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chromium73
Joined: 08 May 2011
Last visit: 21 Oct 2024
Posts: 216
Given Kudos: 3
Location: United States
Concentration: International Business, General Management
Schools: Wharton '16 (M)
WE:Analyst (Finance: Venture Capital)
Updated on: 18 Dec 2013, 22:35
Originally posted by chromium73 on 02 Mar 2013, 09:42.
Last edited by bb on 18 Dec 2013, 22:35, edited 1 time in total.
Last edited by bb on 18 Dec 2013, 22:35, edited 1 time in total.
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Man oh man am I relieved. I took the test a month ago but am now finally getting around to posting this. I cannot thank this community enough for finally helping me get this monkey off my back after over 5 years.
The background, pt1:
Graduated from ugrad in spring 2007. Thought an MBA might be in my future. Took a Kaplan course, did the bare minimum, and got a 700 (Q44, V41) in September. Didn't think too much of it at the time, just something in my back pocket. I knew the math wasn't up to snuff, but I had a finance degree with a high GPA so I thought it would not matter much.
The background, pt2:
In the Fall of 2010 I dusted off my old GMAT score, looked at my target schools, and realized I was below average. I was committed to an MBA, so figured with a few more months of focused practice, my 700 score should easily go up. Boy was I wrong. I completed the Manhattan GMAT course cover to cover, took all the practice tests, official sample questions, and was scoring in the 720 range on most practices.
Attempt #2 in February 2011 resulted in a disappointing 670 (Q47, V35). Huge drop off in the verbal I think due to poor stamina, with a mild increase in the Q. It was then I learned the horrors of the percentile tables. My original Q44 dropped from a 72% to a 63%, and this 47 didn't crack 75%. Well, time to try again. I did a few more practice tests and questions, and chalked the low verbal up to nerves.
Attempt #3 in April 2011 resulted in an equally disappointing 690 (Q45, V39). All that work and I would end up going into the application process with the original 700 and a low GMAT score. Even worse, to the application readers it looked like I had become mildly stupider over time. Again, I thought my undergrad record would compensate... wrong.
I got swept in the application process in 2011 - I knew my GMAT was a prime culprit. I applied strictly to M7 schools, and got credible feedback that my GMAT being below the school average with the low Q put a big burden on the rest of my apps. I was crushed - I know that many others do not get into these schools, but I was left wondering if a stupid test score torpedoed the rest, of course I would never know. At that time, I decided that I would look for a new position in lieu of reapplying the following year - I had been waitlisted by three schools and the thought of jumping right back into the process was too daunting. Fortunately I landed a pre-MBA venture capital dream job (albeit at quite an advanced age to others holding the same position), and set sail for a new city. Screw the GMAT and the MBA!
The hunt
Alright, not so simple. The GMAT bug was biting. I couldn't imagine not pursuing an MBA, in whatever form, simply because of this test. I had to defeat this test once and for all. However, to go for attempt #4, I took a completely different approach - mentally, and tactfully.
The mental side was a huge hurdle. I had taken the test 3 times and been rejected from schools. What I did was view conquering the test as a goal unto itself. I ignored what the test was used for, and put my mind straight into those of the test-writers. I was angry, I wanted to crush those who wrote the test. Rather than thinking of the 100,000 other test takers, I focused on the test and the test alone. This may not resonate much with people, but for me it made the task more manageable and helped me move past my failures. On each and every practice test, I took 5 or 10 questions at a time, put my entire mind into getting through those segments.
As for my approach, a subtle change in preparation delivered enormous results. Let me preface by saying that my prep period was nearly 6 months, I dipped my toe in the water for months 1-4, and really turned the screws in months 5-6. I went through another course - this time Knewton - to re-familiarize myself with the concepts. I chose Knewton because it was the cheapest and because a course alone would not get me from 680 to the promised land. Once Knewton was done, I took some practice tests, and to no surprise, I was scoring in the 700-720 range. Mid 40s Q and varying V scores (V score largely related to my confidence coming off the Q section). What I did next I wish I had done back in 2007. I realized I would get a question wrong - across many types - read the course du jour's official answer, and move on. However, many questions I simply could not replicate or internalize the explanation. I felt like a dingbat. However, the beauty of the GMAT is that there truly is not a single way to answer a question. For every question that I either got wrong or which took me more than 2 minutes and 15 seconds, I scoured the internet looking for a solution that was an automatic "ah-ha." Let me tell you, for 99.9% of the explanations I found, there was an "ah-ha" answer. Less than 25% came from official test prep material, 75%+ came from users on this message board and others. I also rigorously practiced mental math tricks, realizing that questions with complicated calculations sent my timing into a tailspin. Jeff Sacks' GMAThacks math guide was great for this, and for other nuggets of knowledge (especially on work/rate questions). Soon enough, I built up a huge arsenal of tricks, and when it came time to the final practice tests, I was scoring Q49/50 every time. A high verbal score was easy if I felt I was doing well on the math. In fact, in my last official GMAT prep test, I got every single verbal question right.
The victory
When 760 flashed across my screen, I wasn't surprised. Nearly every question, with the exception of some crazy experimental ones (I'm guessing), connected to my bag of tricks. It felt like I wasn't even thinking - I saw what the question was trying to do, and picked an approach and nailed it.
Will I apply again to schools with this new score? The verdict is out on that. I'm just happy I won. I would highly encourage folks to separate the GMAT from the MBA application process itself and leave yourself time to get comfortable with it all.
That was a long ramble, please PM me if you have any specific questions about my approach.
The background, pt1:
Graduated from ugrad in spring 2007. Thought an MBA might be in my future. Took a Kaplan course, did the bare minimum, and got a 700 (Q44, V41) in September. Didn't think too much of it at the time, just something in my back pocket. I knew the math wasn't up to snuff, but I had a finance degree with a high GPA so I thought it would not matter much.
The background, pt2:
In the Fall of 2010 I dusted off my old GMAT score, looked at my target schools, and realized I was below average. I was committed to an MBA, so figured with a few more months of focused practice, my 700 score should easily go up. Boy was I wrong. I completed the Manhattan GMAT course cover to cover, took all the practice tests, official sample questions, and was scoring in the 720 range on most practices.
Attempt #2 in February 2011 resulted in a disappointing 670 (Q47, V35). Huge drop off in the verbal I think due to poor stamina, with a mild increase in the Q. It was then I learned the horrors of the percentile tables. My original Q44 dropped from a 72% to a 63%, and this 47 didn't crack 75%. Well, time to try again. I did a few more practice tests and questions, and chalked the low verbal up to nerves.
Attempt #3 in April 2011 resulted in an equally disappointing 690 (Q45, V39). All that work and I would end up going into the application process with the original 700 and a low GMAT score. Even worse, to the application readers it looked like I had become mildly stupider over time. Again, I thought my undergrad record would compensate... wrong.
I got swept in the application process in 2011 - I knew my GMAT was a prime culprit. I applied strictly to M7 schools, and got credible feedback that my GMAT being below the school average with the low Q put a big burden on the rest of my apps. I was crushed - I know that many others do not get into these schools, but I was left wondering if a stupid test score torpedoed the rest, of course I would never know. At that time, I decided that I would look for a new position in lieu of reapplying the following year - I had been waitlisted by three schools and the thought of jumping right back into the process was too daunting. Fortunately I landed a pre-MBA venture capital dream job (albeit at quite an advanced age to others holding the same position), and set sail for a new city. Screw the GMAT and the MBA!
The hunt
Alright, not so simple. The GMAT bug was biting. I couldn't imagine not pursuing an MBA, in whatever form, simply because of this test. I had to defeat this test once and for all. However, to go for attempt #4, I took a completely different approach - mentally, and tactfully.
The mental side was a huge hurdle. I had taken the test 3 times and been rejected from schools. What I did was view conquering the test as a goal unto itself. I ignored what the test was used for, and put my mind straight into those of the test-writers. I was angry, I wanted to crush those who wrote the test. Rather than thinking of the 100,000 other test takers, I focused on the test and the test alone. This may not resonate much with people, but for me it made the task more manageable and helped me move past my failures. On each and every practice test, I took 5 or 10 questions at a time, put my entire mind into getting through those segments.
As for my approach, a subtle change in preparation delivered enormous results. Let me preface by saying that my prep period was nearly 6 months, I dipped my toe in the water for months 1-4, and really turned the screws in months 5-6. I went through another course - this time Knewton - to re-familiarize myself with the concepts. I chose Knewton because it was the cheapest and because a course alone would not get me from 680 to the promised land. Once Knewton was done, I took some practice tests, and to no surprise, I was scoring in the 700-720 range. Mid 40s Q and varying V scores (V score largely related to my confidence coming off the Q section). What I did next I wish I had done back in 2007. I realized I would get a question wrong - across many types - read the course du jour's official answer, and move on. However, many questions I simply could not replicate or internalize the explanation. I felt like a dingbat. However, the beauty of the GMAT is that there truly is not a single way to answer a question. For every question that I either got wrong or which took me more than 2 minutes and 15 seconds, I scoured the internet looking for a solution that was an automatic "ah-ha." Let me tell you, for 99.9% of the explanations I found, there was an "ah-ha" answer. Less than 25% came from official test prep material, 75%+ came from users on this message board and others. I also rigorously practiced mental math tricks, realizing that questions with complicated calculations sent my timing into a tailspin. Jeff Sacks' GMAThacks math guide was great for this, and for other nuggets of knowledge (especially on work/rate questions). Soon enough, I built up a huge arsenal of tricks, and when it came time to the final practice tests, I was scoring Q49/50 every time. A high verbal score was easy if I felt I was doing well on the math. In fact, in my last official GMAT prep test, I got every single verbal question right.
The victory
When 760 flashed across my screen, I wasn't surprised. Nearly every question, with the exception of some crazy experimental ones (I'm guessing), connected to my bag of tricks. It felt like I wasn't even thinking - I saw what the question was trying to do, and picked an approach and nailed it.
Will I apply again to schools with this new score? The verdict is out on that. I'm just happy I won. I would highly encourage folks to separate the GMAT from the MBA application process itself and leave yourself time to get comfortable with it all.
That was a long ramble, please PM me if you have any specific questions about my approach.
Moderator Note: Update 12/18 - Admitted to Booth and Wharton
jumsumtak
Joined: 23 Mar 2011
Last visit: 14 Jun 2023
Posts: 1,092
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 479
Concentration: Healthcare, Strategy
Schools: Duke '16 (M)
02 Mar 2013, 11:38
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chromium73
That's quite an achievement.
For all your percentile table horrors earlier, you are now a 99 percentile scorer yourself - congratulations on the super score.
P.S: giving it a fourth shot requires balls. Good for you that you had them!
03 Mar 2013, 12:54
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Excellent score on your retake! Also, your debrief contained some interesting observations that should be helpful for future test-takers.
