Given my performance on practice tests, how much I studied, AND how hard it was to find study time while working 50-60 hours a week, I'm somewhat disappointed. Regardless, I doubt I'll be taking the GMAT again...goodbye scholarships *sniff*
Oh well, enough of my pathetic whining. This forum was very helpful in my efforts, and I like to share my experiences.
Preparation:
OG 11th Ed.
OG Quant review
Manhattan GMAT's (
MGMAT) Sentence Correction workbook
Online Kaplan Course (did everything. yes everything)
Kaplan's GMAT 800
Kaplan Pract. Test Scores: 640, 630, 650, 790, 710, 760, 710, 780, 730
MGMAT Pract. Test Scores: 640, 650, 750
Powerprep: 740, 760
Thoughts on study material:
I thought the OG material was the best. The questions seemed easier than real GMAT questions and the rest of the study material, but the questions were still the most representative. The Powerprep tests are perfect. Also, there's some great review material in that Powerprep software.
I picked up
MGMAT's sentence correction guide, and it was exceptional. Thanks to
MGMAT's SC review, I went from being very confused about my own language to being a complete jerk correcting other people's sentences and stuff (j/k).
MGMAT's tests are a little funky, but the math is nice and tough making it very valuable for high scorers.
Kaplan's GMAT 800 was great for the verbal, but the math questions were hardly advanced. I did them all in my head with no scratch paper (honest), and I'm not that smart (honest). The online Kaplan course was worthless except for the tests which were decent. My biggest beef with Kaplan's practice tests were that the math questions were all the same. I don't mean they were questions were identical, but they had a characteristic style that made them less diverse than the real GMAT questions. To put it another way, if you just take Kaplan's practice tests, you'll be surprised on the actual GMAT.
Test Day:
I didn't feel nervous or stressed out the day before, but I think I was. I couldn't sleep to save my life.
Anyway, I checked in at the test center and all that. Don't smile like a goofball for your picture like I did. Every time you take a break, the computer flashes your mug up on the monitor like a screen saver. I looked like an idiot, and I couldn't help thinking about it during my breaks. Very distracting
My essays were terrible. I felt like a raging bull, and all wanted to do was sink my teeth into the quant section. To make matters worse, I got a really serious issue topic about racism, and I didn't do it justice. It went something like this:
Racism is a terrible and sadly ubiquitous scourge. NOW WHERE'S THE FRAKKIN' MATH?!?!
I have a lot of explaining to do during my interview...
My math score was my biggest disappointment after shaming my family with my junior-high-school-level essays. Frankly, I was very nervous at this point, and I couldn't think clearly. There were several questions early on that I just couldn't clear my mind enough to focus on, and I'm sure I missed. Thinking back on those questions, they weren't that hard. Meh.
I was pleased with my verbal score. By the time I got to the verbal, I was still sharp, but relaxed. Obviously I missed a few, but I felt great missing them. No complaints there.
Summary:
OG must have. Kaplan so-so.
MGMAT great. Someone needs to move the essays to the end of the test.
Thanks again everyone and good luck!