From expensive tutoring and 2 disappointing attempts to a 695 with TTP

Question

I'm writing to talk about my GMAT FE experience since my journey was by no means a straight one, and I hope that it may be of some use to those who feel like they're working hard but not seeing any improvement in their scores:)
 
 At the time when I first decided that I wanted to apply for an MBA, I had already been working for a number of years and therefore felt rather detached from standardised testing. Since I thought the best approach to getting back into it would be to have a tutor, I took one who had been recommended to me through my company. Although it was a rather costly arrangement, I considered it an investment in the MBA process.
 
 I did the lessons, finished the homework, and put in a significant amount of time preparing. The issue was that my practice scores weren't improving as I had expected. In the end I took the GMAT two times, and neither of my scores was anywhere close to the level I wanted (595).
 
 At the same time I moved abroad for my job, I decided to put off both the GMAT and the MBA application process.
 
 I returned to it about a year later. This time instead of immediately hiring another tutor I asked a number of friends who had scored very well on the GMAT what kind of material they had used and found that Target Test Prep was mentioned repeatedly. I then decided to have a go at the TTP Self-Study course and, looking back, I believe that changing my approach was probably  the most important decision I made during my GMAT preparation.

Why TTP worked better for me   
 The greatest difference lay in  structure and efficiency . 
 In retrospect, working with a tutor was much less efficient since the way I learn. The amount of material we could go over was fixed, I had to work around the tutor's availability, and a great deal of the actual improvement still came down to what I did between sessions.
 
 Using TTP, I was able to proceed at the speed that was appropriate for me. Whenever I understood a topic, I could move on, but if I didn't understand it, I could take much more time studying it without being concerned about whether I was making efficient use of my expensive tutoring session.
 
 At the same time, I never had the feeling that I was on my own with just a textbook. The concepts were clearly explained in writing, video explanations were provided when they were useful, and there were also ways to get more direct assistance if required. This combination proved to be a much better balance between self-study and having access to help. 
 Another important difference was the link between  theory and real GMAT problems .
 
 You don't just read a chapter and then go on with the rest; the concepts are reinforced continuously via GMAT-style questions, and the extent and quality of the question bank must have been one of the main benefits of the platform for me.
 
 This was particularly important for Quant, since that was the area in which I needed to make the greatest improvement. There were so many questions covering basically every topic that I could carry on with repetitions until I was no longer just remembering a technique but actually understanding how to identify and solve different versions of the problem.
 
 I added the official GMAT questions and official practice exams to my studies at TTP, but TTP provided me with the amount of practice necessary to go from 'good' to 'great'. 
   
Timing and test strategy   
 One area in which TTP made a major difference to me was  pacing.  To know the material and to do well in a timed GMAT are two separate matters; timing was one of my main weaknesses when I first tried the exam.
 
 As a result of using TTP, I became much better at solving problems, as well as at judging how quickly I had to make decisions, when I was taking too long on a question, and how to control my pace throughout a section. 
 
I eventually picked up that lesson much more effectively by means of repeated practice and the structured TTP method than by receiving tutoring. 
 
  Studying while working 12–16 hour days   
 At the same time I was working on my preparations for the consulting job, which involved 12 to 16 hour days as a regular occurrence. 
 That made flexibility extremely important.
 
 I studied at home, in the office, on the subway, in airports, and on planes; the ability to open up any platform at once and then immediately know what I should do next meant that a considerable amount of friction was eliminated. 
 
All of your plan, progress, calendar, completed work, and areas needing improvement are available in one place. It may seem like a minor point, but if you're already putting in long hours, you won't want to use any more mental effort trying to decide what to study, checking spreadsheets, sorting through your materials, or working out what should come next. 
 
With TTP I was able to use those calories on the actual process of learning. And because I could see exactly where I was strong and where I wasn’t, I also didn’t need to treat every part of the GMAT equally. I could concentrate my limited time on the topics that were actually holding my score back.

The result   
 As time went on I was able to notice the difference in my practice exam results; my scores got stronger and more reliable, but even more important perhaps was the fact that I became a great deal more confident when facing the exam. 
 I ultimately scored  695 (Q86, V85, D82) on the GMAT (98th percentile) .
 
 I have now been accepted at MIT Sloan and will begin my MBA there. What's interesting is that TTP wasn't a shortcut; I still invested a great deal of time in getting ready. The difference was that those hours were a lot more productive. Rather than wasting energy on the logistical aspects of preparation, I could concentrate almost entirely on learning the concepts, practicing them, understanding my mistakes, and working on my timing.

I have already suggested TTP to former colleagues and friends who are preparing for the GMAT, and I keep on making that recommendation. If a person is willing to put in the necessary effort—especially if they are trying to study while having a busy job (I truly believe it is an excellent method of preparation). 
 I don’t think I would have achieved the same result without making the switch to TTP.

kingbucky · Answer

wow.. congratulations on your admission to MIT Sloan. I wish you have great success in your academics.

Hale1114 · Answer

Congrats on the score! And congrats on getting in to Sloan!
I just took the mock on here - 485. My goal is a 685. Quant and DI are my weak areas. Glad to hear good things about TTP because I hear TTP is strong in that area.

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