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sapphire07
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Are prep courses very effective? 13 Dec 2011, 21:30
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I'm seriously debating whether or not to take a prep course. I was going to apply to programs this winter, but I ended up scoring much lower on my actual GMAT exam than my diagnostic! I was going to cram with self-study for the next few weeks and take the test in January, but I'm thinking it may instead be better to study seriously for a few months. I want to achieve a score over 700.

I would love to hear feedback about study methods and prep courses, including what you have found to be most effective. I don't mind paying a few thousand for the prep course, but only if it's actually going to help me increase my score more than self-study would.

Thanks in advance!!
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Are prep courses very effective? 13 Dec 2011, 23:41
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sapphire07
I'm seriously debating whether or not to take a prep course. I was going to apply to programs this winter, but I ended up scoring much lower on my actual GMAT exam than my diagnostic! I was going to cram with self-study for the next few weeks and take the test in January, but I'm thinking it may instead be better to study seriously for a few months. I want to achieve a score over 700.

I would love to hear feedback about study methods and prep courses, including what you have found to be most effective. I don't mind paying a few thousand for the prep course, but only if it's actually going to help me increase my score more than self-study would.

Thanks in advance!!
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How much were you scoring in your diagnostic/ practice CATs? If you were already in the 670+ range, then there might not be much need for prep courses. You could easily work your way towards a 700. However, if you tend to procrastinate, then enrolling in a prep course would be advisable. Make sure try out a class before paying up. As for the type of prep, I believe that a couple of months of solid, balanced prep is better than a gung-ho 2-4 weeks of trying to cover as much as possible.

You might want to take a look at the GMAT Prep Course Reviews and Study Plans
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Are prep courses very effective? 14 Dec 2011, 09:46
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What type of course are you thinking about? in person or live online or on demand?
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sapphire07
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Are prep courses very effective? 14 Dec 2011, 15:57
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sapphire07
I'm seriously debating whether or not to take a prep course. I was going to apply to programs this winter, but I ended up scoring much lower on my actual GMAT exam than my diagnostic! I was going to cram with self-study for the next few weeks and take the test in January, but I'm thinking it may instead be better to study seriously for a few months. I want to achieve a score over 700.

I would love to hear feedback about study methods and prep courses, including what you have found to be most effective. I don't mind paying a few thousand for the prep course, but only if it's actually going to help me increase my score more than self-study would.

Thanks in advance!!

How much were you scoring in your diagnostic/ practice CATs? If you were already in the 670+ range, then there might not be much need for prep courses. You could easily work your way towards a 700. However, if you tend to procrastinate, then enrolling in a prep course would be advisable. Make sure try out a class before paying up. As for the type of prep, I believe that a couple of months of solid, balanced prep is better than a gung-ho 2-4 weeks of trying to cover as much as possible.

You might want to take a look at the GMAT Prep Course Reviews and Study Plans
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Thanks for the advice! I actually scored 630, then 600, then even lower! My score seemed to be decreasing the more I studied. However, I was only doing practice math problems out of the OG. I've since purchased the 8 MGMAT strategy guides.
I'm trying to decide if a class will help me improve my score more than self-study. I would like to take the test for a second time within the next few months.
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sapphire07
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Are prep courses very effective? 14 Dec 2011, 16:00
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What type of course are you thinking about? in person or live online or on demand?
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I'm trying to find out which type of course people have found to be most effective. I'm open to any type of course through whichever company. Thus far, I've heard good things about the MGMAT course (live).

I plan to take the test for a second time in the next few months. I want to score in the 700s, so I'd like to know if people have found that their scores improved more with classes, in addition to self-study.

I'd appreciate your suggestions! Thanks!
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