hey there

Question

is jones or a better school or wisconsin madison?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ConquertheGMAT,

First off, a 640 is a solid score (it's just shy of the 80th percentile overall), so it might be enough to get you into your first choice Business School. Since you were able to raise your score 100 points your own, it stands to reason that you could probably raise your scores further though (with the proper resources and some additional study time).

I'll be happy to offer some suggestions, but I'd like to know a bit more about your studies and your goals first:

1) How long have you studied?
2) What materials have you used?
3) When are your application deadlines?
4) Do you know which Schools you're planning to apply to?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

SonofAnarchy · Answer

Hey Rich,

to answer your questions

1. I studied for a solid 3 and a half months
2. Manhattan Guides, Powerscore CR, SC Grail, Official Guides and whatever downloads, pdfs and forum questions I could find on GC
3. I was planning to apply in R1 which was due in Late sept-early Oct
4. I'm planning to apply to Tuck, Fuqua, NUS Singapore, ISB India, Kellogg, Booth & Columbia (the last two are swappable with the first five schools)

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ConquertheGMAT,

You've named some highly competitive Programs, so it's understandable that you might want to retest.

Given your general timeframe and deadlines, the 50 days you've allotted to continue studying should be enough to help you make the necessary adjustments to how you handle the GMAT (and raise your scores). Using your Official GMAT as reference, you have the potential to pick up points in BOTH the Quant and Verbal sections. However, since you've been studying for 3+ months, you've likely developed some 'bad habits' that will take some time to get you out of.

Have you scheduled your next GMAT yet?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

SonofAnarchy · Answer

No, I have not scheduled it yet. Was going to schedule it tomorrow. The heartache is too much to handle today

Why do u ask?

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ConquertheGMAT,

For many Test Takers, choosing a specific time of day (and day of the week) to take the GMAT can be quite beneficial. What day/time combination did you choose for your last GMAT? What day/time combination are you considering for this next attempt?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

SonofAnarchy · Answer

For the 540 attempt I chose the 11 AM Tuesday slot
For the 640 attempt I chose the 2 PM Saturday slot.
Only these two slots are available at the nearest Centre.
For the reattempt i'll choose the 11 AM slot perhaps on a weekend.

VeritasPrepDennis · Answer

ConquertheGMAT,

A few things to think about in scheduling your exam. First, if you are a more of a morning person, choose the 11 am slot; if you need some time to wake up, choose the 2 pm slot. For whichever slot you choose, attempt your practice exams around the same time so that you can simulate the actual test experience as much as possible. Secondly, you will want to track your incorrect answers on the practice exams so that you can determine your weakness and also help you to highlight silly errors you might have made. Finally, to achieve a score in the realm you are shooting for will require you to use better "reasoning" more so than a better understanding of the concepts.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi ConquertheGMAT,

I've never been a 'fan' of taking the GMAT on a Saturday (especially if you work a Monday-Friday schedule). If you have no choice in the matter, then I would suggest that you take the 11am slot AND take that Friday off from work (vacation day, sick day, personal day, etc.) so that you can relax a bit the day before your Official GMAT.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

GMATPILLBILL · Answer

Hey ConquertheGMAT Congrats on bumping up your score. And props to you for getting back on the grind. In the next 50 days, use this customized one month study plan to help boost your score: https://www.gmatpill.com/gmat-practice-t ... study-plan Use this as a guideline. You don’t have to follow it exactly but the structure of the study plan should be the same structure that you take in your approach. This helps to optimize your retention and learning. As you study, we recommend that you focus on one particular subsection for multiple consecutive days before moving onto the next. You can see this in our study plan where we recommend 5 days on nothing but SC -- before moving onto CR and then RC. Best of luck - and we are here to help.

OptimusPrepJanielle · Answer

Hi ConquertheGMAT,

640 is not at all the end of the world. And that jump from 540 is commendable! Things get a bit tricky now because by now you must be quite fatigued and also the margin of improvement narrows with each retake. But that's no reason to give up. If your studies are well planned, consistent, and efficient, there's no reason to not improve. For your practice tests and on test day, divide your time in intervals so that you know at designated times whether you're working too fast or too slow. Take your practice tests under exam conditions so that the scores aren't inflated (If you take breaks or only do isolated sections the score can be higher than normal). While studying, include time to analyze your practice questions and practice tests results. Understand the question type you missed, why you missed it, and whether or not it was a guess. Leave some time toward the end of your studies to revisit the questions that you missed or gave you an extra challenge. Work them out again and see if you make the same mistakes or see them in a new way.

Good luck!

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