you generally, they probably aren’t good material for the SAT essay. After all, how would you sculpt an argument about the importance of privacy based on the fact that dark chocolate is good for your heart? (No kidding, that was part of a video three months ago.) 2. Sparknotes Videos (https://www.sparknotes.com/sparknotes/video/) – Pretty self-explanatory, Sparknotes Videos translate lengthy plot summaries into animated 7-10 minute videos that sum up several commonly-studied novels. While you’re watching, be sure to have your SAT2400 Workbook handy so that you can note down full names of characters, the setting, relevant plot points, the author, and the time period. 3. History Class – Why not kill two birds with one stone and refresh your memory on something (a battle, a major treaty, etc.) you recently had to study for a history test? While choosing events – and this goes for your current events and literary examples as well – always make sure that the example can be “twisted” in multiple fashions to fit multiple topics. Several such multi-faceted examples will ensure that you are prepared to answer any question with ease. 4. Wikipedia – Believe it or not, several students each class ask me if “it is okay” to use Wikipedia to look up specifics of their examples. Yes! This is not a high school research paper where your teacher has banned Wikipedia as a source. The website is a time-efficient way of noting the details you need for several examples in each category. 5. Facebook News – I mention this one because most of you are probably spending hours a day on Facebook anyways. You might even be inadvertently aware of what’s going on in current events because you just can’t help but glance to that upper right part of your home page! Let’s face it, taking a break from the “OMG LOOK AT THE SANDWICH I JUST ATE” pics will not only help you on the SAT but will prevent brain decay. Seriously. I studied Neuroscience in college. Lastly, NO NO NO personal examples! Do as much as you can to make yourself seem more educated than the average test-taker. Be sure to keep in mind academic tone when you write your essay. For more guidance on how to master this, check out last week’s tip here. Happy Studying! Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Sidhi Gosain studied Neuroscience at Brown University. She tutored for BRYTE, a student-led program which pairs undergraduate tutors with refugees from Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. While she is currently pursuing a film career in both acting and production in Los Angeles, Sidhi is excited to keep tutoring students to beat standardized tests! |
18 Dec 2014, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: How to Use Your Time Wisely on Reading Comprehension GMAT Questions |
 On the verbal section of the GMAT, students invariably spend more time on Reading Comprehension questions than on either Sentence Correction or Critical Reasoning problems. In fact, I’ve seen score reports where people spent more time on Reading Comprehension than on the other two question types combined! Students spend a lot of time on these passages because they are consistently packed with pointless information, run-on sentences and dense technical jargon. Attempting to untangle these passages can lead to a lot of frustration for test takers (Fortunately, there’s an app for that). One reason people spend a lot of time on these questions is that they try to read the entire passage thoroughly. This is normal because this is how most reading is done, be it in newspapers or periodicals or novels. However, on the GMAT, speed is the name of the game. If I were doing a book report on Shakespeare’s works, then I would read the text multiple times, looking for nuance and symbolism. The goal on the GMAT is quite different: you have roughly eight minutes to read a passage and then answer four questions about it. That isn’t much time, but it can work if you’re question-focused. Why be question focused? (Rhetorical question) A typical passage may have 300-400 words, and you could be asked 20-30 different questions about the information contained within it. In reality, you will only be asked 3-4-5 questions about this text, so becoming an expert on the minutiae contained within seems like a complete waste of time. In fact, considering that you only have ~2 minutes per question, it is not only a waste of time but a distraction that will waste precious time and lower your score. The vast majority of questions will require you to go back to the passage and reread the relevant portion, so your initial read is only there to give you a general sense of the text. After the initial read, you should be able to answer broad, universal questions. However, for questions that deal in specifics, you’ll have to go back to the text. Specific questions deal with (drum roll please) specific elements of the passage. At first glance, you wouldn’t necessarily recall such minute details, but if you know where to go back in the text, it becomes a trivial case of rereading until you find it. As an example, you might not remember what Luke Skywalker was wearing on Tatooine when he first meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, but you could just rewatch the first act of Star Wars and see for yourself. There is no need to memorize every minor detail, as long as you know where to find the answer, you can just look it up. Let’s look at a GMAT passage and answer a question that deals with a specific element of the passage (note: this is the same passage I used in October for a function question). Nearly all the workers of the Lowell textile mills of Massachusetts were unmarried daughters from farm families. Some of the workers were as young as ten. Since many people in the 1820s were disturbed by the idea of working females, the company provided well-kept dormitories and boarding-houses. The meals were decent and church attendance was mandatory. Compared to other factories of the time, the Lowell mills were clean and safe, and there was even a journal, The Lowell Offering, which contained poems and other material written by the workers, and which became known beyond New England. Ironically, it was at the Lowell Mills that dissatisfaction with working conditions brought about the first organization of working women. The mills were highly mechanized, and were in fact considered a model of efficiency by others in the textile industry. The work was difficult, however, and the high level of standardization made it tedious. When wages were cut, the workers organized the Factory Girls Association. 15,000 women decided to “turn out”, or walk off the job. The Offering, meant as a pleasant creative outlet, gave the women a voice that could be heard by sympathetic people elsewhere in the country, and even in Europe. However, the ability of the women to demand changes was severely circumscribed by an inability to go for long without wages with which to support themselves and help support their families. The same limitation hampered the effectiveness of the Lowell Female Labor Reform Association (LFLRA), organized in 1844. No specific reform can be directly attributed to the Lowell workers, but their legacy is unquestionable. The LFLRA’s founder, Sarah Bagley, became a national figure, testifying before the Massachusetts House of Representatives. When the New England Labor Reform League was formed, three of the eight board members were women. Other mill workers took note of the Lowell strikes, and were successful in getting better pay, shorter hours, and safer working conditions. Even some existing child labor laws can be traced back to efforts first set in motion by the Lowell Mill Women. According to the passage, which of the following contributed to the inability of the workers at Lowell to have their demands met? (A) The very young age of some of the workers made political organization impractical. (B) Social attitudes of the time pressured women into not making demands. (C) The Lowell Female Labor Reform Association was not organized until 1844. (D) Their families depended on the workers to send some of their wages home. (E) The people who were most sympathetic to the workers lived outside of New England. If you’ve been following the Veritas technique on Reading Comprehension, then you should have spent about two minutes reading through the passage and summarizing each paragraph in a couple of words. If you didn’t do this, feel free to go back and do it now. Once completed, your summaries of each paragraph should be something like: 1) Lowell Mills and context 2) Labor strife and consequences 3) Legacy of Lowell Mills Your exact wording may vary, but you want to keep it at about 3-5 words or so. This should give enough of a framework so you know where to go in every question. If we look at the question at hand, it asks why were the workers at Lowell unable to have their demands met. This has to be in the second paragraph, as that was the part that dealt with the actual worker strife. Rereading this paragraph, we go through a description of what prompted the strike and then how many people participated. Directly following this is the line: “However, the ability of the women to demand changes was severely circumscribed by an inability to go for long without wages with which to support themselves and help support their families”. This was their downfall: they needed money to support themselves and their loved ones (unsurprisingly the downfall of most strikes). The wording used may be somewhat obtuse, but the context makes it quite clear that the issue was money. Going through the answer choices, D is the only option that is remotely close to what we want, and is therefore the correct answer. On Reading Comprehension questions, it’s very easy to experience information overload (TL;DR for the new generation). A lot of information is contained in each passage, and this is not an accident. The test is designed to try and waste your time with frivolous sentences, so your goal is to read for overarching intent and know that you’ll have to revisit the text on most questions. Specific questions tend to ask about something minor, or possibly tangential, and therefore usually require you to reread the passage. Practice Reading Comprehension timing and you will find that you can answer these specific questions faster. Plan on taking the GMAT soon? We have GMAT prep courses starting all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Ron Awad is a GMAT instructor for Veritas Prep based in Montreal, bringing you weekly advice for success on your exam. After graduating from McGill and receiving his MBA from Concordia, Ron started teaching GMAT prep and his Veritas Prep students have given him rave reviews ever since. |
19 Dec 2014, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Mind The Gap Year: 6 Considerations for a High School Senior |
 I have quite a number of friends who participated in The Gap Year, taking a break between high school and college. The results were mixed. As a graduating high school senior, I thought the idea of a gap year was ridiculous (why put off something I had been planning on doing since elementary school?) but now that I’m nearing graduation I see its value a lot more clearly. Here are a few things I wish I had considered three years ago. 1. Burnout is real. Throughout high school and my first two years of college, I filled my schedule with extracurriculars, classes, and travel, reasoning that I’d only have one high school and one undergraduate experience, and that I should try to get as much out of both as I could. However, at the end of my sophomore year, I realized that I wasn’t enjoying my work. My grades, my health, and my mood took a few heavy hits before I realized that the problem wasn’t that my major and my work didn’t fit my interests; I was just completely exhausted, mentally and physically, and the only possible solution was rest. Burnout isn’t a sign of laziness or weakness, but an occasionally unavoidable symptom of overwork. Unfortunately, if not dealt with in a healthy way, burnout can sap energy and waste time, and at worst can interrupt academic ambitions or make retention and learning impossible. I know plenty of people who became burned out earlier or later than I did in their academic careers, and productively used time off—often in the form of a gap year—to refresh themselves and to rekindle their passion for their work. 2. Once you start school, it’s hard to stop. A summer abroad in England and a light course load in my fall semester helped me recover from my burnout, but the process was slow and frustrating because I never found time to completely relax. My heavy reliance on financial aid and scholarships, the yearlong lease on my apartment, and my desire to graduate at the same time as my peers made the prospect of taking a semester off seem impossible, and my four-year class plan couldn’t easily be reorganized since the classes I needed to graduate were only offered in particular semesters. I chose to lighten rather than to pause my work, but academic and financial limits prevented me from lightening it as much as I would have liked to. By starting college, I had laid a fairly inflexible groundwork for the next four years, and two years later I had little choice but to stick to it, regardless of the fact that a break would probably have been extremely healthy at the time for me, both academically and personally. 3. Once you stop school, it’s hard to start again. Many students who take a gap year never return to their studies. College is demanding, expensive, and very tempting to postpone indefinitely once you’ve shifted away from the “school mode” mindset. Consider how committed you are to getting a college degree before deciding to take time off. 4. If you’re going to take a gap year, do something meaningful with it. Many students take a year to travel to incredible places or to gain valuable work experience, and return to school with amazing stories to tell and a unique perspective that ends up enriching their education. The ones I know recount these experiences as easily the most valuable part of their gap year. Others take a much-needed break, or save up money in order to be able to spend more time studying and less time working once they do enter college. College is fantastic, but so is the rest of the world, and both places have a lot to offer. The last thing you want to do is feel like you’ve done nothing but waste time while others around you have grown and learned. 6. Admissions offices don’t discriminate one way or the other. Again, the key is not where you spent your time but how you’ve used it. The things that appear on your resume and in your essays represent your interests and your character, whether they took place in a classroom or on a mission trip to Ecuador. A good friend of mine, who sat on an admissions committee for many years, once told me that some of the most interesting candidates he ever interviewed made themselves stand out by using a gap year to acquire unique experience. There is no one perfect path. Just as everyone’s college experience is unique, every gap year is unique as well. If you’re really not sure, check with your university of interest to see what their policies are about taking time off. Three short years after starting college, I’ve already had to begin considering whether I’ll take time off before graduate school. Twelve months isn’t very long, just like four years (shockingly) isn’t very long; and ultimately, whether or not you take a gap year after high school won’t determine whether or not you succeed in life, whether you’ll be happy, or even whether you finish your education. Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Courtney Tran is a student at UC Berkeley, studying Political Economy and Rhetoric. In high school, she was named a National Merit Finalist and National AP Scholar, and she represented her district two years in a row in Public Forum Debate at the National Forensics League National Tournament. |
19 Dec 2014, 18:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: GMAT Tip of the Week: Serial and Sufficiency |
 Like most offices in the United States today, Veritas Prep’s headquarters had its fair share of water cooler and coffemaker discussions about yesterday’s final episode of the Serial podcast. Did Adnan do it? Did Jay set him up? Why does Don get a free pass based on a LensCrafters time-card punch? Does Best Buy have pay phones? The one answer we can give you is “we used MailChimp” so there’s that at least. The other answer we can give you? Sarah Koenig would do pretty darned well on Data Sufficiency questions, where often it’s just as important to determine what you don’t know as it is to determine what you do. While the internet buzzed with theories certain that Adnan did it, that Jay did it, that a recently-released serial killer did it, Koenig was often ridiculed for being so noncommittal in her assessment of whether Adnan is guilty or not. But that’s an important mentality on Data Sufficiency questions, as one of the common ways that the GMAT will bait you is giving you information that seems overwhelmingly sufficient (The Nisha call! The phone was in Leakin Park!) but that leaves just enough doubt (Why did Jay’s story change so much?) that you can’t prove a definitive answer. And like the jury in the Serial case, we all have that tendency to jump to conclusions (“well if he didn’t kill her, who did?”) and filter out information that we don’t like (Christina Gutierrez’s performance…). This Serial-themed Data Sufficiency problem should exemplify (forgive the lack of subscript formatting, but a sequence problem in a Serial blog post seemed fitting): The infinite (serial) sequence a1, a2, …, an, … is such that a1 = x, a2 = y, a3 = z,a4 = 3 and an = a(n-4) for n > 4. What is the sum of the first 98 terms of the sequence? (1) x = 5 (2) y + z = 2 As people unpack the mystery in this problem, they start to see what’s going on. If an = a(n-4), then each term equals the term that came four prior. So the sequence really goes: x, y, z, 3, x, y, z, 3, x, y, z, 3… So although it looks like a pretty massive mystery, really you’re trying to figure out x, y, and z because 3 is just 3. And here’s a common way of thinking: Statement 1 is not sufficient, but it gets you one of the terms. And Statement 2 is not sufficient but it gets you two more. So when you put them together, you know that the sum of one trip through the 4-term sequence is 5 + 2 + 3 = 10, so you should be able to extrapolate that to the whole thing, right? Just figure out how many trips through will get you to term 98 and you have it; like the Syed jury, you have the motive and the timeline and the cell phone records and Jay’s testimony, so the answer has to be C. Right? But let’s interview Sarah Koenig here: Sarah: The pieces all seem to fit but I’m just not so sure. Statement 2 looks really bad for him. If we can connect those dots for y and z, and we already have x, we should have all variables converted to numbers. Literally it all adds up. But I feel like I’m missing something. I can definitely get the sum of the first 4 terms and of the first 8 terms and of the first 12 terms; those are 10, and 20, and 30. But what about the number 98? And that’s where Sarah Koenig’s trademark thoughtfulness-over-opinionatedry comes in. There is a giant hole in “Answer choice C’s case” against this problem. You can get the sequence in blocks of 4, but 98 is two past the last multiple of 4 (which is 96). The 97th term is easy: that’s x = 5. But the 98th term is tricky: it’s y, and we don’t know y unless we have z with it ( we just have the sum of the two). So we can’t solve for the 98th term. The answer has to be E – we just don’t know. Now if you’ve heard yesterday’s episode, think about Dana’s “think of all the things that would have to have gone wrong, all the bad luck” rundown. “He lent his car and his phone to the guy who pointed the finger at him. That sucks for him. On the day that his girlfriend went missing. That’s awful luck…” And in real life she may be right – that’s a lot of probability to overcome. But on the GMAT they hand pick the questions. On this problem you can solve for the 97th term (up to 96 there are just blocks of 4 terms, and you know that each block sums to 10, and the 97th term is known as 5) or the 99th term (same thing, but add the sum of the 98th and 99th terms which you know is 2). But the GMAT hand-selected the tricky question just like Koenig hand-selected the Adnan Syed case for its mystery. GMAT Data Sufficiency questions are like Serial…it pays to be skeptical as you examine the evidence. It pays to think like Sarah Koenig. Unlike Jay, the statements will always be true and they’ll always be consistent, but like Serial in general you’ll sometimes find that you just don’t have enough information to definitively answer the question on everyone’s lips. So do your journalistic due diligence and look for alternative explanations (Don did it!). Next thing you know you’ll be “Stepping Out!!!” of the test center with a high GMAT score. This message presented by Mail Chimp. Send us a high five. Are you studying for the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! By Brian Galvin |
22 Dec 2014, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: The Power of Routine: 3 Tips To Improve Your ACT Score |
 Once you have acquired the toolbox of skills and knowledge you need to do well on the ACT, there is one more valuable strategy to help you do well on test day: routine. Routine is one of the more underestimated elements of test-prep, but it can be a powerful aid in preparing for test day. Routine will help you conquer your nerves and walk into test day prepared and confident. Routine works to improve your test score on a few levels. It gets your body physically accustomed to test day conditions as well as works to quell the nerves (your biggest enemy on test day can be anxiety). Routine is powerful! Here are a few ways in which you can establish a routine that will help you score better on test day. Sleep Schedule: You want to ensure that you know exactly how your body and mind will feel on test day. Establishing a good sleep schedule in the weeks before the test will play a crucial role in this. If you’re used to sleeping in until 10am and taking your practice ACT at 11am, it will come as a shock to wake up at 6am on test day. You will know your test time weeks before the actual exam; work on getting your body accustomed to the sleep schedule that this test time requires. “Test” Practice: You can work to simulate testing conditions in a number of ways. If you’re scheduled to take your ACT on Saturday at 8 am, practice waking up at 6am, driving to another location, sitting down, and taking a practice exam four Saturdays before the test. The more times you do the routine, the more comfortable you will feel on test day. If you can practice at your actual test center, that’s great! Be sure to account for timing and standardized breaks. Nutrition: Food is a critical part of routine that is often forgotten. Hunger can distract your attention from the exam, so be sure to figure out what kinds of snacks you need to bring. This plays a significant role on test day, from the breakfast you eat, to the snacks you bring, to the amount of liquids you consume. Everyone is different, so it can be helpful to test out what kinds of breakfast keeps you full and satisfied throughout your exam. While it may seem trivial, making sure you stay hydrated without over-hydrating is important too; no one wants to feel uncomfortable during testing. These three simple tips for establishing a routine will help you feel more comfortable on test day. Once you’ve established a routine, you can walk into your actual test day feeling more confident and you’ll know exactly what to expect. Happy Studying! For more tips on acing the ACT and getting into the most competitive universities in the nation, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Sarah Smith is a Pre-med, Bioethics major at Northwestern University. She’s editor in chief and co-founder of the student health magazine and enjoys being involved in various clubs around campus. Sarah is passionate about education and enjoys learning and teaching. She enjoys helping Veritas Prep students prepare for the ACT! |
22 Dec 2014, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Finding the Last Two Digits on GMAT Quant Questions - Part II |
 Let’s continue the discussion of last two digits we started last week. We discussed the concept of pattern recognition and how it can help us determine the last two digits in case of numbers raised to some powers. Today we look at what happens when there is no pattern to determine! What if we are asked to determine the last two digits of the product of a bunch of numbers. We know that getting the last digit in this case is very easy – just multiply the last digits of the numbers together. But last TWO digits would seem much more complicated. Actually, we can find the last two digits quite easily in most such cases by using the concepts of remainders. There are two concepts you need to understand before we go on to see how to solve such questions: I. When you divide a number by 100, the remainder is formed by the last two digits of the number. Say, you divide 138 by 100, the remainder will be 38 (last two digits). Take another example – divide 1275 by 100, the remainder will be 75 and so on. II. When you divide (px + a)(qx + b)*…*(tx + e) by x, the remainder will be the remainder obtained by dividing a*b*…*e by x. This should remind you of the binomial theorem we discussed many weeks ago. When we multiply all these terms together (px + a), (qx + b) etc, each term obtained will have at least one x except the last term which is obtained by multiplying the remainders together. To get a better idea, let’s take some numbers: Let’s say we need to find the remainder when we divide 12*23*52*81 by 10. K = 12*23*52*81 = (10 + 2)*(20 + 3)*(50 +2)*(80 + 1) When you multiply these four terms together, you will get many terms such as 10*20*50*80, 10*20*50*1, 10*20*2*80 etc. All these will have a multiple of 10 except the last one. The last one will be 2*3*2*1 = 12. That doesn’t have a multiple of 10. Now divide 12 by 10 to get the remainder 2. So when you divide K by 10, the remainder will be 2. Now, let’s look at a question: Question 1: What are the last two digits of 63*35*37*82*71*41? (A) 10 (B) 30 (C) 40 (D) 70 (E) 80 Solution: Using concept 1, we know that to find the last two digits, we need to find the remainder we get when we divide the product by 100. Remainder of (63*35*37*82*71*41)/ 100 Note that we can simplify this expression by canceling out the 5 and 2 in the numerator and denominator. But before we do that, here is an important note: Note: We cannot just cancel off the common terms in the numerator and denominator to get the remainder. But, if we want to cancel off to simplify the question, we can do it, provided we remember to multiply it back again. So say, we want to find the remainder when 14 is divided by 10 i.e. 14/10 (remainder 4). But we cancel off the common 2 to get 7/5. The remainder here will be 2 which is not the same as the remainder obtained by dividing 14 by 10. But if we multiply 2 back by 2 (the number we canceled off), the remainder will become 2*2 = 4 which is correct. Take another example to reinforce this – what is the remainder when 85 is divided by 20? It is 5. We might rephrase it as – what is the remainder when 17 is divided by 4 (cancel off 5 from the numerator and the denominator). The remainder in this case is 1. We multiply the 5 back to 1 to get the remainder as 5 which is correct. So keeping this very important point in mind, let’s go ahead and cancel the common 5 and 2. We need the Remainder of (63*7*37*41*71*41*5*2)/10*5*2 Remainder of (63*7*37*41*71*41)/10 Now using concept 2, let’s write the numbers in form of multiples of 10 Remainder of (60+3)*7*(30+7)*(40+1)*(70+1)*(40+1)/10 Remainder of 3*7*7*1*1*1/10 Remainder of 147/10 = 7 Now remember, we had canceled off 10 so to get the actual remainder so we need to multiply by 10: 7*10 = 70. When 63*35*37*82*71*41 is divided by 100, the remainder is 70. So the last two digits of 63*35*37*82*71*41 must be 70. Answer (D) Next week, we will see some more complicated questions using these and other fundamentals. 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! |
23 Dec 2014, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: How to Show Fit at Kellogg School of Management |
 The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University is one of the top graduate business programs in the world. The school’s reputation for team-based learning and development of graduates with strong interpersonal skills has kept Kellogg at the top of various business school rankings over the last few decades. With a track-record of delivering a high volume of candidates to dream MBA careers in management consulting and marketing, Kellogg year in and year out is one of the most popular business schools for applicants. Kellogg over the years has taken a unique approach to the application process with a focus on bringing in candidates that exhibit a strong fit with the school. Whether it is the new video essay or the fact that the school interviews every candidate, Kellogg is the one school where every candidate has a chance to showcase their fit. Here are some of the best ways to showcase fit at Kellogg: Highlight Interpersonal Skills Kellogg more than any other school seeks to build and develop a community based around strong interpersonal skills and a social mindset. There is a reason the school interviews every candidate and has now even incorporated a video essay into the application process. Kellogg is known for its unique student-led culture that emphasizes collaboration. What is even more unique about this collaborative mindset the school craves in candidates, is that Kellogg is not just seeking team players but instead applicants with a track record as leaders of teams. So utilize these various touchpoints to showcase your leadership and teamwork skills, which are points of emphasis in the Kellogg application. Self-reflection and maturity are also critical areas that the school clearly targets in applicants; the essay questions clearly prompt candidates to explore these areas, so take the bait! Knowledge of Kellogg Programs Want to know what Kellogg loves more than anything? Candidates who actually have done research on the program! Too often applicants submit generic wants and needs from target programs that could embody hundreds of other programs. Get specific on which academic, extra-curricular, and social programs drive your interest in the school while connecting the dots to your short and long-term career and personal development goals. Students at Kellogg are incredibly engaged throughout their time at the school and as alums, so showcase your track record of engagement in the past as well as plans for how you plan to add value to the greater Kellogg community in the future. Get Personal Kellogg really wants to get to know you. You know how I know this; they use every application component to assess fit. Whether it is through the deeply personal essays, the universal interviews of every applicant or the fit focused video essays, Kellogg is trying to piece together who you are. Show the school that you are open and honest and can dive deep into your motivations for not only pursuing an MBA but one at the Kellogg School of Management. Use the different application components to provide insights into how you handle people and problems in your personal and professional arenas. Don’t forget this is a professional application for grad school so make sure to link your personal anecdotes to real world skills and lessons and you will be standing out from the competition at Kellogg in no time. Want to craft a strong application? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today. Click here to take our Free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation! As always, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on 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. |
24 Dec 2014, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: SAT Tip of the Week: You'll Want To Avoid These Errors On Test Day |
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One of the most difficult things to teach students is how to avoid careless errors. Very few things are as frustrating as looking down at an answer sheet on the SAT and seeing that your process was correct for arriving at the right answer and yet some small error made you choose the wrong answer. Careless errors are in insidious blight on those who wish to achieve at the highest level on the SAT. Here are a few simple, practical steps that can be taken to ensure that you are being judged on your process not on some small arithmetic error. 1. Circle the answer choice. One of the easiest careless mistakes to make is simply answering for a variable that the question does not require. Luckily this is also one of the easiest mistakes to avoid. Simply circle of the desired variable or unknown and draw an equal sign next to it. This will ensure that you do not move on from this problem until you can complete that equation. 2. Check work as you go. Checking work as you go is not only one of the keys to efficiently and effectively attack the math section, it is also one way to ensure that you avoid careless errors. This can take a number of different forms. Mainly, this manifests as an awareness of what you are writing so that you don’t engage in any copying or arithmetic errors. If you find yourself to be a fairly quick math student you may want to attempt problems with two different approaches to see if you can arrive at the same answer. This is not practical for the entirety of math section as it would nearly ensure that you would run out of time. However, it can be an effective tool if solving a problem does not lead to a plausible outcome. Which leads to the next step. 3. Ask yourself, “Does this answer makes sense?” It is always important to ask yourself this. You will want to question whether the answer is plausible given the other numbers in the problem and the parameters of the problem. If the answer choice doesn’t make sense, or the answer is not represented in the answer choices, it’s a good indication that you may have made a careless error. 4. Use the calculator to double check arithmetic. In general using calculators to solve problem should be avoided as it can lead to calculator reliance, but using your calculator to check arithmetic can be an effective tool to prevent careless errors. 5. Refer back to the problem to avoid copying errors. This tool is the personal life saver. Another extremely common careless error is simply copying down the wrong numbers. All that must be done is to look back at the problem and previous equations to make sure that you’re copying correctly. In a glance you can see if you wrote a two instead of a three and change the mistake before it causes further mischief. 6. Be systematic. Use columns and lines to ensure that your work stays organized. Organization in the way equations are set up helps to ensure that no careless errors are occurring. This is actually specifically hard for students who are particularly good at mental math or who consider SAT math easier than what they are used to. Because of this, many students do not work the problems as systematically as the hard Calculus problems that they encounter at school. This is a trap! The SAT has many multistage problems that require students to keep track of a number of other derived quantities or details from the problem in order to ascertain a solution. This is a lot to ask of a brain and can get really confusing if your paper is not organized. Line up all numbers in arithmetic problems in columns, write out every step and look at what you have written to be sure it matches what you meant to write. This practice of looking for errors will make you more vigilant and better able to spot mistakes if they do happen. Careless errors are not “stupid mistakes”, they are simply mistakes. While it is most important that students are able to apply the concepts that they are taught in classes, a firm grasp of concepts is not useful if the equations do not produce the right answer. In order to make sure the right answer is reached, students must be meticulous and on the look out for their own errors. With this level of awareness, students need never again look at a careless mistake and will dominate the exam. Happy Holidays! Plan on taking the SAT soon? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! David Greenslade is a Veritas Prep SAT instructor based in New York. His passion for education began while tutoring students in underrepresented areas during his time at the University of North Carolina. After receiving a degree in Biology, he studied language in China and then moved to New York where he teaches SAT prep and participates in improv comedy. Read more of his articles here, including How I Scored in the 99th Percentile and How to Effectively Study for the SAT. |
25 Dec 2014, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Happy Holidays from the Veritas Prep Family! |
 From our family to yours, Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Thank you to all of our loyal readers, students, instructors, and consultants for another incredible year. We cannot wait to see what 2015 has in store for us. It’s going to be an exciting year! Good luck to those of you finishing up your Round 2 MBA applications. You’re almost there! Don’t forget to take a few minutes for some needed relaxation with your family this week. Best wishes for ringing in the New Year, The Veritas Prep Team |
26 Dec 2014, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: GMAT Tip of the Week: It's Always Darkest Before Sunrise |
 With the winter solstice behind us here in the Northern Hemisphere, you’re probably noticing that the daylight is starting to return; this week we begin the steady climb toward summertime and you’ll see a few extra minutes of daylight after work each week from here until June. For many GMAT applicants, the darkest days of the year in December and early January match with the darkest days of their admissions journey, hustling to post a competitive GMAT while also scrambling on essays for Round 2. But this, too, shall pass. If your New Year’s Resolution is to make 2015 the year that you ace the GMAT, you can take a lesson from this time of year. The darkest points always give way to enlightenment, and that secret will get you through some very difficult GMAT problems. There are two very common structures for challenging GMAT quant problems: 1) It looks easy, but the last step or two are tricky. 2) It looks impossible, but once you’ve found the right foothold it gets easy quickly. This post is all about #2, those problems where it looks incredibly dark right up until that moment that you reach enlightenment. Veritas Prep’s own Jason Sun recounts the first quant question en route to his official 780 score: “I stared at a nasty sequence problem for probably 45 seconds with my jaw open thinking ‘there’s no way to solve this’. Then I remembered the strategy of starting with small numbers and finding a pattern, and 10 seconds later the answer was obvious.” That’s common on the GMAT, and step one for you is to realize that problems are designed to look like that. When things look darkest, have faith that they’ll clear up. Here are a few ways that that occurs on the GMAT. Calculations look awful, but work themselves out before you get to the answer. Consider this problem: If the product of the integers a, b, c, and d is 1,155 and if a > b > c > d > 1, then what is the value of a – d? (A) 2 (B) 8 (C) 10 (D) 11 (E) 14 Upon first glance, 1155 and four variables might look really messy. But take the first step – you know it’s divisible b y 11 and that you have to factor it. 1100 is 11*100 and 55 is 11*5, so you have 11*105. And 105 is much easier to divide out since it ends in a 5. That’s 21*5, which is 7*3*5. Once you’ve factored it down, it’s 11*7*5*3, which are all prime, so when 1 has to be less than any of these, that’s exactly a, b, c, and d. You need the biggest minus the smallest, and 11-3 is 8. What may have looked like a big, intimidating number was actually not so bad once you took the first step. It’s always darkest before the light goes on. The problem is abstract, but comes into focus when you test small numbers. What is the units digit of 2^40? (A) 2 (B) 4 (C) 6 (D) 8 (E) 0 2^40 is an insanely large number. You’ll never be able to calculate it. But if you take the first few steps with small numbers, you’ll see a pattern: 2^1 = 2 2^2 = 4 2^3 = 8 2^4 = 16 2^5 = 32 2^6 = 64 2^7 = 128 2^8 = 256 And since you only care about the units digits, you should see a pretty firm pattern emerging. 2, 4, 8, 6, 2, 4, 8, 6. If you repeat through this pattern, you’ll see that every 4th number is a 6, and since 2^40 will be the finish of the tenth run of that every-fourth-number cycle, the answer has to be 6. The GMAT loves to give you problems with big or abstract numbers that seem unfathomable, but if you test properties with small numbers you can often find a pattern or some other way to determine what you have. It’s always the last place you look. Another common theme is specific to geometry problems – the GMAT often constructs them so that a seemingly irrelevant piece of information (like the measure of a far, far away angle, or the area of a figure when you’re only solving for the length of one line) is crucial to the answer…it’s just that you don’t even consider filling in that piece of information that seems so far away from what you’re really trying to solve for. So FILL IN EVERYTHING! Even if it seems irrelevant, fill in every piece of information you can solve for and you’ll give yourself a better shot of finding that unlikely relationship that cracks the code. You’re not supposed to be able to solve for it, but you can estimate or use answer choices. Plenty of GMAT questions beg you to do some horrifying math, but if you look at the answer choices ahead of time you can see that they’re either spread incredibly far apart and ready to be estimated or they have easy-to-plug-in properties that allow you to just test them. It’s crucial to remember that the GMAT isn’t a test of pure math, but of problem solving using math. Heed this advice: if you think the calculations are too detailed to do in two minutes, you’re probably right. That’s when you should look to estimate or backsolve. So if your GMAT study sessions are growing longer as the daylight does, keep this wisdom in mind. It always looks darkest before sunrise, and the same is true of many tough GMAT quant problems. As you struggle through practice problems, pay attention to all those times that the solution wasn’t nearly as bad as it seemed it would have to be upon first glance. Are you studying for the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! By Brian Galvin |
26 Dec 2014, 12:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: 4 Things to Consider if You Are on the Waitlist for MBA Admission |
 You’ve taken the GMAT, polished up your essays, and secured that final recommendation and finally submitted what you thought was the perfect application. Unfortunately when decision day came around you did not receive that highly coveted “ADMITTED” message or even the dreaded “DENIED” message. So did the admissions team forget to give you a decision? No, you are in the b-school applicant’s version of purgatory, you’ve been WAITLISTED. Now, being waitlisted is of course not the desired outcome when you submit an application but look on the brighter side, your application is still in play. Now what do you do next? Generally, a spot on the waitlist is a positive reflection of your candidacy by the admissions team but there was something in your application that made the committee reluctant to admit you outright. I’ve seen candidates with fantastic work experience, sterling recommendations, and top GMAT scores be placed on the waitlist. Schools are generally very tight-lipped when it comes to sharing details but issues can range from unclear career goals, to lack of impact at work to a weaker academic profile. The first step is to decide whether you even want to remain on the waitlist. Each school has a different protocol when it comes to how they handle their waitlist so the first step is determining what rules apply. So if you have received admission elsewhere with a pending decision timeline or simply do not want to wait around for an answer, follow the relevant directions that apply to your situation. Now, assuming you want to remain on the waitlist, review the application you have submitted and take inventory of the strengths and weaknesses of your submission. Some schools will provide feedback but many will not so this review may fall upon you, the applicant. Once you have determined potential weaknesses in your application it is time to see what you can change in the limited time you may have before a final decision is rendered. Let’s look at the different levers you can push to improve your profile. GMAT: Does your GMAT not fit comfortably in the school range? Is it below the average score? If so, it may be time to take the GMAT again. Set a timeline and determine whether you will have enough time to prep and take the exam. Academic Performance: Low GPAs and lack of analytical coursework (or within your work experience) can be seen as red flags on your profile. Identifying additional coursework at local universities, community colleges, or even online schools may help address concerns about your academic readiness. Work Experience: Have you received a promotion or new and increased responsibilities since submitting your application? If so, this is a great addition to your profile. Show the admissions committee that you have the requisite leadership and teamwork skills they are looking for and that you are making an impact at your organization. Interest/Fit: Does the school know how much you want to be there? Make sure your interest is clear. Engage with the school to highlight your desire to matriculate. Many schools will provide a point of contact in the department for waitlist candidates, use this person as your personal champion to help get you off the waitlist. Reach out to personal contacts who are students, alums, or professors who may be able to send letters of support in your favor. However, make sure to follow the directions provided by the school. Certain schools want to limit contact with candidates and are only truly looking for substantive updates so please keep this in mind as you activate your waitlist strategy. Leverage all of these additions to your profile to enhance your application and escape the waitlist. Want to craft a strong application? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today. Click here to take our Free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation! As always, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on 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. |
29 Dec 2014, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Finding the Last Two Digits on GMAT Quant Questions - Part III |
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As promised last week, we will look at another question which involves finding the last two digits of the product of some random numbers. In this question, along with the concepts discussed last week, we will assimilate the concept of negative remainders too discussed some weeks ago. Let’s recap the concepts before we see the question: I. When you divide a number by 100, the remainder is formed by the last two digits of the number. II. When you divide (px + a)(qx + b)*…*(tx + e) by x, the remainder will be the remainder obtained by dividing a*b*…*e by x. III. We cannot just cancel off the common terms in the numerator and denominator to get the remainder. But, if we want to cancel off to simplify the question, we can do it, provided we remember to multiply it back again. These three were discussed with examples last week. IV. When m is divided by n and a negative remainder (–r) is obtained, we can find the actual remainder simply as (n – r). This is discussed with examples in this post. Now, let’s solve a question involving all these concepts. Question: What are the last two digits of (301*402*503*604*646*547*448*349)^2 (A) 96 (B) 76 (C) 56 (D) 36 (E) 16 Solution: We need to find the last two digits of the product. It means we need to find the remainder when we divide the product by 100. Find remainder of (301*402*503*604*646*547*448*349)^2/100 Note that 301 = 300 + 1 which gives us a small remainder 1 to work with but 349 = 300 + 49, a large remainder with which calculations will become cumbersome. But note that 349 is close to 350. All the numbers in the product are quite close to a multiple of 50, if not to a multiple of 100. We need to find the remainder of: (301*402*503*604*646*547*448*349)*(301*402*503*604*646*547*448*349)/100 This implies we need to find the remainder of: (301*201*503*604*646*547*448*349)*(301*402*503*604*646*547*448*349)/50 We cancel off a 2 (of 402) from the numerator with a 2 of the denominator to make the divisor 50. We will multiply the remainder we obtain by 2 back at the end. We need the remainder of: (300 + 1)*(200+1)*(500+3)*(600+4)*(650-4)*(550-3)*(450-2)*(350-1)* (300+ 1)*(400+2)*(500+3)*(600+4)*(650-4)*(550-3)*(450-2)*(350-1)/50 Note that in this product, all terms obtained will have a multiple of 50 except the last term obtained by multiplying the remainders together: We need: the remainder of 1*1*3*4*(-4)*(-3)*(-2)*(-1)*1*2*3*4*(-4)*(-3)*(-2)*(-1) / 50 the remainder of (12)*(24)*(24)*(24) / 50 Notice now that the remainders are far too great but they are close to 25. So let’s bring the divisor down to 25 by canceling off another 2. We need: the remainder of (6)*(24)*(24)*(24) / 25 the remainder of (6)*(25-1)*(25-1)*(25-1) / 25 Again, the only product we need to worry about is the last one obtained by multiplying the remainders together: the remainder of 6*(-1)*(-1)*(-1) / 25 The remainder is -6 which is negative. To get the positive remainder, 25 – 6 = 19. But remember that we had divided the divisor twice by 2 so to get the actual remainder, we must multiply the remainder obtained back by 4: the actual remainder is 4*19 = 76 Answer (B) 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! |
30 Dec 2014, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: How to Identify Your Career Goals for MBA Applications |
 An MBA can open tons of doors for students who are looking to break into careers they never thought possible. The opportunities, the networking, and the access can offer unparalleled career choices to budding MBAs in some of the most exclusive industries in the world. Many applicants struggle to find the balance in deciding which careers they think they should list in their application as opposed to those they truly wish to pursue. It does not have to be one versus the other. The value of a great MBA program is that you can get pretty close to having it all, but it starts with introspection, self-reflection and research. Before we dive into that aspect, it’s helpful to understand the formula with which MBA programs typically look at your career goals. So lets start with the first formula for your short-term goals. Admissions will determine whether your pre-MBA academic career + pre-MBA work experience + their MBA program will equal your short-term career goals. Now for the formula for your long-term goals which is pre-MBA academic career + pre-MBA work experience + their MBA program + short-term career goals = long-term goals. For both formulas admissions is looking to assess whether your goals are logical given your background and realistic given the expected growth you will encounter at their program. If they don’t feel their MBA program can help you reach your career goals than this is a red flag. Now understanding that as an applicant you must connect the dots for admissions, how do you figure out what you really want to do? I propose starting very broad; think about what you would do if money or experience were not a factor. Would you work at the circus or in sports or travel for a living? Think about the things you enjoy doing in your free time or that hold a particular passion for you. Next, get a bit more reflective and think about where you excel professionally: is it as a communicator, leader or analytically? If possible, think even from a functional perspective to gain additional clarity. Now, identify the job that combines your personal and professional passions. If you are great at finance, but love sports, maybe a career as a General Manager of a Pro Sports team is the career for you. Take this approach to identify what a realistic MBA dream career would be. But how do you get to a realistic short-term goal? Just work backwards, start by researching people in similar roles as your dream long-term career. Find out what steps they took to reach these goals and identify what relevant short-term goal would be realistic given your background. Focus on developing at least functional or industry skills through your short-term goal that will allow you to present your long-term goals as a realistic option. If focusing on industry vs. function, focus on whichever you have the least experience in pre-MBA so you are covering all of your bases. Finding your dream job is never easy but utilizing your MBA to get closer to your long-term career should be the target of every MBA applicant. Want to craft a strong application? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today. Click here to take our Free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation! As always, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on 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. |
31 Dec 2014, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: SAT Tip of the Week: New Year, New You, New Score |
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Everyone makes a few New Year’s resolutions. Most of them are about getting in shape, reading more, and other activities that improve one’s livelihood. In 2015, if you are a high school student gearing up to take the SAT, you should start it off with a different sort of resolution. Resolve to study one hour each day until the test on Saturday, January 24th. Unlike most resolutions, this one is measured and specific – if worked on diligently it will result in tremendous gains. The SAT may not change your life, but jumping up in score by 200 or 300 points can really enhance your portfolio for perspective colleges. It can mean thousands and thousands of dollars in scholarship money and better odds for admission at selective universities. Getting a high score on the SAT is your chance to differentiate yourself from other similar applicants and showcase your aptitude to admission committees. It all starts with this New Year’s resolution. Take the time each day to study your vocab, practice your math strategies, improve your essay structure, and enhance your reading comprehension abilities. While it may seem daunting, here is how you should break it down: 1. Start every day off with vocabulary for fifteen to twenty minutes. Whether it is learning new words, reviewing old ones, or doing a mix of both, this time will be well spent. Vocabulary is a crucial aspect of the SAT, with nineteen questions testing you solely on your ability to memorize and understand random words. The only way to succeed is to put in the time and learn these words. Fifteen to twenty minutes a day will get you on the right track. 2. Split time doing practice problems of the various components of the SAT. Aim for two practice essays a week to hone and sharpen those skills. In terms of the other sections, build up your weaknesses. While it may be fun to do all math sections if you are scoring in the 700’s already, your time is much better spent improving reading comprehension and writing. Balance out the sections, to make sure you are improving in every single one. Plus, if you are in the 500 to 600 range for a section, it’s a lot easier to boost your score than if you are already close to perfect. 3. Review old practice tests. Each weekend try and set aside five extra hours to take a simulated test that should mirror exact testing conditions. It will be well worth it! If you are taking the test January 24th, an hour a day is 24 hours total (excluding practice tests). That’s literally just one day out of your entire life. Isn’t it worth it to spend one day to take your score to the next level? The SAT can make or break your college decision. So with 2015 coming in, make it a goal to spend one hour each day. The results will surely follow. Happy New Year! Still need to take the SAT? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Jake Davidson is a Mork Family Scholar at USC and enjoys writing for the school paper as well as participating in various clubs. He has been tutoring privately since the age of 15 and is incredibly excited to help students succeed on the SAT. |
01 Jan 2015, 14:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Warning: Don't Fall Into the C Trap on Data Sufficiency Questions |
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Studying for the GMAT can take over your life. I’m sure many of you are nodding your heads as you read this. If you’re not, you probably haven’t gotten there yet. I sincerely hope that you never do, but it is an almost unavoidable part of studying for this test. Eventually, you start correcting artists in songs (I got one less problem without you… more like one fewer problem) and wondering if your table number is a prime number (how about table 51… oops that’s divisible by 3). The first time you catch yourself using a GMAT specific term, you know you’re really deep in studying for this exam. Most of the terms you hear are just general math and verbal times that you’ve seen before, but likely not in many years (“gerunds” and “isosceles” come to mind immediately). However, some expressions exist only on the GMAT. As an example, have you come across the term “The C trap” yet? This idiom is used to describe the erroneous assumption that answer choice C is disproportionately chosen on Data Sufficiency questions. As a quick reminder, this choice indicates “both statements taken together are sufficient to answer the question, but neither statement alone is sufficient”. (If you knew it verbatim by heart, congratulations, you’re in GMAT mode). Why do people select this choice on roughly 30-40% of their data sufficiency questions? The answer is that, since you have two independent statements to evaluate, choosing to use both typically gives you the maximum amount of information. Of course, that doesn’t mean that using both statements is what will provide sufficient information to answer the question. It also doesn’t mean that you can’t get the same information from only one of the two statements. Despite this, test takers consistently feel most comfortable picking answer choice C than any other choice on questions where they’re unsure how to proceed. It seems as if answer choice C makes them feel safe. Unfortunately, time and time again, it’s a trap. Let’s look at question that highlights this issue: An animal shelter began the day Tuesday with a ratio of 5 cats for every 11 dogs. If no new animals arrived at the shelter, and the only animals that left the shelter were those that were adopted, what was the ratio of cats to dogs at the end of the day Tuesday? (1) No cats were adopted on Tuesday. (2) 4 dogs were adopted on Tuesday. (A) Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked (B) Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked (C) Both statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question asked; but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient (D) EACH statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question asked (E) Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient to answer the question asked, and additional data specific to the problem are needed Let’s begin by taking stock of what we know. This question is asking about ratios. At a certain shelter, the ratio started off as 5:11 for cats : dogs. During the course of the day, some animals were potentially adopted. The question asks about the ratio at the end of the day. The most important thing to note here is that we being with a ratio but not absolute numbers, which means if we get ratios (i.e. half the cats got adopted) we might know the end ratio. If we get absolute numbers, we have almost no chance of having sufficient data. The stimulus gives us no further information, so we need to start looking at the statements. For simplicity’s sake, let’s start with statement (1). Remember that you can always start with statement (2) if you prefer (or if it seems easier) as both statements are independent. The first statement tells us that no cats were adopted. However, we don’t know anything about the dogs (other that they’re four legged mammals). This statement alone will clearly be insufficient. We can eliminate answer choices A and D. Looking now at statement 2, we know that exactly four dogs were adopted over the course of the day. This statement will suffer from the same problem as statement 1: we have no information about the cats. This statement will be insufficient on its own, and answer choice B can be eliminated as well. Looking now to combine the statements, we can consider that the number of dogs dropped by four while the number of cats remained the same. Since we know about both animals, many people believe that the two statements together are sufficient. This would be true if we knew the actual number of each animal at the beginning of the day. Regrettably, we only know the ratio of one to the other, meaning that a change in absolute number is meaningless. To use concrete numbers, there could have been 5 cats and 11 dogs at the beginning of the day, and the loss of four dogs would change the ratio to 5:7. Just as likely, we had 50 cats and 110 dogs at the beginning of the day, and the new ratio would be 50:106 (which we could simplify to 25:53 for completeness’ sake). Since either of these scenarios (and a dozen more) is possible, the answer must be answer choice E. The statements together do not provide enough information. There is one caveat worth mentioning with ratios. Since the ratio does not tell us about absolute numbers, adding 10 or subtracting 15 is meaningless because we don’t know the original numbers. There is, however, one interesting exception: If you added 5 cats and 11 dogs, then the ratio would naturally remain unchanged. Indeed, as long as the change was in the ratio of 5:11, the ratio would be known: still 5:11. If the ratio deviates in any way, this does not hold. Interestingly, for subtraction, this problem does not occur because removing 5 cats and 11 dogs introduces the non-negligible possibility that there are now 0 cats and 0 dogs left at the shelter. In general, absolute number data is meaningless on ratios. Keep the one exception (adding by the exact same ratio) in mind when considering these types of problems. In general, people are far too enticed by answer choice C on Data Sufficiency questions. Indeed, answer choice E was the most common answer for this question, but choice C was not far behind. Having more information is always tempting, even if it has almost no bearing on the actual question. Many students report feeling more secure selecting answer choice C, especially if they don’t know the answer and are guessing (educated guess, hopefully) the correct answer. The problem is that the test makers know that answer choice C is the most popular answer choice and specifically design problems to lure you to that conclusion. However, (as admiral Ackbar warned in 1983) it’s a trap! Plan on taking the GMAT soon? We have GMAT prep courses starting all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Ron Awad is a GMAT instructor for Veritas Prep based in Montreal, bringing you weekly advice for success on your exam. After graduating from McGill and receiving his MBA from Concordia, Ron started teaching GMAT prep and his Veritas Prep students have given him rave reviews ever since. |
02 Jan 2015, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: The 411 on GMAT Testing Accommodations |
 Several of my students have asked about the process of requesting testing accommodations for the GMAT, so I thought it’d be helpful to organize the relevant information in one place, along with a brief overview of what to expect. Who is eligible for testing accommodations? Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. The GMAC recognizes several categories of disabilities that may warrant testing accommodations, including:
What kinds of accommodations are offered? The most common accommodations are:
Read the GMAT Handbook Supplement for Test Takers with Disabilities and follow the instructions about creating a profile and submitting the appropriate documentation to Pearson VUE (which administers the GMAT) via fax or snail mail only. There is no extra charge for testing accommodations, but you must submit the standard $250 test fee along with your application. Keep in mind that the GMAC requires more than just an official diagnosis before granting testing accommodations; they need an in-depth examination of how your disability is affecting you currently, and why the requested accommodations are necessary and appropriate relative to your disability. Documentation guidelines for the various categories of disabilities are available here. Once your application is received, you’ll get an email confirming that the process is underway, and then it’s time to play the waiting game. How long does the application process take? Usually they will get back to with their decision within 7-10 business days, but officially they give themselves a cushion of 26-30 calendar days. It’s important to note that you must apply for accommodations before scheduling your test date; they will not grant testing accommodations to an already scheduled test date. If you want to check on the status of your application, the GMAC Testing Accommodations Department can be reached via email at testingaccommodations@gmac.com, or via phone at 1-800-466-0450. Once a decision has been made regarding your application, you’ll get an email notification with the results. If accommodations are granted, then it’s time to actually schedule your exam. Only certain testing centers are designated to handle testing accommodations, and there are a limited number of slots available at any given time, so you can’t schedule the exam online yourself. You’ll have to call to leave a message for a scheduling specialist, and then someone should call you back within 3 business days to find an appropriate test location and date for you. I don’t have a disability but I’m always running out of time on the GMAT. Can I get extra time? Pretty much everybody would love some extra time on the GMAT, myself included. It’s a challenging test, and lots of people have issues with pacing. Accommodations are designed to provide equal access to people who are truly disabled relative to the general population. Pacing issues alone don’t qualify someone for extra time. Some other things to keep in mind Don’t want until the last minute to apply for accommodations. The whole process of getting the proper documentation, submitting it to Pearson, awaiting their response, and then scheduling the exam is fairly involved, so give yourself plenty of time to do it. I had one student with a diagnosed learning disability who decided to apply for testing accommodations only after he had already taken the GMAT twice and hadn’t gotten the score he wanted. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time before his b-school application due date to apply for accommodations, so he had to take the exam without any. (Fortunately, we got his score up to where it needed to be anyway—yay!) The point is, if you think you might be eligible for accommodations, start getting your documentation together and submit the application as soon as possible. Some accommodations can be a double-edged sword. Extra time is great, right? Except that more time on the GMAT also means more time to get fatigued and stressed out. Another student of mine had double time, meaning that he took the test over two consecutive days. But after the first day, he was convinced he had bombed the quant section (which turned out not to be the case), and as a result he barely slept that night and was exhausted for the verbal section on day two. Whatever the accommodation you’re applying for, just don’t expect it to be a panacea. Helpful links https://www.mba.com/us/the-gmat-exam/about-the-gmat-exam/why-take-gmat-exam/register-test-taker-disabilities.aspx https://www.gmac.com/gmat/prepare-candidates-for-the-exam-classroom/accomodations-for-test-takers-with-disabilities.aspx Are you studying for the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! By Ryan McGorman |
05 Jan 2015, 09:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Bringing Back the Lazy Genius to Solve GMAT Questions! |
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Those of you who have seen the previous version of our curriculum would know that we had tips and tricks under the heading of ‘Lazy Genius’. These used to discuss innovative shortcuts for various questions – the way very smart people would solve the question – without putting in too much effort! Today, let’s bring back the beloved lazy genius through a question. Try to solve it lazily i.e. try to do minimum work on paper. This means making equations and solving them is a big no-no and doing too many calculations is cumbersome. Question: A tank has two water pumps Alpha and Beta and one drain Gamma. Pump Alpha alone can fill the whole tank in x hours, and pump Beta alone can fill the whole tank in y hours. The drain can empty the whole tank in z hours such that z>x. When the tank was empty, pumps Alpha and Beta started pumping water in the tank and the drain Gamma simultaneously was draining water from the tank. When finally the tank is full, which of the following represents the amount of water in terms of the fraction of the tank which pump Alpha pumped into the tank? (A) yz/(x+y+z) (B) yz/(yz + xz – xy) (C) yz/(yz + xz + xy) (D) xyz/(yz + xz – xy) (E) (yz + xz – xy)/yz Note that you have variables in the question and the options. Since we are looking for a lazy solution, making equations out of the variables is not acceptable. So then, should we plug in numbers? With three variables to take care of, that might involve a lot of calculations too. Then what else? Here is our minimum-work-solution to this problem; try to think one of your own and don’t forget to share it with us. Plugging in numbers for the variables can be troublesome but you can give some very convenient values to the variables so that the effect of a pump and a drain will cancel off. There are no constraints on the values of x, y and z except z > x (drain Gamma empties slower than pipe Alpha fills) Let’s say, x = 2 hrs, y = 4 hrs, z = 4 hrs What did we do here? We made the rate of Beta same as the rate of Gamma i.e. 1/4 of the tank each. This means, whenever both of them are working together, drain Gamma cancels out the work of pump Beta. Every hour, pump Beta fills 1/4th of the tank and every hour drain Gamma empties 1/4th of the tank. So the entire tank will be filled by pump Alpha alone. Hence, if y = z, pump Alpha fills the entire tank i.e. the amount of water in terms of fraction of the tank pumped by Alpha will be 1. In the options, put y = z and see which option gives you 1. Note that you don’t have to put in the values of 2, 4 and 4. We gave those values only for illustration purpose. If y = z, xy = xz. So in option (B), xz cancels xy in the denominator giving yz/yz = 1 Again, in option (E), xz cancels xy in the numerator giving yz/yz = 1 The other options will not simplify to 1 even though when we put y = z, the answer should be 1 irrespective of the value of x, y and z. The other options will depend on the values of x and/or y. Hence the only possible options are (B) and (E). But we still need to pick one out of these two. Now let’s say, x = 4, y = 2, z = 4.00001 ( z should be greater than x but let’s assume it is infinitesimally greater than x such that we can approximate it to 4 only) Rate of work of Gamma (1/4th of the tank per hour) is half the rate of work of Beta (1/2 the tank per hour). Rate of work of Gamma is same as rate of work of Alpha. Half the work done by pump Beta is removed by drain Gamma. So if pump Beta fills the tank, drain Gamma empties half of it in that time – the other half would be filled by pump Alpha i.e. the amount of water in terms of fraction of the tank pumped by Alpha will be 1/2. Put x = z in the options (B) and (E). The one that gives you 1/2 with these values should be the answer. Again, you don’t need to plug in the actual values till the end. If x = z, yx = yz (B) yz/(yz + xz – xy) yz cancels xy in the denominator giving us yz/xz = y/x = 2/4 = 1/2 (E) (yz + xz – xy)/yz yz cancels xy in the numerator giving us xz/yz = x/y = 4/2 = 2 Only option (B) gives 1/2. Answer (B) Even if you end up feeling that this method is complicated, try and wrap your head around it. If you do, you are on your way to becoming a lazy genius yourself! 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! |
05 Jan 2015, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Your Timeline to Success on the ACT |
 Junior year can be challenging. Especially with the looming presence of standardized tests. For all those planning on taking the ACT, the first step towards success is simple: create a study timeline for your exam. Most students opt to take the ACT some time during their junior year. While test prep time will vary student to student, a good rule of thumb is to start preparing about 5-6 months in advance. Keep in mind that you may need to take the exam more than one time. Six Months Before Figure out if the ACT is the right exam for you! Test prep experts, like our Veritas team, are a great resource to help you figure out whether you should take the SAT or ACT. Test prep experts can pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses in standardized testing and direct you accordingly. If you chose the ACT, this is also the time to take a practice exam to establish your baseline score. Knowing your baseline score will allow you to create a realistic target score. Your baseline score can also help guide your choice of test prep courses. This is the time to choose your course and talk to an expert about what course will best fulfill your learning needs. Veritas Prep offers three general kinds of ACT prep courses: Full Course, Private Tutoring, and On Demand. The 36 hour Full Course offers all live instruction. Private tutoring can be adjusted to your personal schedule and can also be in person or online. The On Demand Course offers HD video lessons that allow you to pause, fast forward, and rewind your lessons. Most ACT test prep courses run for about 6 weeks. Four Months Before Practice, practice, practice! Test prep courses will provide you with the foundation of essential skills you need to do well on the exam. Four months before the exam you should feel familiar with the exam and start focusing on specific strategies to improve your weaker areas. This is also the time to choose your test date. Looking forward to the rest of the 2015 academic school year, ACT administration dates are:
Two Months Before Once you’ve completed the bulk of your test prep course, this is the time to take lots of practice exams and become very comfortable with the test. If there are still areas of the exam you feel uncomfortable with, this is a great time to really zone in on specific strategies with a tutor. Otherwise, you should focus on taking full-length exams. Once you feel comfortable with specific strategies and skills, the best thing you can do to prepare for the exam is to take full-length tests under real testing conditions (silent, no interruptions, timed, etc.). The Night Before Do not try and cram the night before. While it may be tempting to keep pushing yourself, keep in mind that you have studied for months for this exam. The night before the exam is a good time to relax so you feel well rested and ready to achieve success on your ACT! For more tips on acing the ACT and getting into the most competitive universities in the nation, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Sarah Smith is a Pre-med, Bioethics major at Northwestern University. She’s editor in chief and co-founder of the student health magazine and enjoys being involved in various clubs around campus. Sarah is passionate about education and enjoys learning and teaching. She enjoys helping Veritas Prep students prepare for the ACT! |
06 Jan 2015, 13:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: How to Create an Alternative Resume and Successfully Switch Careers |
 Many students enter business school with plans to make major career transitions post-MBA. Traditional recruiting can do a lot to help students career switch into target industries, but many recruiters remain focused on specific functional experience. For students that are making bigger career changes, creating an alternative resume is a great option to increase your competiveness in tough industries. But what is an alternative resume? It lists work or functional experience created during your time in business school used to supplement your traditional resume. It can showcase to employers skills and expertise not exhibited in your past work experience. The three key components of any alternative resume will include academic coursework, experiential learning, and internships. Coursework By aligning your coursework on functional areas that you need to develop in your chosen career path you can not only tighten up subject area knowledge but can also network amongst professors, guests, and other students to make industry inroads. Part of creating an alternative resume is to showcase your competencies to prospective employers. But one must gain the competencies first so take your in-class experience seriously as you need to make sure you can “talk the talk” as you never know who will be able to help you out. Experiential Learning The best academic experiences often occur outside the classroom. Participation in experiential learning opportunities does not only build your real-world skill level but also provides you with a direct connection to companies and decision makers in your target industry. Popular experiential learning initiatives at most schools include Venture Labs, Start-Up Labs, and Asset Management practicums. Internships Internships are probably the best way to prove your skills in a given industry. But don’t just sit back and wait for the traditional summer internships. Utilize fall, spring, and winter internships to consistently develop your skills throughout your MBA experience. Take ownership of your career by following these tips to create the perfect alternative resume! Want to craft a strong application to get into business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today. Click here to take our Free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation! As always, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on 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. |
07 Jan 2015, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: SAT Tip of the Week: Should You Take the Test in 2015 or 2016? |
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There is a new SAT debuting in 2016 by College Board. It is more progressive and will better reflect student’s intelligence and aptitude. While still very coachable, the new SAT will not be as easy to boost your score to such extreme levels as the old one. What I mean by this is with the right preparation and study habits, a student can go up by 300 or 400 points from their initial practice test on the old SAT. However, on the new SAT, students will be able to see large increases in their score with the right tutoring and preparation, but 400 point jumps will be much more infrequent. If a student is still on the fence about taking the old one versus the new one, I would say it depends on how much one wants to prepare. It comes down to understanding the type of student you are and in what way you succeed. If school doesn’t come as easy to you and you spend hours studying for tests, you will fare better on the old one. On the other hand, if sitting down to study for months does work for you, the new test is better. There is one caveat that exists with both tests. No matter how smart you are, it’s very hard to obtain an elite score on either test without a lot of guided preparation. The SAT is just not one of those things anyone really skates by on natural intelligence, even with the progressive changes. Here a couple key changes you will see on the SAT in 2016: Vocabulary Words in Contest: On the new SAT, College Board says you won’t have to memorize a bunch of obscure words that you will never use again. While this is good for your sanity and productivity in the grand scheme of things, vocabulary provided a great opportunity for any student to bump up their score if they put in the time to prepare for it. On the new test the vocabulary will be similar to what you see on passaged based reading now. It will ask you what the word most nearly means in context. Understanding vocabulary will still be a crucial component of the new test, but there won’t be an easy 50 to 100 point boost from vocabulary that you used to have. No Wrong Answer Penalty: There will be no penalty for wrong answers on the new test. On the old test, you got docked a quarter of a point for every wrong answer. That is not the case on the new one. This allows you to guess at will. However, if more students start guessing and hitting on correct answers, the curve will go up a bit. If you have prepared and wouldn’t use this new feature too often, I highly recommend taking the old test. New Essay: The old test essay was extremely coachable. Any student, with the right training could be taught how to write a 10-12 essay. While this will still be possible on the new SAT, it will take a lot more time and training to get a 10-12 type score if you are not a naturally gifted writer. It still can happen, but the new SAT definitely favors stronger writers for this section. There are other key changes to the SAT in terms of Math and Reading Comprehension, but these will be just as coachable as the old test. What it comes down is if you put in three months of studying under the right guidance of Veritas Prep, your efforts will be better rewarded on the old test than the new one. Still need to take the SAT? We run a free online SAT prep seminarevery few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Jake Davidson is a Mork Family Scholar at USC and enjoys writing for the school paper as well as participating in various clubs. He has been tutoring privately since the age of 15 and is incredibly excited to help students succeed on the SAT. |
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