closeEvents & Promotions
| Last visit was: 28 Apr 2024, 01:11 |
It is currently 28 Apr 2024, 01:11 |
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
12:00 PM EDT
-11:59 PM EDT
08:00 AM EDT
-09:00 AM EDT
10:00 AM PDT
-12:00 PM PDT
10:00 AM EDT
-10:30 AM EDT
12:00 PM EDT
-01:00 PM EDT
03 Feb 2015, 12:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Why You Should Try the Presentation for the Booth MBA Application |
 The most challenging part of the Booth application for many is simply getting started. Should you write an essay? Or should you build a PowerPoint presentation? If you write an essay, what do you write about? How long should it be? If you build a presentation, where do you even begin? It’s hard. And it’s fun. Trust me. One general piece of advice that I give to all of my clients: try the presentation. Since Booth has started giving candidates the choice between writing an essay and building a presentation, I’ve advised every single client to try the presentation. And each one of them is glad they did. Many clients have told me that they feel the presentation was the single most important factor in getting in, despite the fact that many struggled with ideas in the beginning. That’s just part of the process. Very rarely do candidates have the right idea on the first shot. That’s not to say that there aren’t cases where an essay is more appropriate. There probably are. But I have yet to meet someone who didn’t have an equally compelling or creative story to tell with a presentation. Why do I recommend the presentation over writing another essay? There are two main reasons. First, I believe that Booth is laying down a challenge to its applicants here and looking to see who is willing to step outside of his or her comfort zone. And that’s exactly what the presentation does. It’s uncomfortable. It’s not something everyone is used to working with, and it requires some creativity. Which is my second point: the presentation allows candidates to showcase a very wide range of dimensions that are virtually impossible to share in an essay format. Things like creativity, your personality, your passions, and more. It can be incredibly fun, something that very few applications give you a chance to share with a business school, and something exponentially harder to pull off in an essay. You can literally do anything you want with only two restrictions: it can’t move (no animation, videos, etc), and it can’t be over 16 MB. As long as you abide by those two restrictions, it’s possible. This year, there are no page limits. No rules. You can do whatever you want. Which is what makes it both challenging and fun. So now that you are convinced that the presentation is the right choice, where do you start? Well, let’s start with answering the question, “Who Are You, Anyway?” Want to craft a strong application? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today. Click here to take our Free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation! As always, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Rich Williams is a Veritas Prep Head Consultant for the The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. His specialties include consulting, finance, and nonprofit applicants. |
04 Feb 2015, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: SAT Tip of the Week: Unlock Your Test Taking Powers With These 2 Factors |
 In the late 1960’s, Professor Walter Mischel at Stanford conducted a series of studies that examined the concept of delayed gratification. His research team offered preschoolers the choice of one reward immediately or two rewards if they waited for about fifteen minutes. The rewards were usually marshmallows and the study later became famous in popular culture, known as “The Marshmallow Test.” In addition to being a fascinating study on impulse control and delayed gratification, the research is quite relevant to the subject of standardized tests. Dr. Mischel and his team tracked the preschoolers later through life and found empirical evidence that showed a correlation between the ability to delay gratification with the rewards to higher SAT scores, among a host of other positive attributes and characteristics. The ability to employ strategies that help delay gratification is much more important than what one did as a four year old. These strategies are learnable, and in that regard they are applicable to the preparation process in gearing up for the SAT. One of the biggest barriers for many students is just to start studying. Every day there are so many distractions that pop up, whether it is social media, TV, or extra-curricular activities. Avoiding the temptation to immerse yourself in these impulses and diligently prepare for the SAT is half the battle. Enabling yourself to improve self-control will be helpful in all facets of life, especially on the SAT. Here are some things Mischel recommends and how they can be specifically applied to the SAT. Make sure you are in a good mood. This one sound pretty simple and for good reason, it is. One’s emotional state plays a significant role in determining how susceptible they are to various distractions. If you get anxious just thinking about the SAT or consistently dread reviewing vocabulary, the first thing to do is change your mindset. If not, approaching it like a chore then it will be hard to close that Facebook notification when it pops up. Mischel discusses a host of individuals who were able to change their mood and improve their self-control. If they are able to do it with much more daunting tasks, then getting excited for the SAT is definitely within the realm of possibilities. Find something you enjoy in school and try to relate it to the SAT. Focus on the intermediate [b]and end goal[/b]. This is related to having a positive outlook, but it is a bit more concrete. Understanding your end goal (a high score) and the effects of that result, your dream school admittance, can help block out distractions. However, this can get old after a while and on its own is not effective enough to truly master self-control. It is also important to keep intermediate goals in mind as well. Whether this is increasing the amount of words you can learn in a day or moving up a math section score, keeping intermediate goals that you are constantly hitting will keep you motivated and help you ignore what is on TV. While these are only two of the many strategies and tips Mischel lays out in his book, they are the most applicable to the SAT. They can be extremely helpful in getting you to start the process of studying each day. Happy Studying! Still need to take the SAT? We run a free online SAT prep seminarevery few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Jake Davidson is a Mork Family Scholar at USC and enjoys writing for the school paper as well as participating in various clubs. He has been tutoring privately since the age of 15 and is incredibly excited to help students succeed on the SAT. |
05 Feb 2015, 11:01
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: What You Need to Know about Assumption Questions in GMAT Critical Reasoning |
 When it comes to Critical Reasoning on the GMAT, one question that continues to frustrate people is the assumption question. Quite simply, the question is asking you which answer choice is required to support the conclusion that has been drawn in the passage. To successfully navigate these questions, you should use the Assumption Negation Technique, which requires a negation of the answer choice to determine whether or not it was actually required. More than that, though, the correct answer choice must be within the scope of the question. An answer choice that goes too far will not be the correct answer to the question. As an example, think about a passage that deals with the Super Bowl. It’s very possible that the passage will discuss how good the Seahawks’ defense is, or how good Tom Brady is as a quarterback. The conclusion could then be something like how the Patriots will likely win (disclaimer: this was written before the Super Bowl). If a question was asked about what assumption is needed to reach the conclusion, the correct answer choice must be about Tom Brady or the Seahawks’ defense, given that’s what was discussed as evidence. If an answer choice discusses the catching ability of Rob Gronkowski or the Patriots’ (alleged) (systemic) pattern of cheating, then it is going outside the scope of the question and cannot be the correct selection. It is important to note that strengthen and weaken questions may sometimes provide new information, so you should be on the lookout for things that weren’t written verbatim in the text. Nonetheless, for assumption questions, it’s easy to select an answer choice that provides new information but goes outside the scope of what was discussed. A choice that has no basis in the passage is usually a clear indicator of a trap answer. Let’s look at an example to demonstrate scope in assumption questions: It is a mistake to give post office employees individual discretion as to when to inspect or open suspicious packages. If individual employees are allowed to open “suspicious” packages without first following a strict protocol, it is only a matter of time before all packages will arrive having already been opened due to some postal employee’s idle curiosity. The conclusion above is based on which of the following assumptions? (A) Postal service managers are the only people with the authority to open suspicious packages. (B) Suspicious packages are indistinguishable from all other kinds of packages. (C) The efficiency of the postal service will be greatly reduced if more packages are inspected. (D) There is currently no protocol in place for the inspection of suspicious packages. (E) Postal employees desire to open packages out of curiosity. This question is asking about which assumption is required for the conclusion, which warns that all parcels will eventually be opened by overzealous mail carriers. While it’s somewhat understandable to be concerned about the privacy of your mail, the author’s fears may be unfounded (I’m more concerned about the NSA). The evidence provided in the passage is about when packages are allowed to be opened and verified. The passage mentions that only suspicious packages are allowed to be opened, but there are protocols in place that dictate when this verification can occur. For assumption questions, the best strategy is to employ the Assumption Negation Technique and negate each answer choice to see if the conclusion falls down without the negated assumption. This approach is similar to the strategy of knocking down beams in a home to see which one was load-bearing. (Not something I’d recommend). If the conclusion falls down without this assumption, then it was absolutely required. If it changes nothing, then it was purely decorative and can be ignored. Beginning with answer choice A, let’s negate them and see if the author’s paranoia is still defensible. The negation will be underlined to differentiate the negated form from the original assumption: (A) Postal service managers are not the only people with the authority to open suspicious packages. If this were true, then there might be even more people who could open errant parcels. This makes the author’s argument more likely to be true, as seemingly random people could have authority to open packages. If nothing else, it certainly doesn’t lessen the chances of the author’s prediction coming to be, so this assumption is not required. (B) Suspicious packages are not indistinguishable from all other kinds of packages. This double negation is saying that suspicious packages are easy to distinguish from other kinds of packages. If this were true, the employees would be able to tell which packages were suspicious, but they would nonetheless have the authority to open any package. Therefore, the fact that they can ascertain in most instances what constitutes a “suspicious” package would not necessarily stop them opening other packages. The passage is arguing that postal workers would open everything if given unilateral power, whether the package was deemed suspicious or not. This answer choice is probably the closest incorrect choice, but the scope alerts us to the superfluous nature of this assumption. (C) The efficiency of the postal service will not be greatly reduced if more packages are inspected. This answer choice is discussing how the efficiency of the postal office (which many people think is an oxymoron) would not be affected by increasing the number of inspected packages. While this may quell the fears of some people who assume that more inspections would slow down the service, the author’s argument is primarily concerned with the privacy aspect of the inspections. This answer choice is thus out of scope, as the efficiency of the post office was (somehow) never in question. (D) There is currently no a protocol in place for the inspection of suspicious packages. This answer choice, negated, indicates that there is already a protocol in place for suspicious packages. If this were true, it would actually strengthen the argument, as there would be no reason to give postal workers additional power to open packages. The system would indeed be working fine the way it is, and this argument only demonstrates the author’s point, it does not weaken it. (E) Postal employees do not desire to open packages out of curiosity. This answer choice, by process of elimination, must be the correct choice. However, let’s confirm that it makes sense. If postal employees did not want to open packages out of (idle) curiosity, then the author’s entire argument would fall apart. Indeed, the entire argument relies on the fact that the postal employees will open every package they possibly can. If we could ensure that this was not the case (say with a hypnotic suggestion or some Borg nanoprobes), then the whole argument would become moot. Answer choice E is an assumption required by the conclusion, because without it, the argument falls apart. On questions such as these, it’s entirely possible to get reeled in by an enticing answer choice. Remember to use the Assumption Negation Technique to verify whether an assumption is actually necessary or whether it just sounds important. The incorrect answer choices provided are designed to tempt you, so keep an eye on the evidence provided in the passage as well. If the answer sounds good, but isn’t based on the evidence provided, then much like the guy at my gym with halitosis, it is out of scope. Plan on taking the GMAT soon? We have GMAT prep courses starting all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Ron Awad is a GMAT instructor for Veritas Prep based in Montreal, bringing you weekly advice for success on your exam. After graduating from McGill and receiving his MBA from Concordia, Ron started teaching GMAT prep and his Veritas Prep students have given him rave reviews ever since. |
05 Feb 2015, 18:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: 5 Reasons You Were Not Accepted to Your Target Business School |
 You’ve invested months of prep and countless hours of hard work into your business school applications. You’re optimistic, but when the decision comes in you are left wondering why you have you been denied from your dream school. So why were you dinged after all of your hard work? Here are five reasons that may shed some light on why you did not make the cut. Qualifications You weren’t qualified. When we talk about qualifications, applicant profiles that fall outside of the GMAT and GPA averages and ranges are more likely to get dinged. The farther you skew left or right of the mean has a huge influence on getting accepted or denied. If you are not qualified on paper it is difficult to make a strong case even with strong performance elsewhere in your application. Luckily, you have time to get your GMAT score up if you decide to re-apply in Round 1 or Round 2 next year. Fit You were not a good fit with the school. Schools are looking for students that fit in with their culture. Whether it be program focus, class size, or personality even when qualified. Some applicants will be denied strictly on the basis of fit, so make sure to do your research ahead of time and pick programs that will be a strong fit with you. Career Goals Your career goals did not align with program strengths. Programs are constantly evaluating whether they can help applicants reach their career goals. It’s not enough for your goals to be clear, but they have to also be realistic given your pre-MBA experience and the strengths of your target program. If there is a disconnect here then the likelihood of getting denied will increase. Readiness You were not ready for business school. If you were a young candidate who was unable to make a strong case for matriculating this year, it may have proved problematic for you. Also, not being clear on why this year or this school was the ideal next step in your career will be a certain red flag for admissions. Presentation You did not present your profile in the best way possible. You can be qualified and ready for business school but if your application is not written well, proofread or otherwise completed in a professional manner this may derail an otherwise strong profile. It’s tough to ever know truly why you may be denied from your target school, make sure you avoid these pitfalls above and reduce the chances of disappointment on decision day. Let us help you create a strong re-application for next year! Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today. As always, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Dozie A. is a Veritas Prep Head Consultant for the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. His specialties include consulting, marketing, and low GPA/GMAT applicants. |
06 Feb 2015, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Low GPA? This Is How You Can Still Get into that Affordable College |
 According to the National Center for Education Statistics, from 2001-2002 and 2011-2012, the cost of an undergraduate education at a public institution has risen 40% and 28% at a private institution. It’s no secret that the cost of higher education is going up and students and parents may be looking for colleges where you can get the most bang for your buck. Money magazine recently posted their annual rankings for the best colleges for your money. The top 10 colleges on the list are: Rank College Location Average H.S. GPA 1 Babson College West of Boston, MA 3.6 2 Webb Institute 1.5 hours from New York City 4.0 3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Cambridge, MA 4.5 4 Princeton University Princeton, NJ 3.87 5 Stanford University Stanford, CA 4.5 6 Harvard University Cambridge, MA 4.0 7 Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA 4.5 8 Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art New York, NY 3.6 9 Brigham Young University South of Salt Lake City, UT 3.79 10 California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA 4.5 And the list goes on. You may notice a common theme in many of the schools identified above and on the extended list: in exchange for great financial value and solid academic programs, these colleges require pretty stellar high school grade point averages (GPA). But what if you didn’t do that well your first couple of years in high school and your GPA isn’t as high as it needs to be for admission into these colleges? Do you even have a chance at getting into one of these schools? What can you do to be a competitive candidate at one of these schools? You’re right that it may be a bit too late to make a significant increase in that GPA, given that you only have a year or two of classes to add to the mix. However, that doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. You will absolutely have to work hard to make sure that the other parts of your application are as strong as possible. One area where you can start to close the gap is your standardized test scores. Colleges are looking for well-rounded candidates so doing well on the SAT or ACT may be your chance to catch up and mitigate the effects of your early grades. While standardized tests don’t tell a complete story on their own, they serve as a way to compare one student to another on one common scale. Interested in exploring your options to maximize your potential? Check out Veritas Prep’s free SAT and ACT resources or call us to learn more about achieving your target SAT score! We run free online SAT prep seminarsevery few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Jennifer Sohn Lim is Assistant Director of Admissions at Veritas Prep. Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts at Wellesley College, followed by her Master of Education and Certificate of Advanced Study in Counseling at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Need more guidance in planning for college? Visit our College Admissions website and fill out our FREE College profile evaluation! |
06 Feb 2015, 16:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: GMAT Tip of the Week: All About That Base |
 It’s Grammy Weekend here in Los Angeles. All local sports teams have cleared out of the LA Live / Staples Center / Nokia Theater area and local citizens are humming along to the song of the year nominees. How can you (Taylor) Swiftly make your GMAT Quant score (Ariana) Grande, even without the help of an expensive GMAT (Meghan) Trainor? The process isn’t So Fancy, so take that stress and Shake It Off. When you see exponent-based questions, the #1 thing you can do: Be All About That Base. What does that mean? Nearly every exponent rule you’ll learn requires common bases. For example:  So when you’re presented with an exponent problem, one question you should always ask yourself is “Can I get all these terms to have the same base?”. That step allows you to use the exponent rules you’ve memorized to solve complicated problems. Consider an example: For integers a and b, 16^a = 32^b. Which of the following correctly expresses a in terms of b? (A) = 2^b (B) a = 4^b (C) a = 2^5b-4 (D) a = 4^5b-4 (E) a = 2^5b Here there’s only one exponential term, 32 to the b power. But if you recognize that both 32 and 16 are powers of 2, you can quickly transform the problem, coming up with: 2^4 * a = (2^5)^b And that allows you to dive right into exponent rules. First deal with the parentheses on the right, using the third exponent rule in the list above so that that term becomes 2^5b. That means you have: 2^4 * a = 2^5b Then to isolate a, you divide both side by 2^4, getting to: a = 2^5b / 2^4 And now since your bases are the same, you can use the second exponent rule in the list above to subtract the exponents and get to: a = 2^(5b – 4), matching answer choice C. More important than this problem is the lesson: when problems deal with exponents, and particularly with non-prime bases (like 16 and 32), one of your first mantras should be “All About That Base (no treble).” See if you can get multiple terms to have the same base, and you can simplify the expression using common exponent rules. Then, with your monster GMAT quant score, Harvard can take its Blank Space and write your name… Are you studying for the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! By Brian Galvin |
09 Feb 2015, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Of Opinions and Facts in GMAT Critical Reasoning Questions |
 Today, we would like to discuss with you one of our most debated critical reasoning questions. It is an absolutely brilliant question – not just because the correct option fits in beautifully but because the other four options are also very well thought out. It is easy to write the incorrect four options such that the student community will be split between 2 options – the correct one and one of the four incorrect ones but when the jury is split between 4 or all 5 options, that’s when we know that we have come up with an absolute masterpiece. Of course, in such questions, a lot of effort is needed to convince everyone of the correct answer but it is well worth it. This question brings an important point to the fore – the correct option in strengthen/weaken question is the one that supplies new information but in most cases, the new information has to be a fact, not an opinion. Let’s explain this in detail with the help of this question. Question: According to recent research, a blindfolded person whose nostrils have been pinched so that smelling is impossible will have great difficulty in differentiating a bite of an apple from a bite of a raw potato. This clearly demonstrates that taste buds are not the only sense organs involved in determining the taste of a piece of food. Which of the following premises, is an assumption required by the argument? (A) All people agree that an apple and a potato differ in taste. (B) There are no other senses involved in tasting other than taste, smell, and sight. (C) The word “taste” can be used to describe an experience that involves sight or smell or both. (D) The research was based on experiments that were conducted on a broad spectrum of the general population. (E) People who have been blindfolded and whose nostrils are pinched can differentiate a bite of an apple from a bite of an onion more easily than they can differentiate a bite of an apple from a bite of a raw potato. Solution: Argument: - If you remove sight and smell, people will have great difficulty in differentiating a bite of an apple from a bite of a raw potato. Conclusion: Taste buds are not the only sense organs involved in determining the taste of a piece of food. We will look at the options one by one: (A) All people agree that an apple and a potato differ in taste. Note that usually, people’s opinion will not count for much. Facts are the ones which are important. The only opinion we care about is the author’s. We cannot strengthen/weaken the author’s opinion by giving similar/dissimilar opinions of other people. Say, the conclusion of an argument is: Daniel Day-Lewis is the greatest actor of the 21st century. The premises would perhaps list his great performances, talk about his acting prowess, his Oscars and so on. Can you strengthen the conclusion by saying that “My friend also believes that he is the greatest actor.”? No. You cannot strengthen your opinion by giving the opinion of other people. You need to give facts to strengthen your view. So this option is already suspect. It is giving you the opinion of people “All people agree that an apple and a potato differ in taste.” So it doesn’t seem to be the right choice. Anyway, let’s try to negate (A) just to be sure since this is an assumption question. Negation: Not all people agree that an apple and a potato differ in taste. This means there is at least one person who does not agree that an apple and a potato differ in taste. Perhaps he feels that the experience of eating an apple – the smell, the look, the sweetness etc is the same as the experience of eating a potato. It is still possible that taste buds are not the only sense organs involved in determining the taste of a piece of food. Even after we negate (A), the conclusion is possible so (A) is not an assumption. Think of it in another way: During the research, blindfolded people with pinched noses found it very hard to differentiate the taste. One person comes up and says that he himself cannot differentiate between the two while looking and smelling. Does it mean that senses other than taste buds are not involved? No. There could be many other people who feel that they can easily differentiate between an apple and a potato taste. So other senses could be involved and (A) is not your answer. (B) There are no other senses involved in tasting other than taste, smell, and sight. This is not an assumption. All we are saying is that taste buds are not the only sense organs involved in determining the taste of a piece of food. Any other organs could be involved including smell and sight. (C) The word “taste” can be used to describe an experience that involves sight or smell or both. This option highlights a very basic thing that needs to be true for our conclusion to hold. When we conclude: taste buds are not the only sense organs involved in determining the taste of a piece of food, how do we define “taste”? Taste buds, we know, tell us whether the food is salty/sweet/sour etc. But how do we say that “taste” is not defined by only these features? We are assuming that taste is defined by not just how the food sits on our tongue but by other features such as sight/smell too. If this option were not true, then we would have needed only taste buds to find the taste of food. Hence, our conclusion would fall apart. Hence, (C) is the correct answer. (D) The research was based on experiments that were conducted on a broad spectrum of the general population. The conclusion does not say that for people of most classes/regions, taste buds are not the only sense organs involved in determining the taste of a piece of food. It is acceptable if the research was conducted on a few people and it was determined that other senses are involved. Even if some people found it difficult to differentiate between the two things, we can say that other senses are involved. (E) People who have been blindfolded and whose nostrils are pinched can differentiate a bite of an apple from a bite of an onion more easily than they can differentiate a bite of an apple from a bite of a raw potato. This option tells us that apples and onions are more different on the tongue than apples and potatoes. This is out of scope and is certainly not an assumption. Answer (C) Karishma, a Computer Engineer with a keen interest in alternative Mathematical approaches, has mentored students in the continents of Asia, Europe and North America. She teaches the GMAT for Veritas Prep and regularly participates in content development projects such as this blog! |
09 Feb 2015, 16:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Should You Purchase The New Enhanced Score Report? |
 For anyone who has ever underperformed their goals on the GMAT, the first question they’ve asked is usually “where did it all go wrong?”. And for those who have asked that question since October 1, 2013, or will ask it soon, there may be an answer waiting for you. The GMAT Enhanced Score Report is here. This new add-on report, which costs $24.95 USD, will provide you with diagnostic feedback from your official GMAT exam, including such information as: -Performance (percentile ranking) by question type, with question types including Data Sufficiency vs. Problem Solving; Arithmetic vs. Algebra/Geometry; Critical Reasoning vs. Sentence Correction vs. Reading Comprehension -Time management by question type, broken down by the same categories above -Time management by correct vs. incorrect answers for Integrated Reasoning -Percent of Integrated Reasoning questions answered correctly So those are the features, but the question remains…is this worth $25? And the answer is a little less concrete than you might like: it depends. Why? *The report won’t give you question-by-question feedback, so you’ll never know if you got that crazy coordinate geometry problem at #17 right or wrong, and you won’t know which individual problems you spent way too much time on. You’ll get much more aggregate data, which may or may not help. *If your performance was pretty similar to that of your practice tests – which ought to be the case for most examinees who have taken several practice tests – the report should likely match your expectations. If you’ve prepared well for the test, there shouldn’t be many surprises in that report. *However, some users will see some VERY enlightening information. Say, for example, you were quite strong on Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension (~80th percentile each) but significantly less adept on Sentence Correction ( So who will benefit from the report? Those who have some outliers or anomalies in their performance. If you were 60th percentile on quant, and a combination of 55th, 62nd, 63rd, and 59th on DS, PS, Arith, Alg/Geo, you’re not going to learn very much from that report. But if one area is significantly higher or significantly lower than the others, you’ll learn something. And so what’s the advice? -If you’re going to retake the exam, the Enhanced Score Report is essentially a 10% increase on your next registration fee, and has the potential to be pretty enlightening. Especially if you’re likely to spend $25 over the next month on Starbucks or Amazon impulse purchases or anything else extraneous, it’s a good idea to put that $25 toward the score report. You might not learn anything, but the chance that you’ll learn something is substantial enough that you should leave no stone unturned. -But if you have $25 left in your GMAT budget and the choice is between the Enhanced Score Report or a tool like the GMAT Question Pack or one of the Official Guide supplements, choose the extra practice. If you’ve prepared thoroughly there shouldn’t be too many surprises on that report, and whatever you’d learn you’d have to improve by practicing anyway. So in sum, GMAT retakers should probably pony up the $25 because the more you know about your performance, the higher the likelihood that you can improve it. Almost all Veritas Prep instructors agree – we want to see those reports from our students! But don’t be surprised if the report only confirms what you suspected. The Enhanced Score Report is a tool to guide your hard work, not a substitute for the effort required to improve. Are you studying for the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! By Brian Galvin |
10 Feb 2015, 12:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: What Round 3 Means to Business School Admissions Committees |
 Most MBA programs have three rounds for candidates to apply for a reason. Admissions teams take round 3 very seriously and admit candidates from this pool every year. Let’s start by understanding how admissions committees utilize round 3. Admissions teams primarily use this round to balance out their class to create the right mix for the entering crop of students. Candidates from underrepresented groups in particular can help fill holes within admitted class pools for schools. Keep in mind by this point admissions has a very solid wait list with a lot of top admits already locked in so the onus is on the candidate to make a compelling case for admission. Schools are looking for applicants who can clearly demonstrate that this is the ideal time for them to apply to business school. So the burden lies on the applicant to show that applying round 3 is not some haphazard or last minute choice but instead a thoughtful decision that aligns clearly with the candidate’s career goals. Outside of the applicant’s timing being aligned, admissions is also looking for candidates with complete profiles and strong qualifications. These strong qualifications include a strong GPA and GMAT score, which should fall at or above school averages given the limited spots available in round 3. A strong or unique set of work experiences is another way to get on the radar of the admissions team for round 3. MBA programs could admit a class full of investment bankers and consultants if they so chose with the vast crop of applicants coming from those fields but they don’t. Schools want a diverse class of students coming from a variety of different industries and job functions. Round 3 applicants coming from unique backgrounds can pique the interest of admissions committees. Now just coming from a unique career background is not enough, candidates have to be high performers in this field, which should be supported in the essay section or via recommendations. Finally, a compelling personal or professional story can distinguish applicants with unique profiles as well so don’t be afraid to be transparent and dig deep into your personal history and motivations for the most revealing fodder. Whether its round 3, round 2, or round 1, MBA programs are largely looking for the same thing. Candidates who can showcase and highlight the best aspects of their profiles while making a compelling case for why round 3 is the ideal time to apply will increase the likelihood of experiencing admissions success come decision day. Let us help you create a strong application! Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today. As always, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Dozie A. is a Veritas Prep Head Consultant for the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. His specialties include consulting, marketing, and low GPA/GMAT applicants. |
10 Feb 2015, 13:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: How Do You Choose the Right University? |
 As you are sitting and surfing through the seemingly infinite educational institutions to which you could send the credentials? It is easy to descend into a full-fledged panic attack. After all it’s only the ONE decision that will determine EVERY PROCEEDING MOMENT OF your LIFE. Take a breath friend! This decision, like many others that determine your surroundings for a period of time, is important. But before you get so stressed you decide to ditch the whole process and start a new life for yourself in Malaysia (a tempting place to start a new life, take my word for it), ask yourself these questions and know that any experience is very much what you make of it. 1. What do you love? Study what you could imagine focusing on for four years (and then however many after). By answering just this question you can narrow down your choices significantly. The college rating system is useful for general rankings of schools, but many schools that have extremely impressive pedigrees may not have exactly what you are looking for. When I was touring a top ranked Ivy league school as a prospective student, I was wowed by many aspects of the institution, but it didn’t have as strong a music criticism department as other schools I examined. I knew that I wanted music to be a part of my collegiate experience. This was a fantastic school, but didn’t fit my needs. Make sure that the school you choose fits YOU. It is worth noting that those who go to Ivy league schools do have a higher chance of securing high paying jobs after school, but other than that, there isn’t a huge difference between the success of college graduates from non-ivy league universities. This is not to say all universities are created equal, it is really to say that people can make their experience work for them especially if there are faculty members within a field that they can work with on a one on one basis. The job world is very much about relationships. Having someone to give you work experience in college and who can recommend you for a job later is of the utmost importance. 2. What are my long term financial considerations? Understanding the burden of debt can be difficult. The average cost of a public four year college is around $88,000 whereas the cost of a private college is somewhere the neighborhood of $160,000 with the most expensive schools being around $250,000. That is a lot of candy corn, but it has also been calculated that the earning potential for a college degree, as compared to a high school diploma, can be in the millions (sometimes, maybe). The problem with all these numbers is they are too vague and their scope is too broad. Will a person studying philosophy at Princeton who becomes an adjunct professor after 14 years of school earn more in a lifetime than a person who goes to a state school and studies internet security? Who gets a better return on their educational investment? Do both of these people have happy lives? Will they find true love? There is short answer to all of these: We don’t know (for those last two I REALLY don’t know). So does this mean only apply to cheap schools? Or don’t go to college?!?! Not at all! What it means, is that you and your family need to take a look at what you are hoping to pursue and make the right choices FOR YOU! If you are considering business or law school and Harvard is within your reach, the money you spend there will likely be a great investment in your future, but if you are considering being a writer, maybe consider something that is more affordable (the average writer makes about $55,000 a year which means $200,000 is four full year’s salaries). This is not advising you to stop dreaming and never achieve at the heights you believe are possible. To the contrary, if you know you are supposed to go to Yale then get there! But before you do, make yourself such a competitive applicant that you will be able to get grants, scholarships, and financial aid to avoid allowing that dream to crush you with the reality of an untenable debt load. 3. What else are you looking for in the next four years of your life? The final thing to consider is what else you are looking for in college. A college is an ecosystem that is full of student organization and pursuits outside of academics. Many student’s engagement with school sports, humanitarian clubs, or performance based groups ends up being one of the most enriching parts of their experience. If you love performance, find a place that will let you participate in that along with your academics. College is not just about studying within your major, it is an introduction to being a citizen and an adult. Find the place that will give you the tools to thrive. The good news in all of this is that there are likely a number of places that will fulfill all of your needs, so trust your instincts and go with the place that feels right for YOU. College, like everything else that is worth doing, gives back what you put into it. The best way to make your college experience worthwhile is to develop a love of knowledge and pursue the things you are passionate about with gusto. College demands will prepare you for the exigency in the pursuit of higher degrees, careers, and engaging with the fascinating world we live in. So find the place that works for you, and work for it! Good luck friends! Need more guidance in planning for college? Visit our College Admissions website and fill out our FREE College profile evaluation! David Greenslade is a Veritas Prep SAT instructor based in New York. His passion for education began while tutoring students in underrepresented areas during his time at the University of North Carolina. After receiving a degree in Biology, he studied language in China and then moved to New York where he teaches SAT prep and participates in improv comedy. Read more of his articles here, including How I Scored in the 99th Percentile and How to Effectively Study for the SAT. |
11 Feb 2015, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: SAT Tip of the Week: 3 Habits of Highly Effective Test Takers |
|
Techniques for studying for the SAT are as varied and numerous as the students who adhere to them. One student may swear that the only way to prepare for an exam is to study for six straight hours before bed once a week, while another might say the only way to succeed is to do two questions a day and then eat a grapefruit to help all the information stick. Though there are a variety of studying techniques with which many students have found success, there are a few core study practices that will create consistency and clarity within whatever practices already work for each student. 1. Create a schedule and stick to it. This is by far one the most important steps in any task which requires time management. Scheduling time aside for studying is extremely important for doing the work necessary to really nail the SAT. It is easy to simply think that the SAT studying will get done when there is some spare time, but this de-prioritizes SAT studying and makes this important work easy to neglect. It doesn’t have to be a lot of time. A half hour three times a week (that’s less than three episodes of Modern Family) is enough to work on vocab, do some practice problems, and review section specific techniques. Think about it this way: a practice SAT is usually nine sections with each section taking no longer than twenty five minutes to complete. At a rate of three sections a week and dedicating a couple of minutes each section to learn twenty vocabulary words, a student could go through four complete practice tests and learn two hundred and forty vocabulary words in less than three months. That is pretty astounding! Remember to stick to the schedule. Forgive yourself if you miss a day and pick up where you left off. It is far more important to stick with the schedule than to keep it perfectly. Finally, make the time you dedicate productive. The trick with setting aside discreet time frames for work of any sort is making sure that the work that you are supposedly dedicating your time to is the actual work that is being accomplished. The internet is the biggest distraction and time suck possible when attempting to get work done. TURN IT OFF. Turn the phone to silent and don’t check email for a half an hour. The time dedicated to studying for the SAT should be just for the SAT. 2. Focus On Weaknesses, But Don’t Forget Strengths The best strategy for SAT studying is to take a practice test and figure out what aspects of the test play to a student’s strengths and which aspects challenge areas of a student’s struggles. After this initial step, it is easy to study in such a way that only addresses the things that are difficult, but this can be a mistake. Say a student is scoring 640 on math and only 500 on reading comprehension. It is, of course, important to work on the reading section, but if the student has a natural proclivity towards math, it is also important to not ignore the math section. It could be that this student tops out around 650 on the reading comprehension, even with a lot of work, but is capable of scoring in the high 700′s on the math section. This is not to say that students should spend equal time on topics in which they excel and topics with which they struggle, but it is important not to ignore any section unless the student is scoring consistently in the 800 range. A good strategy is to dedicate two sessions to a topic that is more challenging for every one session on a topic in which a student excels. This gives more attention to challenging sections, but doesn’t neglect any topics 3. Be prepared! Make sure that you are prepared, both physically and mentally, for your studies. Have a dedicated space for studying and try not to use it for anything else. While you are in your study space, avoid even mundane distractions like taking calls or checking emails (see above). Pretend this is your sacred study space, and as such, keep it stocked with all of the tools necessary for studying. Make sure that you rarely have to leave this space while you are in the process of working as this distraction can easily lead to other distractions. Keep snacks and water (or tea if you are like me and need something hot to drink) at your work space to avoid frequent trips to the kitchen or elsewhere. Similarly, put yourself in the right mental state to do good work. It may sound a little silly, but tell yourself that you are about to rock this study session. If you are about to take a practice test or do a practice section, tell yourself that you are going to get the highest grade you’ve ever gotten. This is not a magic incantation, and it may be that you do not get the highest grade in the history of your studying, but putting yourself in this mindset of success, free from distractions, will allow you to succeed at levels that you might not have thought possible. Keep positive and stay focused. This is a guideline for how to study. The most important step is to do it! Start today. The more time a student has to prepare the more time his or her brain has to absorb the concepts and internalize them. Start today! If you are not good at setting a schedule for yourself, get a tutor and make them keep you to the schedule. Also, be sure to emulate the conditions of the exam when you are doing practice sections, this way you will be totally prepared for the real thing when it comes along. The test can be conquered, but every great battle must be planned and fought before it can be won. Still need to take the SAT? We run a free online SAT prep seminarevery few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! David Greenslade is a Veritas Prep SAT instructor based in New York. His passion for education began while tutoring students in underrepresented areas during his time at the University of North Carolina. After receiving a degree in Biology, he studied language in China and then moved to New York where he teaches SAT prep and participates in improv comedy. Read more of his articles here, including How I Scored in the 99th Percentile and How to Effectively Study for the SAT. |
11 Feb 2015, 15:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: 3 Things You Need to Know About Your GMAT Test Day Experience |
 You’re probably going to spend considerable time preparing for the GMAT exam, but many students spend so much time on practice exams and questions, they often overlook one of the most important pieces of that equation: scheduling their actual GMAT exam! You’re probably thinking you just visit mba.com and take what you can find, but there’s definitely an art to scoring your preferred appointment. Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Depending on where the test center is located, getting there may be half the battle. In larger metropolitan areas, there may be limited or no parking. You may be looking out on a busy street where you’ll test to the symphony of street and city sounds. Once you decide where you want to test, do a dry run (preferably before you book your appointment). See how long it will take you to drive or use public transportation to get there. If you’re testing on a weekend and relying on public transportation, double check schedules to make sure trains/cars/buses use that route. They may operate on reduced or altered schedules. Did You Know?
The third party owned sites are located outside the U.S. and must meet the same set of standards established by GMAC. Just know they’re free to pick their own paint and carpeting, so they won’t look quite the same. University based centers often run on the academic schedules of their home universities, so if you’re not a student make sure you check schedules as they’re often closed for extended periods of time around holidays or campus breaks. Finally, DoD (Department of Defense) centers are located on U.S. military bases and installations around the globe. These centers are only accessible by active duty military, retired military or civilians who hold credentials that grant them access to that particular base. Chances are, the type of test center will have the least impact on your testing experience, but again, it pays to RESEARCH and research early and often! As you can see, there’s a lot to consider when you start planning for your test appointment. Practice and preparation will prepare you for what you see inside the test center, but make sure you’re equally well prepared so there are no surprises as you travel to or settle in at the test center. Are you studying for the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! By Joanna Graham |
12 Feb 2015, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: WTF! Leverage Your Assets on These GMAT Questions |
|
When preparing to take the GMAT, you often solve hundreds or even thousands of practice problems. As you solve more and more of them, you start to realize that almost every question is testing something specific. There’s a geometry question about right angle triangles that’s really all about Pythagoras’ theorem, and an algebra problem that is easy to solve if you expand the difference of squares. However, there are some questions that make you scratch your head and wonder: “What in the world?” Some questions make you think you missed a section of material that you need to review (are there triple integrals on the GMAT?), or at the very least that you don’t know the correct strategic approach. I will euphemistically call these “WTF” questions, which of course stands for “Want To Finish”. On questions where the entire goal of the question remains a mystery even as you try and come to a conclusion, the best strategy is to leverage all the information provided to you. As an example, if the question asks you about a specific property of an odd number, then try plugging in a few odd numbers to see what’s going on. You can then plug in a few even numbers to contrast the two; this often sheds some light on why only odd figures were selected in the premise. Exploiting seemingly inconsequential hints like these might be the difference between getting the right answer and wasting copious amounts of time on a single question, so look for hints in the set up. Another important thing to remember is that you are just looking for a single answer choice. On the GMAT, there are no part marks for development, and a single incorrect calculation can sink an otherwise flawless algorithm. So you’re going for the correct answer more than a perfect understanding of what the question is testing. Understanding the question generally leads to a correct answer, but stumbling on the correct choice is worth exactly the same number of points on the GMAT (The Maxwell Smart approach). This also means that eliminating incorrect answer choices is valuable, as worst case you can take an educated guess that’s 50/50 instead of one out of five. Let’s look at one of these WTF (Want To Finish) questions and see if we can figure out a solution: If x and y are both prime, is x*y = 323? (1) x is the first prime number after 18 (2) y is the last prime number before 180 (A) Statement 1 alone is sufficient but statement 2 alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked. (B) Statement 2 alone is sufficient but statement 1 alone is not sufficient to answer the question asked. (C) Both statements 1 and 2 together are sufficient to answer the question but neither statement is sufficient alone. (D) Each statement alone is sufficient to answer the question. (E) Statements 1 and 2 are not sufficient to answer the question asked and additional data is needed to answer the statements. So the first thing that came to my mind is “Wow, that’s random”. The premise seems so arbitrary that it makes many approaches seem irrelevant. Even knowing that the two numbers are prime, we cannot quickly determine whether they must multiply to 323 without some more analysis and manipulation. Luckily, this is a Data Sufficiency question, so we have two additional statements that can help guide our analysis. It’s important to note that in Data Sufficiency, we are trying to determine whether we can say with certainty that the two numbers multiply together to 323. This also means that if we can determine with certainty that the two numbers cannot multiply to 323, we have sufficient data. The uncertainty arises when we don’t know either way (i.e. maybe), so that provides a good framework for our analysis. The first statement gives us a big hint, telling us that x is the first prime number after 18. This very quickly implies that x must be 19. We now have a hint as to why the number 323 was chosen (perhaps the author drove a Mazda in the ‘90s). If 323 is not a multiple of 19, then statement 1 will provide definitive evidence that x*y cannot possibly equal 323. Short of using a calculator, we can find multiples of 19 that are nearby and iterate manually until we find the correct answer. 19 x 20 would be easy to calculate as we can consider it as 19 x 2 x 10, or 38 x 10, or 380. From there, we can drop 19s until we get in the correct range. 380 – 19 is 361 361 – 19 is 342 342 – 19 is 323 You might be able to get there faster than by using this strategy, but after a few seconds of calculations, you can determine that 19 * 17 yields exactly 323. The question indicated that x and y would both be prime numbers, and 17 is indeed a prime number, so the possibility exists. However, it’s important to note that we know nothing (John Snow) about the value of y, other than it is a prime number. It could just as easily be 2, or 7, or 30203 (yes that’s a prime; I like palindromes). Since y could have any prime value, there’s insufficient evidence to determine that the product of x and y must be 323. Statement 1 is insufficient, and we can eliminate answer choices A and D. Statement 2 indicates that y is the last prime number before 180, but it is important to remember that we must evaluate this statement alone. We now have no information about the value of x, other than it is a prime number. Statement 2 gives us a specific value of y, even if we’re not exactly sure what it is. We could do a little math and check to see if 179 (the number right before 180) is a prime, and in this case it is. The verification process is somewhat tedious, you have to check to see if it’s divisible by any prime number smaller than the square root of the number, so once you check 2, 3, 5, 7, 11 and 13, you’re confident than 179 is a prime number. Knowing only that x is a prime number, we must now try and determine whether 179 and any prime could yield a product of 323, and the answer is very quickly no. The smallest prime number is 2, and 179 * 2 is already 358. You can also visually determine that 179 is more than half of 323, so there’s no need to even formally calculate the result. This statement on its own guarantees that x * y can never be 323, and thus is sufficient information to answer the question. The correct selection is answer choice B, as this statement alone is sufficient. It is important to point out that these statements, taken together, give very clear numbers for both x and y. When this happens, you know that you can combine the statements and get only one value. That value may or may not be 323 (in this case it’s really, really not), but either way it provides sufficient information to definitively answer the question. However, it is almost always going to be the wrong answer, as it simply provides too much information. There’s no mystery or intrigue left, everything is laid out on the sheet in front of you. In business, as in life, if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Indeed, this question is essentially testing to see whether you’ll overpay for information on Data Sufficiency. However, at first blush, it just seems like an arbitrary collection of numbers with a question attached. When faced with similar head-scratchers, keep in mind that the statements (and/or answer choices) will provide hints. Trying to factor out 323 without any hints is a challenging endeavour, so look for hints and exploit them as much as possible. Hopefully, on test day, the only head scratching you’ll do is wondering which school you’ll go to with your outstanding score. Plan on taking the GMAT soon? We have GMAT prep courses starting all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Ron Awad is a GMAT instructor for Veritas Prep based in Montreal, bringing you weekly advice for success on your exam. After graduating from McGill and receiving his MBA from Concordia, Ron started teaching GMAT prep and his Veritas Prep students have given him rave reviews ever since. |
12 Feb 2015, 15:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: How to Make the GMAT Quant Section Easier on Test Day |
 In my decade of teaching the GMAT, perhaps no single group has found the quant section on the test more exasperating than math nerds. Yep, math nerds. Engineers, financial analysts, Physics majors, etc. This may seem somewhat paradoxical, but the quant section on the GMAT isn’t testing your math ability. The skills that allowed the quantitatively-inclined to ace their tests in high school and college not only have limited value on the GMAT, but actually undermine test-takers, prompting them to grind through calculations when the question is really about how to avoid those very calculations. Take this * GMATPrep® question, for example. Last month 15 homes were sold in Town X. The average (arithmetic mean) sale price of the homes was $150,000 and the median sale price was $130,000. Which of the following statements must be true? I. At least one of the homes was sold for more than $165,000. II. At least one of the homes was sold for more than $130,0000 and less than $150,000 III. At least one of the homes was sold for less than $130,000. A. I only B. II only C. III only D. I and II E. I and III Perhaps you were tempted to do it algebraically. Maybe you thought you had to evaluate every scenario independently. If that was the case, you’re in good company. Most of the students I’ve taught over the years have had the same instinctive response. But we need to keep reminding ourselves about the aforementioned axiom: the GMAT isn’t testing math ability. It’s testing fluid thinking ability under pressure. So let’s take a deep breath and think about this for a moment. How can I make this easier? What if I could construct a very simple scenario that violates two of the three statements? The simplest possible scenario I can think of involves a set where the first 14 terms are equal to 130,000 exactly. (Clearly, in this case, the middle term, or median will be 130,000.) Then the last member will have to be enormous in order to increase the average to 150,000. (If you were so inclined, you could do 14*130,000 + x = 15*150,000 and solve for x. x would be 430,000. But there’s no need to actually do this. It’s enough to see that x will be way more than 165,000.) Well, this set {130, 130, 130, …430} proves that we don’t HAVE to have anything below 130,000. Kill Statement III. And it also proves that we don’t HAVE to have anything between 130,000 and 150,000. Kill II. We’re done. Only I has to be true, and there’s no need to test another scenario, because we’ve already logically disproved the other statements. The answer must be A, I only. All we needed was one simple scenario. Now let’s look at a second GMATPrep® problem that, on the surface, appears to have absolutely nothing to do with the previous one. Which of the following lists the number of points at which a circle can intersect a triangle? 1) 2 and 6 only 2) 2,4 and 6 only 3) 1,2,3 and 6 only 4) 1,2,3,4 and 6 only 5) 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 Again, the default response is to just start grinding through scenarios with the hope that, eventually, you’ll hit all of them. But that’s not a very efficient approach. Let’s slow down and think strategically. How can we save time? Well, look at the statements. Notice that there’s plenty of overlap, but only choice E has ‘5’ as a possibility. So if we can draw a triangle that intersects a circle at 5 points, I’ll know that’s the answer. So, I’ll draw a circle:  Now I’ll draw 5 points on the circle, and try to draw a triangle through those points.  Looks like I can do it. I’m done. E is the answer. (Interesting Parenthetical Note: if you were the question writer and were trying to concoct a question/answer that would that would be most difficult and time consuming for a test-taker, wouldn’t you have the correct answer contain the greatest number of possibilities? That’s another clue that E is where we want to start.) The big takeaway here is that it’s good if we can keep reminding ourselves that the GMAT isn’t interested in our raw computational ability. What the GMAT is interested in is our ability to make good decisions under pressure. So when you see a tough question, slow down. Look at the answers. Then think of the simplest possible scenarios that will allow you to test those answers in the fewest number of steps. * GMATPrep® questions courtesy of the Graduate Management Admissions Council. Plan on taking the GMAT soon? We have GMAT prep courses starting all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! By David Goldstein, a Veritas Prep GMAT instructor based in Boston. |
13 Feb 2015, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: I'm A Senior: Is It Too Late to Apply To Colleges? |
 The rush of college admissions has started to wane and your peers may be awaiting their admissions decisions. In the Fall, you had decided not to apply to a college, but now you’re having second thoughts. Is it too late to apply? You may be in luck because there are colleges that 1) have late application deadlines and 2) have rolling admissions. Rolling admissions means that the colleges don’t have set application deadlines, but rather have an extended period of time when they accept applications and will make decisions accordingly. Check out this Time.com article – “Best Colleges You can Still Apply to for Fall 2015” by Jackie Zimmerman to see which schools you can still apply to https://time.com/money/3652370/best-colleges-late-application-deadline. Some highlights:
Need more guidance in planning for college? Visit our College Admissions website and fill out our FREE College profile evaluation! Jennifer Sohn Lim is Assistant Director of Admissions at Veritas Prep. Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts at Wellesley College, followed by her Master of Education and Certificate of Advanced Study in Counseling at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. |
13 Feb 2015, 14:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: GMAT Tip of the Week: The Corrupt Mechanic Explains Sentence Correction |
|
Your parallelism knowledge is paramount. You’re a pro when it comes to pronouns. You relax when you see that the problem involves verb tense. You can’t find a modifier error that’s even moderately challenging anymore. You should be a Sentence Correction sensei. So why are Sentence Correction problems still such a problem? You’re being taken for a ride by a corrupt mechanic. Let’s explain. The GMAT testmakers are committed to testing the same concepts over and over again: Modifiers, Verbs, Pronouns, Parallel Structure, Logical Meaning… And at a certain point it’s difficult to make those concepts any harder; they are what they are. So the testmakers resort to a time-honored tradition among corrupt mechanics; when oil changes and tire rotations and front-end-alignments aren’t bringing in enough profit, what do corrupt mechanics do? They fix things that don’t need to be fixed. The corrupt mechanic never simply fixes, flushes, or replaces the part you came in asking about; he always “strongly recommends” that you add on another service. If you’re not careful, your $30 oil change becomes a several-hundred dollar outing and your car comes back with shiny new parts that replaced perfectly-functional components, all with a nice labor surcharge on top. As Seinfeld’s George Costanza put it: Well of course they’re trying to screw you! What do you think? That’s what they do. They can make up anything; nobody knows! “Why, well you need a new Johnson rod in here.” Oh, a Johnson rod. Yeah, well better put one of those on! Now, in defense of the GMAT testmakers, they’re not trying to steal your money for unnecessary services. But in their quest to reward the kinds of business skills that are associated with avoiding unnecessary expenses and wasted time on ineffective initiatives, the GMAT testmaker does act like a Corrupt Mechanic on Sentence Correction problems. By fixing problems that don’t need fixing, the testmaker steals your attention, not your money. And in doing so, the testmaker baits the unwitting into bad decisions, while also rewarding those who prioritize their Decision Points properly. Consider this example: Immanuel Kant’s writings, while praised by many philosophers for their brilliance and consistency, are characterized by sentences so dense and convoluted as to pose a significant hurdle for many readers who study his works. (A) so dense and convoluted as to pose (B) so dense and convoluted they posed (C) so dense and convoluted that they posed (D) dense and convoluted enough that they posed (E) dense and convoluted enough as they pose To those who know their role in the GMAT, the verb difference along the right hand side of the answer choices should loom large. “Pose” (present) vs. “Posed” (past) is a very actionable decision and a very common decision on the test. Like an oil change or the replacement of brake pads, verb tense decisions are something you should do regularly! So what does the Corrupt Mechanic do? He takes something uncomfortable – the structure “so dense and convoluted as to…” – but that doesn’t need fixing, and it fixes it. And since that choice comes along the left-hand side, many of us go right along with that and eliminate A with a preference for the more-familiar structures in B and C, without ever realizing that we’ve been “Johnson rodded” into ignoring the ever-important verb tense decision at the ends of the choices. That’s how the testmaker’s Corrupt Mechanic works in Sentence Correction. He changes things that didn’t need changing and dares you to accept those “repairs” as necessary. So how can you avoid these traps? Be a savvy customer. Know what you want before you start listening to the Corrupt Mechanic’s menu of possible changes; you want to make Verb, Modifier, Pronoun, and Parallelism decisions before you even listen to anything else. Make the common repairs first, and then with the choices that are left you can start to get creative with add-ons. The GMAT testmakers act like Corrupt Mechanics when they write Sentence Correction problems, so beware that not every change is actually a necessary repair. It’s on you to determine which fixes truly need to be made, so stick to the recommended SC maintenance schedule – the errors most commonly tested – and you’ll avoid falling victim to the Corrupt Mechanic. Are you studying for the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! By Brian Galvin |
16 Feb 2015, 14:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: Using Symmetry in Probability on the GMAT |
|
We know that Combinatorics and Probability are tricky topics. It is easy to misinterpret questions of these topics and get the incorrect answer – which, unfortunately, we often find in the options, giving us a false sense of accomplishment. In many questions, we need to account for different cases one by one but we don’t really see such questions on the GMAT since we have limited time. Also, we don’t tire of repeating this again and again – GMAT questions are more reasoning based than calculation intensive. Usually, there will be an intellectual method to solve every GMAT question – a method that will help you solve it in seconds. We have discussed using symmetry in Combinatorics before. It can be used in many questions though most people don’t realize that. In our ongoing endeavor to expose you to intellectual methods, here we present how most people tackle a question and how you can tackle it instead to be in the top 1%ile. Question: Let S be the set of permutations of the sequence 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 for which the first term is not 2. A permutation is chosen randomly from S. The probability that the second term is 5 is given by a/b (in lowest terms). What is a+b? (A) 5 (B) 6 (C) 11 (D) 16 (E) 19 Solution: Most Common Solution: What are the permutations of sequence S? They are the different ways in which we can arrange the elements of S. For example, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6 or 4, 2, 3, 6, 5 or 6, 3, 4, 5, 2 etc In how many different ways can we make the sequence? The first element can be chosen in 4 ways – one of 3, 4, 5 and 6. (You are given that 2 cannot be the first element). The second element can be chosen in 4 ways (2 and the leftover 3 numbers). The third element can be chosen in 3 ways. The fourth element can be chosen in 2 ways. And finally there will be only 1 element left for the last spot. Number of ways of making set S = 4*4*3*2*1 = 96 In how many of these sets will 5 be in the second spot? If 5 is reserved for the second spot, there are only 3 ways of filling the first spot (3 or 4 or 6). The second spot has to be taken by 5. The third element will be chosen in 3 ways (ignoring 5 and the first spot) The fourth element can be chosen in 2 ways. And finally there will be only 1 element left for the last spot. Number of favorable cases = 3*1*3*2*1 = 18 Required Probability = Favorable Cases/Total Cases = 18/96 = 3/16 = a/b a+b = 3 + 16 = 19 Answer (E) Intellectual Approach: Use a bit of logic of symmetry to solve this question without any calculations. Set S would include all such sequences as 3, 2, 4, 5, 6 or 4, 2, 3, 6, 5 or 6, 3, 4, 5, 2 etc – starting with 3, with 4, with 5 or with 6 with equal probability. By symmetry, note that 1/4th of them will start with 5 – which we need to ignore – so we are left with the rest of the 3/4th sequences. Now, in these 3/4th sequences which start with either 3 or 4 or 6, 5 could occupy any one of the 4 positions – second, third, fourth or fifth with equal probability. So we need 1/4th of these sequences i.e. only those sequences in which 5 is in the second spot. Probability that 5 is the second element of the sequence = (3/4)*(1/4) = 3/16 Therefore, a+b = 3+16 = 19 Answer (E) Karishma, a Computer Engineer with a keen interest in alternative Mathematical approaches, has mentored students in the continents of Asia, Europe and North America. She teaches the GMAT for Veritas Prep and regularly participates in content development projects such as this blog! |
17 Feb 2015, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: I'm a High School Junior: What Should I Do Now for College Admission? |
 As a junior, you’re actually really well positioned to get a leg up on the college admissions process. You still have some time to complete your testing requirements and you can start to research colleges before the crunch of application season. Here are some things you can get started on right away: 1) Study for the SAT or ACT. This is a great time to start studying for the SAT or ACT. But which one should you take? Try out some practice test questions and see which might be a better fit test for you. The key differences between to two tests are the tone of the questions, the math sections, the number of sections, the writing sections, scoring, and focus on vocabulary words. This is a great time to figure out which test would be best for you so that you can also determine a plan of action for how to best spend your summer. If you’re in the U.S., register by February 13th for the March 14th SAT test and March 13th for the April 18th ACT test. For more information on getting help for these tests, visit our and ACT pages. 2) Research colleges you are interested in. Just like in the dating world, it’s really important to make sure that you are a good match for a college and that the college is a good match for you. This is a great time to discover what things matter to you and which colleges have those things. For example, would you thrive in classes that have less than 30 students or would you prefer large lectures of 200+ students? Do you need to be in or very close to a big city or would you prefer a college in the suburbs? Make a list and take notes on what you like and do not like about the colleges. This will help you to narrow your list down when it comes time to make your final college application decisions. In addition, you may want to take advantage of your upcoming spring break or long weekends and fit in some college visits. You can request guided campuses from a number of colleges; go directly to the college websites and search for “campus tours” for a list of dates and times. You may even be able to meet with an admissions officer! Visiting the campus is a great way to get a feel for the student body and the school’s culture. 3) Analyze your extracurricular activities. What do your activities say about you? Are you pursuing extracurricular activities that demonstrate your passions and interests? If yes, great! How can you deepen your commitment to these organizations or roles? If not, let’s find activities that you can get excited about. Remember, colleges are looking for depth over breadth so don’t wait until the last minute to suddenly add more extracurricular activities. Find something that really interests you and dig in! Need more guidance in planning for college? Visit our College Admissions website and fill out our FREE College profile evaluation! Jennifer Sohn Lim is Assistant Director of Admissions at Veritas Prep. Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts at Wellesley College, followed by her Master of Education and Certificate of Advanced Study in Counseling at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. |
18 Feb 2015, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: SAT Tip of the Week: How to Get Focused on the SAT |
|
Singular focus is a lost art. Whether it’s studying for a test, preparing for the SAT, or getting a presentation together, the ability to shut everything else out and concentrate on one activity is almost impossible for most people in present day. The influx of technology, social media, and heightened obligations are culprits for this new phenomenon, which author Daniel Goleman addresses in his book, Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence. Goleman, who is well known for his book Emotional Intelligence, is a psychologist who has spent years studying the ability to focus. Years after revolutionizing how people understood and defined someone’s “intelligence” as more than a transcript, he has also provided very interesting observations and notes on the ability to focus and concentrate. Many of his suggestions are extremely relevant to students in both high school and college. They can help with preparing for the SAT and studying in general. The ability to focus is a skill that can be built and improved if understood in the right context. Let me explain how Tunnel Vision and Open Awareness can help you boost your SAT score. TUNNEL VISION The first myth Goleman dispels is that attention is like a light switch. Conventional wisdom suggests that we can turn focus on and off. In this regard we are either paying close attention or completely daydreaming in the clouds. This black and white thinking is outdated and fails to take into account the various levels of focus and attention individuals can have. One such mode is what is commonly referred to as tunnel vision. It’s the extreme focus on one subject while blocking out all other distractions. This is great when under deadline or trying to get non-creative work done. While it is a hard state to achieve, this is the perfect mindset to be in when learning strategies or vocabulary for the SAT. The downside to tunnel vision is cell phones and the age of information overload makes it challenging for millennials to obtain this state of mind. Additionally, tunnel vision isn’t necessarily the most conducive to innovative or creative thinking. OPEN AWARENESS The type of concentration that breeds innovation is what Goleman refers to as open awareness. He uses a variety of stream of consciousness authors to illustrate the type of mindset he pictures when explaining this new term. Open awareness is being in “flow” and receptive to new ideas, while working to connect the dots between seemingly disparate concepts. If a student is looking to write a stellar creative essay or come up with the next blockbuster movie, open awareness is where you want to be. HOW TO USE THEM It’s one thing to understand the two main types of focus applicable to students. It’s an entirely different thing to build the skillset that will allow easy transition between the two modes. Goleman warns of this exact problem. He offers a couple salient tips that are simple to implement and very helpful in building the skills to improve the concentration abilities for anyone. When it comes to tunnel vision, the most important thing is to forcefully minimize our dependence on technology for essential time periods. Whether this means turning phones and computers off, or even more drastic measures, the connected networks age is terrible for focus. Paying too much attention to this distractions causes “impoverishment of attention,” which makes it hard to apply the high level of focus one needs to go into tunnel vision mode. When it comes to open awareness, mind mapping and letting the brain wander constructively are helpful. Again turning off electronic stimuli are important, but in this case it’s more about trying to connect random thoughts and writing them down to bridge gaps. Enough mind wandering will ultimately lead students to hit upon their creative thoughts. Focus is an underrated skill and one that, if employed properly, has a massive payoff. Tunnel vision and open awareness are two states of thinking that many students can achieve! Using them appropriately, combined with time management and dedication, will get you huge results on your SAT score. Happy Studying! Still need to take the SAT? We run a free online SAT prep seminarevery few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Jake Davidson is a Mork Family Scholar at USC and enjoys writing for the school paper as well as participating in various clubs. He has been tutoring privately since the age of 15 and is incredibly excited to help students succeed on the SAT. |
18 Feb 2015, 13:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Admissions Blog: 3 Ways to Overcome a Low College GPA and Get Into Your Dream Business School |
 So you’ve narrowed down your list of target schools and now it’s time to get real. You’ve made the decision to apply to the school of your dreams but you’re worried that your low GPA may prevent you from real consideration. Many candidates feel as though there is nothing they can do about their GPA since they have already graduated from college. They believe that their dream school will remain just that, a dream. Before we dive into how to overcome a low GPA, let’s define what a low GPA really is. GPA averages and ranges are a good place to start when making your case here. The farther you skew left or right of the mean will indicate your relative competitiveness for a program on paper. Qualifiers like age, work experience type (analytical vs. not), undergraduate rigor will all factor into the relative importance of these stats, so keep this in mind as you decide whether you truly have a low GPA. With this being said a low GPA really is a school-by-school situation, so make sure you are assessing fit on a case-by-case basis. Own It Now if you do have a low GPA there are a few ways you can overcome it. The first recommendation is to own it. Do not ignore your low GPA or even worse do not make excuses for your low GPA. Address it head on within the application package when possible. An obvious opportunity is the optional essay. Again be cautious not to make any excuses or shift blame. Own it and explain directly and succinctly what happened. Was it a lack of maturity? Was it your budding piano career? Was it the huge time commitment that is life as a varsity athlete on campus? Whatever it was, explain the reason for the setback in a concise, direct fashion. Also, if there are some positives you can offer about your academic profile like an upward trajectory or a high major or analytical GPA this will serve to somewhat counteract your low overall GPA. New Coursework Another way to overcome your low GPA is to create an alternative transcript. By taking additional coursework, particularly at the grad level, you can make a case to admissions that you can handle graduate level classes. Now of course you should make sure you are achieving top scores in these classes to make the case clear. Obvious opportunities exist to showcase your analytical mettle so if you performed poorly in undergrad in these type of classes, target courses in Finance, Accounting, and Statistics as a way to show you are capable. Strong GMAT Finally, you should really aim to perform well on the GMAT. A strong performance on the GMAT can go a long way in counteracting a low GPA. Admission teams see the GMAT as a strong indicator of future academic performance in business school, so help them reduce their anxiety over your low GPA by scoring well here. Applying to business school with a low GPA is not the end of the world; follow the tips above to minimize the impact of this negative on your application. Want to craft a strong application? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today. As always, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! Dozie A. is a Veritas Prep Head Consultant for the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. His specialties include consulting, marketing, and low GPA/GMAT applicants. |
|
|
||
