Knowing club members - Introduce Yourself here

Hi,

My name is AJ. I'm a manager in the IT industry with 5 years experience and plan to apply for MBA in fall 2006. I'll be taking the GMAT at the end of July. Looks like SC and RC are my biggest areas in need of improvement.

Hi Everyone,

This forum is great !

I am French, 28, hold a master in International business from a French business school. 3 years of experience as International sales rep and now as International sales manager.

I aim to get 600 at least, plan to get the exam in sept. Need to focus on the math section, my biggest fear.

I plan to enroll a top MBA in Beijing (China) and work in a top consulting firm there.

Hi All, found this forum when doing some preliminary research on GMAT on Google. My name is Andrew and I'm from Austin, TX. I've been in the tech industry since graduation, I spent my last 4 years in the semiconductor industry doing ASIC simulation and verification, it's pretty much just pure software with detail exposure into the hardware.

My education background is in computer engineering, I got a BS and MS in ECE from Carnegie Mellon, managed to do both degrees in 4 years (which isn't uncommon actually).

I'm just contemplating with the idea of B-School, for those interested I keep a blog and I've recently been working through a series of inquries to figure out what it is that I should really be doing, I don't exactly enjoy my work anymore...

Well, that's that, nice meeting you all, and I look forward learning from my fellow forum members.

--Andrew

Hi everybody,
I'm an Indian aiming for 700+in GMAT.Last month I took GMAT
but could mop up only 510(41Q,19V),after175hrs of preparation.I feel utterly depressed.I've just found this forum & overwhelmed by its content; Can anybody guide me in following fields,
1)I'm a full time worker.I can spend max 20 hrs in 7 days . From today onwards when should I schedule my 2nd attempt?(I'm now eyeing for GMAT only,regardless of admission itinerary).
2)Should I take it by 2005,otherwise ACT may change the test pattern FOLLOWED BY ETS
3) I've got these materials
KAPLAN2005 +CD
PR2005+CD
KAP800
PR VERBAL(JUST PURCHSED)
PROF DAVE BOOK+CD
OG(LAST TIME I GOT THIS 5 DAYS PRIOR TO MY TEST)
IS PAUL AROUND.

Hi everyone,

I'm female, 33 and deciding late in the game that yeah, I do want my MBA after all... For years I thought "I didnt need it" because I had a good job in high-tech, good pay, etc etc, so why go back to school.

The difference is most of my career was in marketing and now its in strategy... after 3 years in strategy, I could definitely review business principles and applications... and look forward to class/case study discussions.

Currently based in Europe but all previous schooling was in the US.

Sadly did awful on GMAT...
a) first attempt: tried to get every problem correct and studied that way, versus studying how to take a timed test. I KNOW that my first 12-13 questions on the math were perfect... but then I got to the hard ones too fast (normally in practice tests the real hard ones are the last questions you do)... so I ended up taking too much time in the middle, and rush cannot explain the speed I had to do the last 10 questions.

b) second attempt: the second and third questions on both math and verbal, for whatever reason, gave me pause... and uncertainty... and if you screw up in the beginning, you lose your chance at a good score.

So, I am at 590 now aiming for 700.

Any of you that have confidence building tips...please share. I'm nervous about doing the third attempt and have found that I do not have the desire to study as I did before...

Hello, everyone,
In your letters to this forum, it seems that some of you are taking the test multiple times without a change in either test-taking strategy or study patterns. You should know that all of your last 3 scores are seen by the colleges and universities to which you apply.
Take the GMAT only once more if you are dissatisfied with your score, but wait until you are thoroughly ready before you take it.
One of the students on this forum mentioned that she had taken the GMAX Online course, and that it was a "Godsend" for her. Most of our students have the same reaction. We allow you to study properly for the test, teaching content that is constantly tested, and making you aware of the pitfalls within each question, so that you know how to avoid the traps set within the answer choices. This course is dedicated to teaching you so much, that you even understand the points that you are being tested on when you see a question.
If you have any questions about the GMAX Online course, or would like some personal advice about studying for the test, you can contact me at info@gmaxonline.com.
Leanna,
Director, GMAX

hi every one i took the GMAT on 26 july 2005
i got below 550 and i was very disappointed
but later in the day i recieved a call from ETS that there was some technical problem with the test
can anyone tell me more about it
what will happen now??

I am a 28 year old male, originally from Azerbaijan, but have been living the US since 1994. I hold BS in Finance from Oklahoma State University, and my GPA is 3.97. I have 5 years of oil and gas experience including BP AMOCO and IBM Consulting, but would like to switch my career to a career in venture capital. I'm targeting HBS. My first GMAT attempt - a disappointing 650 (Q49; V29)- is 90 points below what I expected and what I target. I will retake the test next month. I will cover my prep and GMAT experience soon in the appropriate sections of this forum.

Hi everyone,

nice knowing u all.

i have been following this site for 2 months now and got to know abt it from Google. i must say that was a lucky day for me!!

let me introduce myself. i am Zarreen from Bangladesh. many of u may not have any clue where this Bangladesh is well, its a very small country just beside India. i now live in NJ after getting married.

I did my BBA with a major in Finance from Bangladesh and worked for American Express Bank there. I worked there for three and a half years as a Corporate and FX trader before moving here .

I have never sat for my GMAT so don't have any idea how much i'd score. but trying to work hard for a 700+. i want to get admitted to NYU. but sometimes i wonder if my work experiance of 3 and a half years only is good enough to get admitted to NYU and also i have not been working for more than a year now (as my visa status doesn't permit me to work). Can someone give me any advice on this? it'd be of a lot of help hearing from u all..

anyways, best of luck to all of u... u want to know what my favourite saying is??...... when the going gets tough, the tough gets going

Regards
Zarreen

Hhmmm... okay, legal disclaimer: I don't know jack about visas so please talk to someone who does before doing anything.

Does NYU have an optional essay? If so, use it! The standard problem/solution route should work great. Problem: can't work. Solution: look how creative I am, I helped all these people, coordinated all these projects, etc.

The main issue is how much free time do you have available between now & when your applications are due?

Two suggestions for resume & optional essay filler during your no-work period:

(1) Volunteer Work. Non-profit organizations, community-based groups, small biz centers, etc. Most places are always looking for skilled volunteers to help coordinate stuff. Even a couple of hours a week would help your cause.

(2) Real Work. Can you still legally work in Bangladesh? If so - and assuming you won't jeopardize your visa - why not team up w/one of the consulting/contracting firms over there that gets contract work off elance, guru, etc. Think globally, telecommute. Again, the goal here isn't really quantity - a couple of good quality projects should suffice.

Good luck!

thanks tgmbithotu, that was a great help. in fact i've been thinking abt doing some voluntary work. contacted some, started working with one, yet to get responses from others.

i can still work legally in bangladesh. but as the telecommute is not so advanced, organizations still haven't started working that way.

i really hope the voluntary work counts.

i haven't thought about the optional essay before. but after u mentioned, i'll definitely take the option.

thanks a million for the advice.

Continuing w/the volunteer angle: Just be upfront w/people. Tell 'em you're in the process of applying for b-school, but are in a bind b/c you can't work and need some serious filler. It doesn't have to be a big/important project (or projects) - it just needs to sound like one. lol

There's always RedCross stuff ... but w/winter coming up, and oil prices so high, there's also a strong need for winter-related drives (blankets, jackets, etc). Talk to one of the community-based and/or church groups that doesn't already have an annual drive. These projects are fairly easy to organize if you partner w/the right people. IE, radio for PR, local chain stores for drop-offs, local shelters for picking up the drop-offs, etc. ... Make sure you stick w/the project & really learn how you're helping people. Specific names & stories are great filler, IMHO.

And as for my introduction... I'm scouting this board as I prep for my retake.

Initial scores, last spring: 640 / 36Q 41V, 5.0 AWA. This was a major OUCH! because I normally fall into the "quant" category. This time around my verbal percentile was nearly DOUBLE my quant. ... Not a bad overall score, I know. And okay, I knew better than to take the test w/minimal prep, but man, like I said... OUCH!

I have a not-so-illustrious undergrad career to make up for, including two bad (and I mean baaad) grades in econ & stats - hence the extra push for a strong quant score. My major GPA was around 3.75, but my overall was closer to 3.2.

To make matters worse, my #1 choice is the school I nearly flunked out of as a freshman. (Left after 2 semesters) So even though my 640 is probably good enough for its part-time program, I feel I reeeally need to present a strong package to overcome the strikes already against me. ... I've pushed back my app date until next year so I can also squeeze in econ & stats classes @ the local junior college - back to school I go! ... And yes, I plan to take advantage of any & all optional essays. :)

As for work, I'm an entrepreneur in the real estate / mortgage servicing area, primarily working w/Fortune 500 companies. Serve on the boards of two mid-sized non-profits, and have been on a handful of industry task forces. Seriously, nothing incredibly special, but looks pretty good on paper.

One of the key moves a person can make is to get a very high GMAT score. If the MBA programs see a top grade, they are certainly impressed. Many times, a combination of excellent application essays, a fine resume, serious recommendation letters, and a very high GMAT score will get a person entrance into the world's top universities, despite average grades at university.
Have you studied properly for the GMAT yet? Check out the links to the demo lessons of GMAX Online. They are available in the GMAT Club review of the course.
Good luck,
Leanna

Hi Y'll,

I'm quite new to this site, although I've known about it for almost a month now. This is the first time I've spent more than 30 mins on this site, but, as I see everyone's comments, I'm hoping to learn a lot from it.

Ok, My name is Lomesh (an Indian), BE Computer Science & Engg and have been working in IT industry as a Programmer/Analyst for more than 5 years out of which 2 years in US. Currently in Atlanta, GA.

I came to know about this site from a friend who recently took his GMAT. I'm hoping for 700+ but since I haven't taken my first practice test yet, I don't know where I stand. I still haven't decided a date for my GMAT. I'm reading PR2005 right now and just finished Verbal SC section.

I'm planning for Part-time MBA and which is why want to get into Top B-schools. Kellogg, Chicago, Stern might good options if I can get in.

Since I'm in my very begining state, I need some help picking out right material.
Like I said I only have PR2005 right now...
I'm going to buy OG 11th...

What else do I need apart from these 2 to reach my goal ??

Any guidance tips would be helpful...

appreciate it guys...
Let's get through this together...

--Lomesh

Hi all,

This is jyotsna from Hyderabad...........have been workin as a consultant in bangalore since the past 2 yrs........m all agog about makin it into a a reasonably gud b-school ,preferably in Asia........
Gave the Gmat on the 3rd of oct.......it culminated in a score of 530..........
the split being 45- quant and 20-verbal.................the verbal score is very depressing..........Cracking critical reasonin and RC is like a hurculean task for me.........i never seem to get them rite no matter how much practice goes into it..........I plan to retake the test in december again...............n m still tryin to figure out as to how i can improve on CR& RC.

while i was preparin for the gmat i banked completely on kaplan's course material and the OG......................that apart i solved the gmat 800 bykaplan............and also the online material provided by Kaplan
M not too sure about what other material i shud be solving to get cracking....................

would be glad if i can get some assistance on this............

thanx a bunch

hi all,

i am bhaskar ( pary) . i have done a PGDBA(finance) from symbiosis through correspondence, but guess that dosent count much. i want to give GMAT may be in dec05 or jan 06, is there sufficient time for preparation??? i havent even started , though i have bought some books namely kaplan, kaplan maths work book and OG.
but going by jyotsna's experince it seems to be a tough nut to crack , any advises anyone on how to go about preparing so as to be able to have a decent score if i give the exam in dec -jan???
looking forward to some workable suggestions
regards
pary