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The honest truth about when to give up on the GMAT

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njp1
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The honest truth about when to give up on the GMAT [#permalink] New post   19 Dec 2020, 20:18
Hey Team,

I am in deep trouble, as part of me is starting to doubt my ability that getting the score that i need on this test is unreachable. I need a >600 minimum score to get into the program that I would like to apply to and I'm not even close to that. Over the last 10 months I have been on & off studying given my work situation which is very demanding at times. I went through all Manhattan Preps Foundational materials and after taking 5 of their Mock Exams, it was time that I decided I need to get a private tutor. My exam scores on theses tests are below:

Q17 V10 310 (Cold)

(3 months of foundational work)
Q6 V21 310

(2 more months of additional studying)
Q36 Q25 520

(took a 2 month break of mediocre studying due to a location switch)
Q28 V25 450

(studied for another 2-4 weeks)
Q30 V17 410

(Got a tutor, created a study schedule, took an OG practice test a week later to see where I stand with official questions)
Q27 V25 450

(1-2 tutor sessions a week for 3 weeks)
Q25 V18 380


My official exam is scheduled for Jan 11th and I really don't feel like the 600 is not going to be reachable. Every week goes by I feel stronger & more confident in my knowledge & skill sets in both sections from my studies but the test scores are disproving my progress.

Also, I have reviewed all CATS and know my weak points, I work on those weaknesses the through GMAT Ninja Videos, Tutor Sessions as well as TTP practice and review.

I literally need to know if this 600+ score is reachable for me or if I should just give up.

What is everyones thoughts?
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Re: The honest truth about when to give up on the GMAT [#permalink] New post   20 Dec 2020, 11:45
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Hi njp1,

From what you describe, the immediate issue is your January 11th Test Date. Based on the data you have provided, you are not to the point YET that you can score 600 on the GMAT, so you might want to consider pushing back that Test Date. There is no harm in taking the GMAT at that time, but you could save some time, money and frustration by rescheduling that Test. A 600 Score is a reasonable goal, but you are going to have to make some fundamental changes to how you 'see' (and respond to) the Exam before you will be able to consistently score at that higher level. Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam, so you CAN train to score at a higher level.

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

1) Since you took your 2 month 'break' from studying, what type of study routine have you been following? How many hours have you typically studied each week?
2) Have you used any other study materials besides the books that you mentioned?
3) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?
4) What Schools are you planning to apply to and when are you planning to apply?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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The honest truth about when to give up on the GMAT [#permalink] New post   Updated on: 30 Jun 2021, 22:29
EMPOWERgmatRichC wrote:
Hi njp1,

From what you describe, the immediate issue is your January 11th Test Date. Based on the data you have provided, you are not to the point YET that you can score 600 on the GMAT, so you might want to consider pushing back that Test Date. There is no harm in taking the GMAT at that time, but you could save some time, money and frustration by rescheduling that Test. A 600 Score is a reasonable goal, but you are going to have to make some fundamental changes to how you 'see' (and respond to) the Exam before you will be able to consistently score at that higher level. Thankfully, the GMAT is a consistent, predictable Exam, so you CAN train to score at a higher level.

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying and your goals:

1) Since you took your 2 month 'break' from studying, what type of study routine have you been following? How many hours have you typically studied each week?
2) Have you used any other study materials besides the books that you mentioned?
3) On what dates (or approximate dates) did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?
4) What Schools are you planning to apply to and when are you planning to apply?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich




Hey,

Thank you for the response. Let me answer your questions in the order that they were received.

1. My study routine after I took my 2 month break has been increasingly more rigorous. For the last month or so I would say 4-5 hours per day before & after work. Before the last month probably a bit more relaxed than it should have been, 2-4 hours per day but I don't think I was reviewing the questions I got wrong thoroughly enough.

2. The study materials that I have used is Manhattan's Interact Self Paced for conceptual learning, then I started to use TTP but mainly for the tests rather than foundational portions(15% complete with the course so haven't made it too far) & I use the 2021 OG questions with GMAT club explanations to assist on anything that I do not know. With my tutor, we will go over problems that are troublesome for both quant and verbal. In my leisure, I watch GMAT ninja videos for Verbal which I feel have helped me a lot. But outside of the materials stated above that that is really all that I have been using.

3. My first 3 mocks were between March 2020-June 2020 (310 310 520), my next 2 mocks were between October-November (450 410), and the my last 2 mocks (which are OG mocks) were within End of November- December (450 380). The breakdowns for both the Q & V portions are stated in my original post.

4. I am Chicago based with a very good job at a top 10 private firm, great volunteer/extracurricular work and demonstrated leadership background from my undergrad. The only part of my application that is really lacking is my GMAT score and a 3.1 GPA.

Originally posted by njp1 on 20 Dec 2020, 14:27.
Last edited by njp1 on 30 Jun 2021, 22:29, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The honest truth about when to give up on the GMAT [#permalink] New post   20 Dec 2020, 14:39
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Hi. I am sorry for not addressing your question and somewhat cutting into a different direction but just a crazy question now that we are 3 weeks from deadlines for R2. This year is a unique year with MIT Sloan, Darden, and Ross providing exceptions and options to waive the GMAT requirement. Have you considered applying to one of these programs? I am sure there are also others.....

There won't likely be a chance like this again and with the time remaining on our hands, the best ROI would be to focus on applications.... at least if you are shooting for R2 first half of Jan deadlines.....

If you have more time, it is possible to improve. Many have improved 150-200 points. Some who have had very low scores have gone up 300 points after rigorous study schedule. There is only a handful of people who have been able to up 300 points though and it was a life-changing journey that entailed a lot of effort.
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The honest truth about when to give up on the GMAT [#permalink] New post   Updated on: 30 Jun 2021, 22:30
bb wrote:
Hi. I am sorry for not addressing your question and somewhat cutting into a different direction but just a crazy question now that we are 3 weeks from deadlines for R2. This year is a unique year with MIT Sloan, Darden, and Ross providing exceptions and options to waive the GMAT requirement. Have you considered applying to one of these programs? I am sure there are also others.....

There won't likely be a chance like this again and with the time remaining on our hands, the best ROI would be to focus on applications.... at least if you are shooting for R2 first half of Jan deadlines.....

If you have more time, it is possible to improve. Many have improved 150-200 points. Some who have had very low scores have gone up 300 points after rigorous study schedule. There is only a handful of people who have been able to up 300 points though and it was a life-changing journey that entailed a lot of effort.

Originally posted by njp1 on 20 Dec 2020, 14:45.
Last edited by njp1 on 30 Jun 2021, 22:30, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The honest truth about when to give up on the GMAT [#permalink] New post   20 Dec 2020, 14:59
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Got ya. I clearly did not catch all the details of your post (sorry about that). If you are shooting for PT program, then yes, some of the rules are different. I know for the EMBA they used to waive their test requirements for seasoned professionals (something else to consider).

Otherwise, I think what Rich will suggest will be some good ideas - the EMPOWER course is very good. Though the success depends on your continually refreshing what you have learned in the past weeks/days and maintaining a momentum. Review is critical to make sure things stay fresh.

P.S. What does your tutor think the issue is? (It is actually normal for scores to go down after yuo start studying, it is natural despite peple thinking they should only go up as you move from gut reactions and start applying what you have learned). What did they think is the challenge? What's not connecting/sticking?
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Re: The honest truth about when to give up on the GMAT [#permalink] New post   20 Dec 2020, 15:07
bb wrote:
Got ya. I clearly did not catch all the details of your post (sorry about that). If you are shooting for PT program, then yes, some of the rules are different. I know for the EMBA they used to waive their test requirements for seasoned professionals (something else to consider).

Otherwise, I think what Rich will suggest will be some good ideas - the EMPOWER course is very good. Though the success depends on your continually refreshing what you have learned in the past weeks/days and maintaining a momentum. Review is critical to make sure things stay fresh.

P.S. What does your tutor think the issue is? (It is actually normal for scores to go down after yuo start studying, it is natural despite peple thinking they should only go up as you move from gut reactions and start applying what you have learned). What did they think is the challenge? What's not connecting/sticking?



Yes, the EMBAS would be great as the test is waived but I am only rounding 3 years work experience in June of 2021 (if I can't get the score I will be doing my EMBA for-sure). I am fully committed to getting the score and doing everything that needs to be done to get a 600+... I just need to make sure that what I am doing will get me to where I need to be by mid March at the latest. My tutor has only been working with me for a month or so and we have tackled my SC pretty heavily as that was a weak point for me. But other than that I know my weak points from doing the mocks and targeting the question types that I get wrong the most.
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Re: The honest truth about when to give up on the GMAT [#permalink] New post   20 Dec 2020, 20:33
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njp1 wrote:
I went through all Manhattan Preps Foundational materials and after taking 5 of their Mock Exams, it was time that I decided I need to get a private tutor. My exam scores on theses tests are below:

Hi njp1,

My apologies if I missed something in your post, but have you taken any of the official practice tests yet?
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Re: The honest truth about when to give up on the GMAT [#permalink] New post   21 Dec 2020, 08:07
AjiteshArun wrote:
njp1 wrote:
I went through all Manhattan Preps Foundational materials and after taking 5 of their Mock Exams, it was time that I decided I need to get a private tutor. My exam scores on theses tests are below:

Hi njp1,

My apologies if I missed something in your post, but have you taken any of the official practice tests yet?


Yes. my last two Mocks were official ones!
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Re: The honest truth about when to give up on the GMAT [#permalink] New post   21 Dec 2020, 12:18
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HI njp1,

I see you are using TTP. Can you paste a screenshot of your analytics page? Once I see your course progress I can provide some further advice.
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Re: The honest truth about when to give up on the GMAT [#permalink] New post   21 Dec 2020, 15:54
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Hi njp1,

Since you're ultimately interested in just one School (Booth) AND it's a highly-competitive School, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile and plans. Those Experts should be able to answer your Admissions questions and help define the specific areas of your profile that could use some improvement. There's a Forum full of those Experts here:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/ask-admissio ... tants-124/

I've also sent you a PM with some additional questions.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
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Re: The honest truth about when to give up on the GMAT [#permalink] New post   22 Dec 2020, 02:45
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njp1 wrote:
Hey Team,

I am in deep trouble, as part of me is starting to doubt my ability that getting the score that i need on this test is unreachable. I need a >600 minimum score to get into the program that I would like to apply to and I'm not even close to that. Over the last 10 months I have been on & off studying given my work situation which is very demanding at times. I went through all Manhattan Preps Foundational materials and after taking 5 of their Mock Exams, it was time that I decided I need to get a private tutor. My exam scores on theses tests are below:

Q17 V10 310 (Cold)

(3 months of foundational work)
Q6 V21 310

(2 more months of additional studying)
Q36 Q25 520

(took a 2 month break of mediocre studying due to a location switch)
Q28 V25 450

(studied for another 2-4 weeks)
Q30 V17 410

(Got a tutor, created a study schedule, took an OG practice test a week later to see where I stand with official questions)
Q27 V25 450

(1-2 tutor sessions a week for 3 weeks)
Q25 V18 380


My official exam is scheduled for Jan 11th and I really don't feel like the 600 is not going to be reachable. Every week goes by I feel stronger & more confident in my knowledge & skill sets in both sections from my studies but the test scores are disproving my progress.

Also, I have reviewed all CATS and know my weak points, I work on those weaknesses the through GMAT Ninja Videos, Tutor Sessions as well as TTP practice and review.

I literally need to know if this 600+ score is reachable for me or if I should just give up.

What is everyones thoughts?



Hi njp1,

As you have around 20 days left for your exam, I think you would need to put in a lot of effort to improve your score significantly. As of now, your scores seems inconsistent. The inconsistency likely indicates that you are struggling with a few concepts and are struggling with the application of concepts.

I would suggest that we get in touch over a call as it would give me a chance to analyze your way of solving questions so that I can identify the flaw in your approach and can guide you in a better way. You can use the below link to get in touch with me.

Click here to schedule a call
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The honest truth about when to give up on the GMAT [#permalink] New post   22 Dec 2020, 03:58
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Hi njp1

At the outset, we are glad to come across somebody who hasn't given up yet and we hope it stays in the same way up until you score your target GMAT score. If there is at least one person who has done something, it only means you can do it too.
Let us analyze !
We would suggest you to ask yourself the following:

(1)Is your performance without a timer and with a timer different?

(2)Are your basics/fundamentals so strong that you no longer need to go back to the books /videos even when you are stuck at a certain question?

(3)Do you have a habit to observe solutions(video/book) the minute you are stuck?

(4) Do you have a tendency to consciously/sub consciously "avoid" advanced questions?

(5)Have you analyzed the errors in OG and mocks well enough that you are confident of not making an error if such a question comes in your paper?

(6)Do you have your notes and flash cards ready?

(7)Have you understood the concepts and internalized them using questions and solving them without resorting to solutions?

(8)And finally have you revised enough and feel completely confident before you take the test.

If any of these questions can open up a new perspective, please analyze and fix that loop hole.
Have a mentor who can guide you and assist you in recognizing, assessing the intensity and fixing any weak end that may so exist.
We also suggest to have your ESR analyzed using professional help. That may assist gaining in further clarity.
We suggest you to take immediate steps, given you have your paper on 11thJan.

Pls feel free to jot down your worries.
We are with you in this journey!
We would love to see you with a score that you have set for yourself. You have put in a good amount of effort, time and money already and must give it a full shot to reach your goal!
We wish you all the best !
And we would love to hear back if you have an input/doubt. :)

Hope this helps.
Thanking You
Miss Devmitra Sen(Math)[
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The honest truth about when to give up on the GMAT [#permalink]
22 Dec 2020, 03:58

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