From 680 to 680 : disappointed and need advice

Question

Background: I am a final year student from a good engineering college (CGPA: 9.27/10) and is currently placed as software developer with Amazon India (ll join in June). My purpose to give GMAT right now was to overcome the hurdle as I had plenty of time (apparently, I thought so when I started with preparation). I am aiming for ISB, wharton, INSEAD,Booth, Kellogs, Ross and other such schools (after 3-3.5 years). Motivation for GMAT: :-D

Stellar school. Stellar life after that. Chilled out experience at work place before MBA, and no worry of GMAT. I don't have a girlfriend and wants to find one at the school. :lol:

GMAT Preparation: Gmatprep 1 (old edition) : 680 (given with zero preparation, not even the hint of what comes in exam) Gmatprep 2 (old edition) :710 (after solving OG12) MGMAT1 :650 MGMAT2: 710 MGMAT3: 710 MGMAT4: 710 MGMAT5: 730 MGMAT6: 710 Gmatprep 1( new edition, the one available right now) :710 Gmatprep 2 (new edition): 730 I used : OG 12 n 13 Verbal review 2 Manhattan SC (only the basic chapters) for SC and didn't use any other book as such. Brunell's signature for quant. (I am pretty much comfortable with quant) Gmatprep pdfs for verbal (~120 questions each of SC, RC and CR). Expected score: 710-720 Actual score : 680 (q 49, v 33) :cry:

Test experience: I had my test on 25/04 but due to some issues with pearson's servers I have to reschedule it to 27/04. :shock:

The essay and IR went well. I completed the quant while it was still 9 minutes remaining at the clock. (I was shocked too) :roll:

Verbal section: I don't know what went wrong and when, I was expecting a descent score of 36-37 but ended up with 33 only :cry:

Aftershock: Right now, I am pretty much frustrated with myself. :oops:

I feel like none of the hard work I put during the 2 months paid as I started with 680 and ended up there only. :cry:

I missed quite a lot of last days college fun for GMAT and I don't see a use now. Guidance needed: Is this 680 is of any use. Now, I am unable to decide when should I give GMAT again. Should I give it after 2-3 years when I ll have enough experience to apply or continue studying for it and keep the score. Also, I really want to enjoy too alongside, so can you guys please suggest some strategies, which allow me to improve my score to 730-740 over the year. I want to go slow and steady now as I want to enjoy my last days at college and the beginning days at Amazon. I mean, some schedule that I follow for an year or 15 months will ensure good score and won't be too hard to follow. And the most important: I want to know what can I do now, so that in 3 years I have a stellar profile for schools.

articulation · Answer

Clubbers please help. :cry:

AbhiJ · Answer

Start Reading Non Fiction Books, Economist etc. Regarding building profile: get promoted at work, do some stuff you are interested in and not just because it will help in your MBA. Top MBA with 3 years work ex in IT will be tough. The median is like 5 years.

mohater · Answer

Remember, your benchmark is your population demographic. Given you're an indian in IT, a 680 will only work if you can make your self stand out in a big way.

That being said, your quant score doesn't need any improvement for a 700+ score. Your verbal is where you need the work (as you mentioned).

Two main things to keep in mind:
The GMAC concedes you can take the exam in the exact same conditions and score +/- 30 points. It's something the CAT faces and the org would like to reduce it, but it's the reality it has. You could take the test tomorrow and score a 740.

Also, verbal is the section where your problems are usually glaring you in the face. Do you know what subsection in verbal gave you the most trouble? Start there with a recap and re-review and move forward.

Archit143 · Answer

I would like to say 680 is not end of the world...the score to which you say "holds any meaning or not" is a dream score fr some.....Moreover..i think u r nt foccussing on ur weaknesses......
Can you provide the break up of the score on the second attempt.
Quant is already maximized....I think if u put quality effort u can score further to 38 or so on verbal. Verbal after 34, is really hard to move ahead....So catch hold of right ppl and right material...try veritas prep or MGMAT....

But before trying anyhting zero down on what are ur drawbacks...u still have a lot of time.....

Consider kudos If my post helps!!!!!!!

Archit

articulation · Answer

Thanks for the help. :-D

When I gave gmatprep without knowing a word, I scored 33 in verbal, the same score I got in the real exam. As I worked on verbal, I was able to score near 37 (+/- 1) in MGMAT CATs and the rest of gmatpreps I gave. While trying the gmatprep questions' PDFs, I was getting approximately 80% right in SC, RC and CR. However, while doing these questions I gave myself 2minutes on an average for each question (and a bit more for RC). I didn't have any specific strategy for RC and CR. CR came naturally to me and I relied on my memory for RC. Now, given that I have plenty of time, what will you suggest to get the things right, I mean, the books or other sources. :?:

I guess, I will take a 2-3 months break from GMAT right now. (My end sem exams are in May and I ll be joining the job in June)
But I want to get the goals and strategy straight right now, as I don't want this preparation till now to go in vain.

Also, throw some light on kind of profile that is desired for these schools. (community service, sports, etc etc..things apart from work that can help)

articulation · Answer

Thanks

This was my first attempt..the first time I scored 680 was my score at gmatprep, which I gave with absolutely zero preparation. My current break-up is q 49, v 33.. For MCATs I used to score around 36-38 in verbal and almost same in other gmat preps. Since, I have plenty of time, I think, I will prefer self-study. Can you suggest me some long term preparation strategy to improve verbal?

Archit143 · Answer

self study may or may not work fr u...i say this because ur scores have plateaued....and its been months u r nt able to move up further...that means there are some concepts thats unclear to you.......you need some one to point out ur mistakes...and i m sure after that u ll be able to up ur scores on verbal by 5 points atleast......But if RC is the major cause of the blockage than its very unlikely that u ll gain frm pvt tutorn......
In that u only can help urself by improving ur readn strategy....

veritas-prep-live-online-my-take-143773.html
Go thru the link...U ll find at one point of time Souviks's Score plateaued on 680 level...and what he did to up his score....

Consider Kudos If my post helps!!!

Archit

daedalus1989 · Answer

Hello!

First off, don't despair. Lot of people score 680 or lower on their first attempt, only to rebound and do better the second time. As you can see from my profile, I replaced a 690 with a 740, so I'm living proof that you can aspire for more. But I don't want to talk about that part of it right now, because I'm more preoccupied with your b-school profile question. Here is what little input I have to give (I am by no means a world renowned authority, so you can take it or leave it):

1. The Extracurriculars: 
Extracurricular activities are immensely important. I mean - they're on par with your GMAT score and your work experience in terms of their weight and relevance to your application. Schools want to see that you are self-motivated and have the internal drive to strive to change the world for the better. There is no prescription as to how to go about doing this; whether you volunteer at a local school, or at a homeless shelter, or in a hospital, or in a courthouse, or wherever it may be, the ultimate aim is to illustrate your desire to be a valuable asset to your community. A key b-school app question is: "What value can you add to our campus?" (or something to that effect). Replying that you are a smart dude, with a good GPA and stellar GMAT, as well as a hard worker who is quickly ascending the professional ladder is  no longer enough . Sure - you may get lucky, and a school may admit you in the absence of any significant extracurricular contributions, but this demographic is dwindling fast and will disappear altogether within a few years. 
NOW - this doesn't mean that you have to change the world, or spend a year abroad doing Red Cross work. All you need to do is find the act of volunteerism that speaks to you and defines you. If you start after you earn your degree, and remain involved for 2-3 years, you'll be golden.

2. The Sports:
Look - I'm a fan of sports. Really. I think that sports are great for building character and teamwork and relieving stress. Sadly, unless you play at a professional level, or a varsity college team (Division I type stuff in the US) then sports are not going to do a great deal for you. Now - if you were to organize a park league for your local community, or maybe coach a youth team in a sport that you love, then that might be of some value. However, simply being talented on the playing field will never convince the adcom that you deserve a place at their institution.

3. The Things Apart From Work:
You're clearly a motivated guy. You got a job at Amazon, you finished an engineering degree and you're thinking about an MBA. So continue being motivated! All b-schools want to see is that you're not the type to just go home and sit on your buns after work and on the weekends. They want a person that is versatile enough to have interests outside of the academic and professional spheres. So go out there and try to make a difference. Mentor kids/teenagers. Put on a play at your local theater. Do things that appeal to your inner leader.

In conclusion - the most successful MBA applicants are the ones whose stories are memorable. Studying and working has endowed you with a great deal of potential, but you need to add some color to your character. Go out and make the world better for having you in it! If you do that, even by a little bit, b-schools will take notice and act accordingly.

Best of luck to you on your GMAT re-take and in your future endeavors!

articulation · Answer

Thanks a lot.

This post has streamlined the way ahead. Thanks again.

	Manhattan Prep: $99 Bonus Score Higher on Your GMAT Exam. Guaranteed.
	Target Test Prep - Save up to $599 $400 Discount + $99 Bonus GMAT Club Tests
	e-GMAT: 60% Off on GMAT Focus Get to 735+ from any starting point
	Magoosh increases your score, guaranteed - 15% off ALL Magoosh GMAT plans with code GMATCLUB15 + Free GMAT Club Tests.
	Experts' Global - ~~$1720~~ $960 End-to-End GMAT Prep + App Support: 150+ Videos, 2000+ Questions, 15 FLTs +
	GMATWhiz - $299 ~~$499~~ Experience the course through a free trial.
	GMAT Club Tests - Free Included with every course purchase of $149+ View all deals

From 680 to 680 : disappointed and need advice

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards