trivium wrote:
I have a very unusual career background (read three years of freelance project management in educational technology, followed by three years teaching). I have a tight narrative and strong essays, but my 3.5 GPA and 720 (Q45, V44) has placed me right in the middle at top ten schools, and that's really not enough for someone with an untraditional work history and no hooks. I have to compete with consultants and bankers, after all. An admissions consultant I spoke with recommended I retake, since a 730+ would make me stand out as a domestic applicant and would give me a shot at the top schools. This also seems to be verified when you look at the data for top schools, where a 730 doubles your chance of acceptance over a 720:
https://www.mbadataguru.com/blog/admissi ... -analysis/I've submitted 4 applications so far, two (including my first choice) in the top 10. I prepared on and off over the summer, mostly practice tests. My average for quant ranged from 46-50, my averages for verbal from 41-46. My totals ranged from 710 to a 770. But when I took the test today, I walked out again with a 720 (Q47, V41). I realize that's a great score, but it's not enough to get me in to the top 10s where I applied.
Since I thought this might happen, I scheduled a second date before taking it for late November. That will give me a chance to score higher before final decisions are made in December. But I can't waste my last chance. What can I do in the next six weeks to really improve my score so I don't have to rely on "getting lucky" on the test day? I want to walk in there confident I'll do really well and not just hope I get the right questions. Without a better score, there's a chance I won't get into any of my schools, so the pressure's on.
Dear
trivium,
I'm happy to respond.
First of all, on the drop you experienced from your practice tests, see this blog:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2014/lower-on-t ... ice-tests/Follow the links at the end of the blog to the articles on stress reduction techniques. If you can integrate all of that over the next six weeks, that alone might be enough to give you the edge you need.
Also, here's a one-month study plan: this keeps an intense pace, which you can relax a bit because you have six weeks:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/1-month-gm ... -schedule/Part and parcel of following that plan would be getting a
Magoosh account, and the good news is that you qualify for our score guarantee:
https://gmat.magoosh.com/score-guaranteeEither you get a 770 or above, or you get all your money back! Not a bad deal at all!
Just so you get a sense of
Magoosh, here's a sample DS question:
https://gmat.magoosh.com/questions/1016Here's a sample CR question:
https://gmat.magoosh.com/questions/3110When you submit your answers to those, the following screen will have a complete video explanation of the question. Each one of
Magoosh's 800+ GMAT practice questions has its own VE, for accelerated learning. That instant feedback is exactly what you need to polish all the little points that will put your score into the next level.
I hope you find all of this helpful. Even if you decide not to use
Magoosh, please devote yourself to those stress reduction techniques: the difference they make is larger than one might expect.
Best of luck, my friend.
Mike