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mypatpat
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Need some direction to get started. 27 Oct 2010, 14:51
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Hello All,

I've been out of university for 6 years now, recently decided to take up GMAT and have a shot at MBA admissions for next September.

After going through some of the "sticky" topics in the forum, I've purchased a copy of Kaplan Premier 2011 from amazon as a starting guide and will go forward from there. I'm still a bit lost on how to approach test and what to expect, hopefully I'll feel a bit more secure once I get into it, with the help from this community.

There are a few things in my mind now that I would like some pointer on:

- I'm not a native English speaker. However, I've lived in Canada for nearly 20 years but I don't consider my English fluent. Will I have a difficult time with the Verbal and Analytical Writing sections? Similarly for Quantitative section. As I've been out of school for 6 years and as a Project Manager, my daily math doesn't really go beyond Person Hour * Rate = Cost.

- Are there reliable and preferably free diagnostic tests that I can use ahead of my study to assess my position? It's probably best if I know what I'm dealing with before jumping into the battle...

- The early deadline for September application of a few of the business schools on my list are in February. My conceptual plan is to do my first GMAT by late December and another one in January if I'm not satisfied. Does this sound reasonably doable?

- This question may not fit for this section of the forum, anyhow, would I be at a great disadvantage if I cannot make it in the early deadline for application? The final deadline for most business schools on my list is by end of April, which gives me a few more months and trials on GMAT.

Sorry for my long first post. Glad that I found this forum and the information here are invaluable to me.

Thanks,
Patrick
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Hussain15
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Need some direction to get started. 27 Oct 2010, 22:27
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Hi mypatpat, welcome to gmat club!

I hope you will find the pool of resources & advice available here useful. My response to your queries in red below.

mypatpat
Hello All,

I've been out of university for 6 years now, recently decided to take up GMAT and have a shot at MBA admissions for next September.

After going through some of the "sticky" topics in the forum, I've purchased a copy of Kaplan Premier 2011 from amazon as a starting guide and will go forward from there. I'm still a bit lost on how to approach test and what to expect, hopefully I'll feel a bit more secure once I get into it, with the help from this community.

There are a few things in my mind now that I would like some pointer on:

- I'm not a native English speaker. However, I've lived in Canada for nearly 20 years but I don't consider my English fluent. Will I have a difficult time with the Verbal and Analytical Writing sections? Similarly for Quantitative section. As I've been out of school for 6 years and as a Project Manager, my daily math doesn't really go beyond Person Hour * Rate = Cost.
Analytical writing & verbal part of GMAT are not subject to English proficiency. There are certain concepts that need to be remembered. If you havn't gone through these, do check these threads
https://gmatclub.com/forum/best-gmat-verbal-prep-books-reviews-recommendations-78094.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/how-to-get-6-0-awa-my-guide-64327.html

- Are there reliable and preferably free diagnostic tests that I can use ahead of my study to assess my position? It's probably best if I know what I'm dealing with before jumping into the battle...
Yes, there are many free diagnostic tests like Knewton, MGMAT, Princeton Review etc. There is also a free diagnostic test from gmat club here
https://gmatclub.com/forum/gmat-diagnostic-test-quest-for-best-gmat-diagnostic-test-79502.html
I think you should consider the free tests of gmat club & MGMAT

- The early deadline for September application of a few of the business schools on my list are in February. My conceptual plan is to do my first GMAT by late December and another one in January if I'm not satisfied. Does this sound reasonably doable?
The plan depends on your availability for studies. If you can devote 15-16 hours a week, I think you can do it by the end of December, depending upon your speed & course.

- This question may not fit for this section of the forum, anyhow, would I be at a great disadvantage if I cannot make it in the early deadline for application? The final deadline for most business schools on my list is by end of April, which gives me a few more months and trials on GMAT.
Again this depends on your very own conditions. Like, if you wanna avail some scholarships, the later you apply, the less chances are there for a scholarship & financial aid package. Similarly, for international students visa is also an issue that forces them to apply early.
You can also check this link for more details
https://gmatclub.com/forum/any-difference-between-applying-in-r1-vs-r2-81651.html

Sorry for my long first post. Glad that I found this forum and the information here are invaluable to me.

Thanks,
Patrick
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Best of luck & keep us posted.
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Need some direction to get started. 27 Oct 2010, 22:28
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Hi Patrick :)

Welcome to the club!

you are in a right path joining our 100k members community.

Please see this threads, they will help you to orient in your GMAT jorney:
Study plan: gmat-study-plan-for-gmat-novices-start-your-gmat-journey-80727.html?highlight=ml301
Best books(review): best-gmat-books-77703.html
All practice tests: all-gmat-cat-practice-tests-links-prices-reviews-77460.html?highlight=ml502 One of the most realiable tests is GMATprep - download it from mba.com

Gmatclub tests: hardest quantative problems for 48+ score https://gmatclub.com/tests/

On-line courses from different companies: gmat-prep-course-reviews-discount-codes-78451.html

don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. ;)

Good luck!
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SwissMommy
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Need some direction to get started. 28 Oct 2010, 03:43
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Hussain15, thanks for your answer. I'll be using this post again.
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mypatpat
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Need some direction to get started. 28 Oct 2010, 07:04
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Thanks a lot for the warm welcome. I'll see if I can look at one of the mock tests this weekend and come back with my results for a bit more guidance.

Another question I have is with the submission of GMAT records to schools. Let's say that I have first test done by end of December and obtained a satisfactory score after a second test done by end of January, can I immediately submit my application to schools with a deadline of Feb 1st? I understand that the scores will take a few weeks to get to the universities.

Thanks,
Patrick
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SwissMommy
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Need some direction to get started. 02 Nov 2010, 02:54
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You should keep in mind that each test score will be reported to your school of choice. So if you take the test twice both results will show on the report. Also, I believe your test score can be submitted rather quickly but it take about 2-3 weeks to have your AWA marked. However, those have no affect on your total GMAT report. But they do get sent to your school of choice.
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