Target 750, but achieved 570?!

Hi all

Apologies for a repetitive topic - I know there are a few of these around here but I can't really help it - just came back from the centre with an abysmal 570. I'm a lurker of GMATClub but I'd like to think that becoming more involved with the forum will help me, as it has been the case with many other successful people on here. (By the way thanks to the amazing people of GMATClub so far!)

Background

Started my GMAT journey around late June, early July 2017. I'm in my final year of engineering school at one of the top 10 in the world. I'm looking to apply for HBS 2+2 and GSB (R3 now since my inevitable screw up at the GMAT). I'm from the UK however have had several internships, the main one being in the Silicon Valley at a tech company for a year (took a gap year between my junior and senior year).

The Prep

My first score was GMATPrep1 550 Q42 V24, pretty much blind, no idea of the format, wasn't even using a notepad while I did the entire test.
Decided to buy MGMAT SC, the OG17 guides and got to it. Summer happened, so while I was going through some questions it was all pretty much sporadic until about mid-October, when I took the same paper again GMATPrep 1, since I felt like I had forgotten pretty much everything.

GMATPrep1 Attempt 2: Oct 25th - 660 Q48, V33. Hurray - Massive improvement, but over, what, 3 months? Really hard to quantify it but I effectively studied for about 6 weeks to go from 550 -> 660. Albeit same paper, so my unconscious part of the brain may have picked a few repetitive questions that I consciously found were new, but still it was a massive boost.

Then big mistake. I decided to book my GMAT exam for 21st Nov (i.e. today). I thought that I could go from a V33 to V40 in about 4 weeks. Massive assumption - I've done in the past so why can't I do it again (CR hitting me right there).

Obviously I'm still at uni so have my ongoing uni stuff along with GMAT studies but that's no excuse I know since there are people with actual full-time jobs that manage to discipline themselves to do the GMAT and get 750.

I practised and practised but I just was not breaking the 700 mark.
GMATPrep2 - Nov 8 - 640, Q49, V29.

Meanwhile I bought MGMAT CR and finished the book in like a day or two, took the MGMAT CAT1 - 640. And I was just hovering around the mid 600s mark.

About ten days left until the D-day... panic starting to set in, although I'm trying to not let it get to me. I'm just revising mainly CR since my SC is around 35 at this stage, RC is about 33 but my CR is hovering mid 20s.

It all probably sounds like I'm doomed to fail, or at least know that I'm not going to break the 700 mark. I felt like I was just missing a few techniques that are critical to breaking that 700 in the CR section so I used a bit of EmpowerGMAT to help me, (their free trial for 3 days), which really helped my CR to think in a different way. Still it wasn't enough to break the 90% in Verbal.

The final week

Last 7 days before the GMAT proper, I probably took 4-5 CATs. All the GMAT veterans are probably thinking 'WHY YOU FOOL, WHY?!?!?!' I guess I'm just determined and I don't let anything get in the way of myself and naturally I've been the kinda guy who doesn't let pressure get to him, but there was one thing that I underestimated = burnout.
I did 3 exams in the last 3 days before the GMAT and my scores went from 640 all the way down to 600. So no surprises there huh? In fact, my GMAT ability is following the trend with a 570.

I need help now

So here is where I stand. I got a Q45 and V23 = 570. Literally back to the starting position all the months ago before Summer. I still believe that this was due to burnout and my actual ability is around 650 mark. My intention was to apply for GSB in R2 but that's not going to happen so I'm thinking of retaking the GMAT around early January. I'm only going to book my exam after I know my scores are in the mid 700s range, since that is still my target = 750. Even more so now, since I probably would have settled for a high 600 score, but now that I'm giving myself time I'd like to go far and beyond. So I'm aiming for ~100 point improvement and I think the main issue at hand is improving that V23 (in reality probably around V32) up to V44-45 and my Q45 to Q49-50.

Any suggestions? I have the PowerScore bible which I will now start reading, I have the MGMAT SC and CR books, OG17 guides, Exam Packs1+2, QP1, and all the MGMAT CATs. I have all the resources, I just need a plan. Alas, I guess that just comes down to me managing properly, but I guess I'm just writing this long post to connect with people that have had similar stories as I have had from whom I can gather some inspiration from.


Thanks a lot for reading my long post!