GMAT journey is now over with. I owe a ton of this to BB and Bunuel on this forum. This website is really a premier resource for anyone who is serious about their journey. I read a lot of these posts throughout my studies and I figured I would share my own experience. I liked to think one time I would find "the post" that would answer all things GMAT but that never happened for me; I tried to pull out what I could from each post that I read. To keep things simple:
1)
MGMAT books are the best resource I used outside the
OG. Until I read a book set that is more thorough than
MGMAT, I think these are the best way to go.
2) Don't waste too much time taking practice tests. More than once a week is nonsensical. First that is four hours of your life burned away and second IF by chance you have to take the GMAT again and you need to study, you need to leave some resources available.
3) Set an exact goal and stick to it. There is no wavering. This is essential. I said I was going to hit 740 and that is what I did. Don't set crappy goals that are highly influenced by others; that is bullshit. There are posts that I have read and recommendations that I have heard in which the message being conveyed was "if you are a minority you look to score about 650" (I have heard that from recruiters and my own people attending top schools). Listening to that advice is poison. Using your background as grounds upon which you stand is both short-sighted and self deprecating. The skills on this test are learnable to anyone of any background. I find the test itself to be well designed. The social ills that lead to existing gaps in education are a story for another conversation (it is an obvious fact at every level of education). Set your goals on where you need to be to compete. If Harvard has a median of 730 then shoot for that. If you want to push the gap tighter between whites and others that begins with you. Work your ass off and get where you need to. I never wanted to be the person in my conversations to have to be shy about my GMAT grade because I am not happy with it. I worked my ass off. My grade IS a representation of me, whether I like it or not. Take it is a task. The skills you learn taking this test sharpen you. The GMAT hasn't been around for decades because it is a stupid hurdle; it test you on skills essential to business school. Learn them. Get Better. Be your best.
4) It doesn't take a genius to do well on the GMAT. Repetition and becoming very exposed to GMAC problems are important. Do all the
MGMAT books and all problems under timed conditions. In the beginning do all problems and try them in two or so minutes. Do all problems and check them over and read MGMATs explanation from
the Official Guide Companion. That book gives MGMATs explanations for all
OG 13 quant questions and is a valuable tool. There is a sentence correction companion from
MGMAT, get it.
5) You have to own the test. When you feel like a boxer on the ropes the GMAT wins a lot of the time. I went into test day just feeling like it was another day. I put in a lot of effort. You can keep feeling like you have not put in a lot of effort but count the hours from the beginning so you can change that thinking with solid evidence. Once you put in significant effort just take the test. Take enough practice tests to build stamina and feel like the test is like a game. It felt at a point like I would imagine playing a game of chess is like for some (I dont play chess). It got to the point where it was me against the test and best man wins. Don't think of it as a daunting task think of it instead as a strategy game that tests you in key areas.
6) Get a study partner. Even if the person is not physically close to you they can be essential. I had a fraternity brother that was over 1,000 miles away that was my study partner. We would keep daily tabs on each other and ask questions. We would do problems and explain them to each other and point out trends or important things. Having two sets of eyes on this process is better than having one set on it. Find someone that is very driven and routinized. I was fortunate that was easy to find within my frat.
7) Sentence correction is the single most important thing to master on this test (providing you are scoring 40 and up in quant). SC is so important because it is fairly easy to learn and it can save more time than any question format (DS can come close but checking over your work eats time). Master SC I read MGMATs SC book five times (last three times just the highlights). If you can cut your time on SC to a minute you save so much time for RC and CR. Once I got fast in SC my accuracy in CR and RC got so much better. I had more time with those questions and that made them easier to get right. Trust me the domino effect from getting good in SC is amazing. You will get better at essay writing and reading information for understanding. I promise you wont go wrong. I didnt "study" RC or CR I just did problems and understood the GMACs logic. Understanding how the questions work and with ample time there is no question in CR RC that is very hard.
8) Understanding number properties is the most important quant skill. All else is based upon this. Take time to understand things in number properties. Dont just memorize things understand why. When you can rationalize the why, execution becomes easier. You have to get to a point where you dont second guess yourself. Once you know an answer do a quick check of steps and move on. There is no time to doubt. Finish a question click and move forward. Act like every question before this one didnt exist. Dont try to estimate difficult just kill the question in from of you. Dont know it in reasonable time? Chuck it (obviously that cant be done on every question). Get good at knowing what you are good at and what you suck at. Play those strengths and weaknesses.
I think I am done for now. Woke up early and wanted to send whatever I could think of. I know some of you are in SC mode and probably went through all I wrote with a fine toothed comb. I am sure my post has plenty of grammatical and possible spelling errors. My bad I dont care. Ask whatever questions you have.