mdclermont wrote:
My BS is in Management from 1997 but I have taken some additional accounting courses at a local university since then. I have As in my coursework there. That university has a December 1st application deadline for the Master’s in Accounting program Spring semester. Although I could wait to apply for Fall ‘19 I would rather not as I can’t take any of the courses I want without first being admitted to the program and I really don’t want to lose another semester.
The minimum GMAT score for consideration is 550. I don’t know what score will be sufficient to go along with the other pieces of the application package.
I took a practice test on
OG (if I understand what that means) and even though I knew it was going to be bad I ended up getting impatient and mad and just clicking the first answer so I could finish.
I have so much ground to cover I am concerned that taking it the first week or two of November will be too soon. However, it seems like 550 is a pretty low threshold.
I was thinking about doubling up on prep programs by doing a Veritas Tu/Th (finishes before Nov) evening online program as well as
Magoosh, Kaplan books, or some other self-paced materials where I could focus on any foundational deficiencies.
Any input on the foregoing, any of it - timetable, materials, etc., would be appreciated.
You're right. The "minimum" score is unlikely to give you much information about what would work for you as an individual.
1. You could (a) go through the class profiles of the schools you're interested in to get an idea of what scores would be considered competitive at those schools and (b) reach out directly to your target schools and ask them their opinion. At the end of this process, you should know whether a score of 550 is enough.
2. The diagnostic test in the
Official Guide (OG) is a good place to start, but
an adaptive (official) test would be better. As you're looking to take the exam before December, I suggest you take one of these adaptive tests sometime soon (within the next 2 weeks). This will help you understand how close you are to your minimum and desired score targets.
3. Self-study is important, so you're on the right track here.
4. Go through some of the posts
here and
here for an initial look at some of the materials you could consider.
5. Timelines will be easier to set once we know both what you are aiming for and where you are right now (points 1 and 2).
Most importantly, take that official practice test soon. It'll help you understand just how much work is left.