Getting started

Question

I'm targeting Fall 2012 and plan to get started by taking the GMAT soon. I'm a little confused by the time line of various events and was hoping to get some questions answered.

I saw a few threads on this forum about info sessions and school visits. School visits happen after application right? Typically during the interviews? Given I'm targeting Fall 2012, when should I attend the info sessions - this year or next? Are info sessions targeted towards immediate applicants? I'm sure some of these questions are silly and have been answered before, but I'm a n00b to this forum and honestly feel a little overwhelmed by the information here

Apart from taking the GMAT and improving my profile, what else should I do at this point to get started?

Av · Answer

Welcome to GMAT Club. By Fall of 2012, are you referring to matriculation or application? In either case, here's my advice regarding school research.

1) Read everything you can find online to narrow down your list of schools by specialty, culture, etc.
2) Attend information sessions locally for any of your target schools. You'll find that these sessions are filled with people in all stages of the application process, many of whom have not taken the GMAT yet.
3) Visit campus during the school year prior to fall when you intend to apply. This will leave you with fresh examples of what you enjoyed about the school and why you want to apply. If the school offers self-initiated on-campus interviews, like Kellogg, Tuck, and Duke, it's much more economical to visit during the fall of the year that you are applying. You can attend the information session and class visit before your interview, which may actually help you convey your enthusiasm in the interview.

Unfortuantely, the GMAT is inconvenient and largely unrelated to the rest of the application process. The more you research schools, the more prepared you'll be to write your essays convincingly. Don't worry about the timing too much, just have fun exploring your options.

staind · Answer

Since you have an such an early start I would forget about everything and focus exclusively on the GMAT. Kill that beast and then start worrying about the real stuff.

bschool2014 · Answer

Thanks! I'm planning to matriculate in 2012. Should I do school visits this year or next?

Posted from my mobile device

Av · Answer

This class year would be a great time to visit then. As staind mentioned, you should wait until you're finished with the GMAT before you get too involved with visits and research. You should have plenty of time to finish the GMAT and arrange for campus visits in Spring 2011.

Getting started

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