I applied to an M.S.F dual program and my application has already been reviewed (I was been granted conditional admission since I have a strong GPA). The minimum requirement for admission is 680 GMAT score since the program is only available to finance students within the college and they tend to be quite selective (3.85 GPA and up, 80th> GMAT score). Notice that I was taking four summer classes during summer B to finish up both of my minors (I just finished them last week). Initially, I scheduled the GMAT for late September but the Admission Office notified me about 20 days ago that my scores had to be in by July 10th. I knew that with the time constrains in my summer schedule, I wasn't going to have enough time as I would have liked to fully dive into the GMAT prep, so I registered for June 22nd, and then again for July 8th (just two days before scores are due).
Today, I took the GMAT for the first time and my score was
(39Q 33V 8IR-600) . I was quite surprised, but as I submitted the verbal section I knew that I had underestimated this test and its ability to turn basic concepts into a weapon of self-esteem destruction. Notice that I am not a native english speaker; yet, I moved to the US at a really young age and English is technically my mother tongue. Furthermore, I have a minor in philosophy and applied mathematics, which makes this score even more unbearable.
For the verbal section, I am sure that I did not miss a single RC question but SC questions got the best of me. I signed up for EmpowerGMAT course and paired it with the
OG for about a month which doesn't really adhere to my learning style. I started studying consistently 2-3hrs per day, though I cannot attest that I was studying efficiently. Watching videos and following along wasn't cutting it for me (I think the platform itself is helpful to touch up on your foundations, but scoring over 700 requires a deeper understanding of the concepts). The
OG has good questions, which are truly accurate as far as content. I was misled to think that the
OG was going to get me in shape for the exam. I took the first CAT on the GMAT website 3 days ago and scored a
660 Q40 V40 IR8. Just as I suspected, SC questions were out to get me. I had gotten every single CR and RC question right on the exam but I wasn't getting SC questions. I liked the split and since my time was limited I tried to focus on on what improving what I already knew.
Today, I sat for the exam and jumped right into the IR section. Scored an 8/8 and moved on. Essay was quite simple, prompt was about profitability and it was shaped around macroeconomics which brightened up my eyes. I found the conclusion, picked up 3-4 flaws, and wrote over 700 words with 5 min left on the clock. The quant section was a whole different story. I decided to spend some extra time on the first couple questions and make sure that I was getting at least the first 10 right. I ended up with a 70-30 split which gave me higher level questions but it was too late to make up for the time lost. I dumped a couple probability and advanced overlapping sets questions to try to make up for it but it did not help. I had to rush through the rest of the section and guess on the last 2-3 questions. I was already exhausted before walking into the test center, I only managed to sleep less than 3 hrs last night so verbal was gibberish.
My take away message from this experience is that I did not have a strong grasp of the concepts being tested. I think that in order to maximize my potential, I have to come up with a better rounded, more organized approach. Honestly, this past three weeks that I spent watching prep videos set me back, when in reality I should have been focusing more on math theory rather than on silly applications and pattern-finding strategies. I cancelled my score, walked out with my head up high, and promised to return better equipped to take the beast down. I know that if I manage to master SC questions, my score will see a huge jump; nevertheless, I realized that I do not know math at all. I guess all those hours I spent studying calculus theorems in college did not pay off. As soon as I left the testing center, I ordered the
MGMAT bundle which should be arriving on Monday so I can start from scratch and come up with a proactive wait to beat the test.
Here are my questions: 1- I have 16 days before the next exam, how can I these time efficiently to make sure I am fully equipped for the exam?
2- More realistically, is a 100 points improvement possible in my case?
3- I am willing to commit 24 hrs per day starting tomorrow, given this time frame, what should I be doing and what shouldn't be doing?
Materials and resources I currently have at my disposal:
1-
OG Bundle with the Quant/Verbal Review included.
2- EmpowerGmat Subscription
3-
MGMAT 6th edition bundle
4-
GMATClub Tests5- All 6 GMAT Practice Exams
I became aware that the
MGMAT SC book is a must have, so I am looking forward to using it. My two main issues are: poor time management in the quant section (whenever I see hard questions I get overconfident) and sentence correction (I exhausted every single SC question from the
OG and the Verbal Review). So I really need help to come up with a good plan to manage my time better on the quant section. I know that a significant improvement in SC will put my verbal score over the 95th percentile but the quant section is my biggest concern right now. I haven't been timing myself during practice and when I do, careless mistakes become more predominant (specially on DS questions at the 700+).