Hello everyone,
I will try my hand at the GMAT in exactly 5 weeks (8/4 is test date) and figure I should start a journal of my experience leading up to the GMAT. Hopefully this will be helpful for others as well as a form of accountability for myself. I will try to keep this up to date as I spend time studying everyday, and will likely use it as a place to comment, offer advice, or just vent with my own frustrations!
Some background: I am currently an older full-time student (31 this year) in a mediocre state school business undergrad program. I am studying Real Estate Finance and I will be graduating Spring 2013 with the goal of going to an MBA program in Fall 2013. I have a strong entrepreneurial background, having started three businesses since 2002, one of which I was able to sell for a good profit. I spent six years from 2002 to 2008 in China, first teaching English, then studying Mandarin, and finally starting and running a business. In 2008 I sold my business in China and came back to America with the purpose of getting an education. I am currently the IT manager at a medium sized retailer, a full-time husband and parent of a one-year old, and a full-time student.
Goals: I intend to work somewhere in Asia, hopefully in a country that I can use my Chinese language skills. Because of this it is my goal to go to a school with an international focus such as INSEAD or LBS and to eventually go into international management consulting.
GMAT Goal: 720+ GMAT score. I need to hit a decently high GMAT score because my current Undergrad school is not well known and my GPA is very average (currently a 3.2, though it could increase). Though I have a good story and quite a few unique experiences to leverage in my applications I have to prove that I have the mental capabilities that a top MBA program requires.
Until last week I was working full-time at my current company and my GMAT study had been squeezed in whenever I had time. I even took a Manhattan CAT back in April but received a very mediocre score (570, 34 Quant, 34 Verbal). I feel that my verbal is actually stronger than I catted at, and that my Quant is worse so I am focusing on Quant first. Before this week I mostly spent time brushing up on my basic math skills, and I am now halfway through the Manhattan Foundations of GMAT Math book. Beginning this week I will be part-time at my company and will start tackling my GMAT studies with as much time as I can spare.
Well I guess that is all for now, I have a huge amount of work ahead if I want to reach a 720!
I will keep this updated with my progress.