closeEvents & Promotions
| Last visit was: 25 Apr 2024, 00:20 |
It is currently 25 Apr 2024, 00:20 |
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
10:00 AM PDT
-11:00 AM PDT
01:00 PM EDT
-11:59 PM EDT
12:00 PM EDT
-01:00 PM EDT
03:00 PM PDT
-04:00 PM PDT
11:00 AM EDT
-12:00 PM EDT
11:00 AM IST
-01:00 PM IST
11:00 AM IST
-01:00 PM IST
12:00 PM PDT
-01:00 PM PDT
12:00 PM EDT
-01:00 PM EDT
25 Nov 2015, 12:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: SAT Tip of the Week: Stop Saying That You're Not a Good Test Taker! |
 There are a number of ways that human beings self-sabotage. There are the obvious things that we do, such as making ourselves late or not trying to do things for fear that we will fail, and then there are the more insidious ways that we self-sabotage, such as telling ourselves that we “can’t” do or aren’t “good” at various things. It is certainly true that most human beings are not born with the ability to be rock stars on standardized tests, but that does not mean that the skills necessary to succeed on an SAT can’t be learned. The truth is that saying, “I’m not a good test taker,” gives that statement truth, but no one is good at anything until they become good at it. So instead, change that statement to, “I’m going to be a great test taker!” and use the following strategies to take the fear of being bad at taking exams and transform it into the motivation to be great. 1) Acknowledge Your Feelings Fear of failure is nothing to be ashamed of, nor is it something that should be discounted. If a student feels anxiety, it is best to acknowledge that feeling so that it can be addressed properly. See if you can identify what specifically is causing the fear. Is it a specific section of the SAT? Is it the thought of time running out? Is it a worry that you will make arithmetic errors on the math section? All of these are valid concerns that can be approached with practical steps. Remember, fear is essentially a projection of a negative outcome into an unknown (and unknowable) future! Think of something that you can work on right NOW that can help to address the particular source of your anxiety – for example, if you are worried about arithmetic, plan on doing some math problems that require a lot of arithmetic and be super specific about how you line up your equations and draw every single step. This will show you that you are capable of doing the task. Don’t live in the future, focus on what can be done right now! 2) Change Your Mindset Changing one’s mindset is an active process that involves acknowledging thoughts that are not helpful and attempting to focus on other thoughts that are more helpful. Instead of being disappointed at your wrong answers, look at all the answers you got right. What are you already good at? Acknowledging that you have a number of skills that have already been developed not only gives you confidence, but also helps to focus your studying on the things that need the most work. These are not things you are bad at, these are things you are soon to be good at! 3) Allow Time For Sleep Your body needs sleep. For most people 6-9 hours is an appropriate amount of sleep, but listen to your body. If you feel that you are not giving yourself enough time to sleep, your body can suffer from sleep deficiency which can reduce mental and physical acuity. It is worth mentioning that substances like caffeine have similar effects on the body to adrenaline, so it may be that avoiding coffee when you feel anxious will help to reduce the physical manifestations of anxiety like an increased heart rate and feeling of jitters. 4) Organize Your Time This involves doing tasks in the moment rather than worrying about the future. Create organized study schedules that address whatever SAT concerns you have and help to build the skills that you feel you need the most help with. Create a list of the things you would like to work on in order of importance and then set aside time to practice each in turn. Over preparing is a great way to reduce anxiety – if you are truly prepared for an exam, you have very little to feel anxious about. Especially work on that vocabulary: knowledge of vocabulary will not only help with the completing the sentences questions, but will also help you feel confident in deciphering complicated reading sections. 5) Visualize The Outcome You Want In general, approaching tests with a positive attitude has a tremendous effect on real outcomes. Numerous studies have demonstrated that positive visualization is associated with success in various pursuits. Take a few minutes before you go to bed to visualize yourself receiving the score that you desire on the test. This can go a long way to convincing yourself that you are capable of success. The moral of this story is that telling yourself you are bad at things does nothing to actually accomplish anything practical, it simply affirms a destructive opinion and gives you permission to believe bad things about yourself. So acknowledge your feelings, then start working on practical things that will help you become the test taker you are capable of being. You can do it! Still need to take the SAT? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter! David Greenslade is a Veritas Prep SAT instructor based in New York. His passion for education began while tutoring students in underrepresented areas during his time at the University of North Carolina. After receiving a degree in Biology, he studied language in China and then moved to New York where he teaches SAT prep and participates in improv comedy. Read more of his articles here, including How I Scored in the 99th Percentile and How to Effectively Study for the SAT. The post SAT Tip of the Week: Stop Saying That You're Not a Good Test Taker! appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
25 Nov 2015, 15:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: SAT Tip of the Week: Stop Saying That You Are Not a Good Test Taker! |
|
There are a number of ways that human beings self-sabotage. There are the obvious things that we do, such as making ourselves late or not trying to do things for fear that we will fail, and then there are the more insidious ways that we self-sabotage, such as telling ourselves that we “can’t” do or aren’t “good” at various things. It is certainly true that most human beings are not born with the ability to be rock stars on standardized tests, but that does not mean that the skills necessary to succeed on an SAT can’t be learned. The truth is that saying, “I’m not a good test taker,” gives that statement truth, but no one is good at anything until they become good at it. So instead, change that statement to, “I’m going to be a great test taker!” and use the following strategies to take the fear of being bad at taking exams and transform it into the motivation to be great. 1) Acknowledge Your Feelings Fear of failure is nothing to be ashamed of, nor is it something that should be discounted. If a student feels anxiety, it is best to acknowledge that feeling so that it can be addressed properly. See if you can identify what specifically is causing the fear. Is it a specific section of the SAT? Is it the thought of time running out? Is it a worry that you will make arithmetic errors on the math section? All of these are valid concerns that can be approached with practical steps. Remember, fear is essentially a projection of a negative outcome into an unknown (and unknowable) future! Think of something that you can work on right NOW that can help to address the particular source of your anxiety – for example, if you are worried about arithmetic, plan on doing some math problems that require a lot of arithmetic and be super specific about how you line up your equations and draw every single step. This will show you that you are capable of doing the task. Don’t live in the future, focus on what can be done right now! 2) Change Your Mindset Changing one’s mindset is an active process that involves acknowledging thoughts that are not helpful and attempting to focus on other thoughts that are more helpful. Instead of being disappointed at your wrong answers, look at all the answers you got right. What are you already good at? Acknowledging that you have a number of skills that have already been developed not only gives you confidence, but also helps to focus your studying on the things that need the most work. These are not things you are bad at, these are things you are soon to be good at! 3) Allow Time For Sleep Your body needs sleep. For most people 6-9 hours is an appropriate amount of sleep, but listen to your body. If you feel that you are not giving yourself enough time to sleep, your body can suffer from sleep deficiency which can reduce mental and physical acuity. It is worth mentioning that substances like caffeine have similar effects on the body to adrenaline, so it may be that avoiding coffee when you feel anxious will help to reduce the physical manifestations of anxiety like an increased heart rate and feeling of jitters. 4) Organize Your Time This involves doing tasks in the moment rather than worrying about the future. Create organized study schedules that address whatever SAT concerns you have and help to build the skills that you feel you need the most help with. Create a list of the things you would like to work on in order of importance and then set aside time to practice each in turn. Over preparing is a great way to reduce anxiety – if you are truly prepared for an exam, you have very little to feel anxious about. Especially work on that vocabulary: knowledge of vocabulary will not only help with the completing the sentences questions, but will also help you feel confident in deciphering complicated reading sections. 5) Visualize The Outcome You Want In general, approaching tests with a positive attitude has a tremendous effect on real outcomes. Numerous studies have demonstrated that positive visualization is associated with success in various pursuits. Take a few minutes before you go to bed to visualize yourself receiving the score that you desire on the test. This can go a long way to convincing yourself that you are capable of success. The moral of this story is that telling yourself you are bad at things does nothing to actually accomplish anything practical, it simply affirms a destructive opinion and gives you permission to believe bad things about yourself. So acknowledge your feelings, then start working on practical things that will help you become the test taker you are capable of being. You can do it! Still need to take the SAT? We run a free online SAT prep seminar every few weeks. And, be sure to find us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter! David Greenslade is a Veritas Prep SAT instructor based in New York. His passion for education began while tutoring students in underrepresented areas during his time at the University of North Carolina. After receiving a degree in Biology, he studied language in China and then moved to New York where he teaches SAT prep and participates in improv comedy. Read more of his articles here, including How I Scored in the 99th Percentile and How to Effectively Study for the SAT. The post SAT Tip of the Week: Stop Saying That You Are Not a Good Test Taker! appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
25 Nov 2015, 18:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: MBAs in Silicon Valley |
 While the fundamental principles of business never change, it has an inherently fluid nature. The idea is simple: you must adapt to survive. Big players like Google, Intel and Facebook have been drawing MBAs into the Silicon Valley at a steadily-increasing rate for years, however, startup companies are now also garnering a unique attraction for MBAs with brand new degrees and strong desires for innovative and creative opportunities, as well. Despite a considerably large risk of failure, numerous startups are formed in the Silicon Valley every year. It is estimated that 33% of all startups will not succeed. For most MBAs, going to work at a startup company is a rather significant gamble, as startups are characteristically designated by businesses models that are very scalable yet invalidated. While this may seem like an unsafe bet for many people, it is actually fairly obvious why new MBAs are drawn to startups in the Silicon Valley. In recent years, millennials have made a number of huge impacts on the workplace. They initially had a reputation for being self-entitled, narcissistic and lazy, however that negative connotation is quickly fading to a distant memory as companies adapt to accommodate this fast-growing demographic. Millennials now make up one-third of today’s workplace – that is over 54 million employees. Having an MBA degree, however, does not exempt this younger generation from the same characteristics that define their peers. Tech startups in Silicon Valley offer many of the perks that millennials value in the workplace. At almost any startup, the rules are fluid and employees have a large influence on their working environment and capacity for productivity. Startups are also notorious for open workspaces, group collaboration and unique perks like massage tables and game rooms. These benefits are a huge attraction for a generation of MBAs that is likely to financially struggle more than its predecessors. MBAs that go to work at startups in the Silicon Valley also often gain much more ownership of their projects and results than they would from traditional companies. Millennials are typically very passionate about what they do for a living – companies are likely to see many applicants from this particular age group when they create innovative environments that foster this passion. For a generation that was raised with seemingly unconditional praise, recognition is important in the workplace, and startups give inexperienced MBAs a chance to prove themselves. It is no easy task to take a small startup company and make it an impressive success – the allure of potential for achievement and praise is one large contributing factor in the huge amount of MBAs that are going to work at this type of company. It has been shown that many first-year MBAs are strongly attracted to working in the lucrative field of technology. This field has tremendously grown in the last twenty years, and is predicted to continue growing exponentially. Despite the amount of new and unproven tech startups in the Silicon Valley, it is easy to see why this area is anticipated to continue to draw numerous millennials with MBA degrees for many years to come. Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or click here to take our Free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation! As always, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter. The post MBAs in Silicon Valley appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
26 Nov 2015, 14:01
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: Happy Thanksgiving from Veritas Prep! |
 Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the past year, give thanks for all the good that is in your life… and be completely stressed out. Between gathering ingredients to roast the perfect turkey, formulating your plan of attack for Black Friday shopping, arranging your holiday decorations (Didn’t we just finish Halloween?), and mentally preparing yourself to interact with family members you may or may not be excited to see, add to that the stress of preparing for your educational future. Whether you are studying to take the GMAT, GRE, SAT or ACT, or are tweaking your dream school application for the tenth time, the holidays are most certainly not the most relaxing time of the year. At Veritas Prep, we’d like to make your holidays just a little less stressful by offering you our biggest discounts of the year for Black Friday: starting November 24, for an entire week, you can save up to $1,000 on test prep and admissions consulting services from Veritas Prep! This sale won’t last forever, so check out our discounts here and take advantage of the savings before it’s too late! From everyone at Veritas Prep, we’d like to take this opportunity to express how thankful we are for our amazing students, instructors, admissions consultants, and staff that we are fortunate to be able to work with every day. We hope that wherever you are in the world, that you have a wonderful holiday weekend. Happy Thanksgiving!  The post Happy Thanksgiving from Veritas Prep! appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
27 Nov 2015, 10:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: GMAT Tip of the Week: What Test-Takers Should Be Thankful For |
 If you’re spending this Thanksgiving weekend studying for the GMAT in hopes of a monster score for your Round 2 applications, there’s a good chance you’re feeling anything but grateful. At the very least, that practice test kept you inside and away from the hectic horror that has become Black Friday, but it’s understandable that when you spend the weekend thinking more about pronouns than Pilgrims and modifiers than Mayflowers, your introduction to the holiday season has you saying “bah, humbug.” As you study, though, keep the spirit of Thanksgiving close to your heart. Those who made the first pilgrimage to New England didn’t have it easy, either – Thanksgiving is about being grateful for the small blessings that allowed them to survive in the land of HBS, Yale, Sloan, and Tuck. And the GMAT gives you plenty to be thankful for as you attempt to replicate their journey to the heart of elite academia. This Thanksgiving, GMAT test-takers should be thankful for: 1) Answer Choices While it’s normal to dislike standardized, multiple-choice tests, those multiple choices are often the key to solving problems efficiently and correctly. They let you know whether you can get away with an estimate, allow you to backsolve or pick numbers to test the choices, and offer you insight into how you should attack the problem (that square root of 3 probably came from a 30-60-90 triangle if you can find it). On the Verbal Section, they allow you to use process of elimination, and particularly on Sentence Correction, to see what the true Decision Points are. A test without answer choices would mean that you’d have to do every problem the long way, but those who know to be thankful for answer choices will often find a competitive advantage. 2) Right Triangles Right triangles are everywhere on GMAT geometry problems, and learning to use them to your advantage gives you a huge (turkey?) leg up on the competition. Right triangles:
3) Verbs When there are too many differences between Sentence Correction answer choices, it can be difficult to determine which decision points are most important. One key: look for verbs. When answer choices have different forms of the same verb – whether different tenses or singular-vs.-plural – that’s nearly always a primary decision point and a decision that you can make well using logic. Does the timeline make sense or not? Is the subject singular or plural? Often the savviest test-takers are the ones who save the difficult decisions for last and look for verbs first. Whenever you see different versions of the same verb in the answer choices, be thankful – your job just got easier. 4) “The Other Statement” Data Sufficiency is a challenging question type, and one that seems to always feature a very compelling trap answer. Very often that trap answer is tempting because: A statement that didn’t look to be sufficient actually is sufficient. A statement that looked sufficient actually isn’t. And that, “Is this tricky statement sufficient or not?” decision is an incredibly difficult one in a vacuum, but the GMAT (thankfully!) gives you a clue: the other statement. When one statement is obvious, its role is often to serve as a clue (“you’d better consider whether you need to know this or not when you look at the other statement”) or a trap (“you actually don’t need this, but when we tempt you with it you’ll think you do”). In either case, the obvious statement is telling you what you need to consider – why would that piece of information matter, or not? So be thankful that Data Sufficiency doesn’t require you to confirm your decision on each statement alone before you get to look at them together; taking the hint from one statement is often the best way to effectively assess the other. 5) Extra Words in Critical Reasoning Conclusions If you spend any of this holiday weekend watching football, watch what happens when the offense employs the “man in motion” play (having one of the wide receivers run from one side of the offense to the other). Either the defensive player opposite him follows (suggesting man coverage) or he doesn’t (suggesting zone). With the “man in motion”, the offense is probing the defense to see, “What kind of defense are you playing?”. On GMAT Critical Reasoning, extra words in the conclusion serve an almost identical purpose – if you’re looking carefully, you’ll see exactly what’s important to the problem: Country X therefore has to increase jobs in oil refinement in order to avoid a surge in unemployment. (Why does it have to be refinement? The traps will be about other jobs related to oil but not specifically refinement.) Therefore, Company Y needs to cut its marketing expenses. (Why marketing and not other kinds of expenses?) The population of black earthworms is now almost equal to that of the red-brown earthworm, a result, say local ecologists, solely stemming from the blackening of the woods. (Solely? You can weaken this conclusion by finding just one alternate reason) For much of the Verbal Section, the more words you have to read, the more difficult your job is to process them all. But on Critical Reasoning, be thankful when you see extra words in the conclusion – those words tell you exactly what game the author is playing. 6) The CAT Algorithm For many test-takers, the computer-adaptive scoring algorithm is something to be angry or frustrated about, and certainly not something to be thankful for. But if you look from the right angle (and you know we’re already thankful for right angles…) there’s plenty to be happy about, including:
By Brian Galvin. The post GMAT Tip of the Week: What Test-Takers Should Be Thankful For appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
30 Nov 2015, 13:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: The Cliché Advice is Pretty Good Advice: 5 Ways to Handle Social Anxiety in College |
 Going off to college can be scary for a lot of reasons. The difficult academics and the fact that it’s many people’s first time away from home are big challenges, but the fear of not fitting in socially is incredibly common among soon-to-be college freshmen. During orientation, there will be throngs of new people, forced and awkward interactions, and a pervading sense that everyone else has already gotten everything figured out. All these forces – coupled with the transition to an entirely new way of life (college living) – can be quite daunting when a person starts to think about how he or she is going to go about making meaningful friendships. If this sounds like you, don’t be afraid! Feeling nervous about making friends and fitting in is a perfectly normal part of the transition to college. Being thrown from a position where you’ve known everyone in your school for your whole childhood into a place where every face is unrecognizable is a scary thing for anyone, regardless of what they might tell you. Never fear, though, these worries are easily overcome: here are a few tips and things to keep in mind as you try to navigate the collegiate friend-making process. 1. Remember that everyone is in the same position as you. It’s helpful to keep in mind that you aren’t alone in feeling nervous. Everyone has been thrust into the same new situation that you are in. This does mean that other people are nervous, but it also means that they are actively seeking out new friends; when two people who are looking for friends meet each other, there’s a good chance they will find something to be friendly about! If that doesn’t convince, you, just remember that millions of people have already gone through the same process and came out all right. Think of the stories your uncle has probably told you about the fun, crazy times he had with his freshman roommate! 2. The people who look like they have everything figured out, don’t! It’s too easy to look around at all the smiling faces around you and worry that everyone else has already found their best friends. Most of the time, those people are just really good actors. As the saying goes, people will “fake it ‘til they make it,” so there’s no need to feel behind if you don’t yet feel like you’re the pinnacle of popularity. 3. Go outside your comfort zone – but stay true to yourself. If you’re anything like me (a pretty hard core introvert), the prospect of going to a random meet-and-greet sounds about as fun as counting blades of grass. However, I dragged myself out to class gatherings on the main green during my orientation, and while I didn’t find any of my best friends there, it is nice to see people around campus that I met during my first few days at school. Be social and say yes to things when you’re on the fence, but once you’re actually at an event, make sure to be yourself. After all, you’ll only find real friends if they get to know the real you. 4. The cliché advice is pretty good advice. I’m sure you’ve heard the same refrains over and over again: Join clubs! Meet people in classes! Talk to your neighbors! These might sound cheesy or overused, but they’re actually not bad pieces of advice. Orientation events can expose you to a wide variety of people, but clubs and classes are places where you’re likely to meet people who have similar interests and hobbies. Additionally, it’s nice for your dorm to be a homey atmosphere, and being friendly with your dorm-mates only contributes to that good feeling! 5. Keep a long-term perspective. Making friends is hard, and it takes time. Manage your expectations so you don’t feel bad about yourself at all if you haven’t found the best friends you’ve ever met within the first two weeks of school. It’s okay if you’re not in love with every new person you meet. If you keep searching around and approach the endeavor with a positive attitude, sooner or later you will find a group of people that you can’t remember ever being in college without. Take a breath, be yourself, and eschew any nervousness of being awkward. Chances are most people won’t remember you anyway, so go out, have fun, and make some great new pals! Are you starting to work on your college applications? We can help! Visit our College Admissions website and fill out our FREE College profile evaluation! By Aidan Calvelli The post The Cliché Advice is Pretty Good Advice: 5 Ways to Handle Social Anxiety in College appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
30 Nov 2015, 14:01
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: Quarter Wit, Quarter Wisdom: Cyclicity of Units Digits on the GMAT (Part 2) |
 As discussed last week, all units digits have a cyclicity of 1 or 2 or 4. Digits 2, 3, 7 and 8 have a cyclicity of 4, i.e. the units digit repeats itself every 4 digit: Cyclicity of 2: 2, 4, 8, 6 Cyclicity of 3: 3, 9, 7, 1 Cyclicity of 7: 7, 9, 3, 1 Cyclicity of 8: 8, 4, 2, 6 Digits 4 and 9 have a cyclicity of 2, i.e. the units digit repeats itself every 2 digits: Cyclicity of 4: 4, 6 Cyclicity of 9: 9, 1 Digits 0, 1, 5 and 6 have a cyclicity of 1, i.e. the units digit is 0, 1, 5, or 6 respectively. Now let’s take a look at how to apply these fundamentals: What is the units digit of 813^(27)? To get the desired units digit here, all we need to worry about is the units digit of the base, which is 3. Remember, our cyclicity of 3 is 3, 9, 7, 1 (four numbers total). We need the units digit of 3^(27). How many full cycles of 4 will be there in 27? There will be 6 full cycles because 27 divided by 4 gives 6 as quotient and 3 will be the remainder. So after 6 full cycles of 4 are complete, a new cycle will start: 3, 9, 7, 1 3, 9, 7, 1 … (6 full cycles) 3, 9, 7 (new cycle for remainder of 3) 7 will be the units digit of 3^(27), so 7 will be the units digit of 813^(27). Let’s try another question: What is the units digit of 24^(1098)? To get the desired units digit here, all we need to worry about is the units digit of the base, which is 4. Remember, our cyclicity of 4 is 4 and 6 (this time, only 2 numbers). We need the units digit of 24^(1098) – every odd power of 24 will end in 4 and every even power of 24 will end in 6. Since 1098 is even, the units digit of 24^(1098) is 6. Not too bad; let’s try something a little harder: What is the units digit of 75^(25)^5 Note here that you have 75 raised to power 25 which is further raised to the power of 5. 25^5 is not the same as 25*5 – it is 25*25*25*25*25 which is far more complicated. However, the simplifying element of this question is that the last digit of the base 75 is 5, so it doesn’t matter what the positive integer exponent is, the last digit of the expression will always be 5. Now let’s take a look at a Data Sufficiency question: Given that x and y are positive integers, what is the units digit of (5*x*y)^(289)? Statement 1: x is odd. Statement 2: y is even. Here there is a new complication – we don’t know what the base is exactly because the base depends on the value of x and y. As such, the real question should be can we figure out the units digit of the base? That is all we need to find the units digit of this expression. When 5 is multiplied by an even integer, the product ends in 0. When 5 is multiplied by an odd integer, the product ends in 5. These are the only two possible cases: The units digit must be either 0 or 5. With Statement 1, we do not know whether y is odd or even, we only know that x is odd. If y is odd, x*y will be odd. If y is even, x*y will be even. Since we don’t know whether x*y is odd or even, we don’t know whether 5*x*y will end in 5 or 0, so this statement alone is not sufficient. With Statement 2, if y is even, x*y will certainly be even because an even * any integer will equal an even integer. Therefore, it doesn’t matter whether x is odd or even – regardless, 5*x*y will be even, hence, it will certainly end in 0. As we know from our patterns of cyclicity, 0 has a cyclicity of 1, i.e. no matter what the positive integer exponent, the units digit will be 0. Therefore, this statement alone is sufficient and the answer is B (Statement 2 alone is sufficient but Statement 1 alone is not sufficient). Finally, let’s take a question from our own book: If n and a are positive integers, what is the units digit of n^(4a+2) – n^(8a)? Statement 1: n = 3 Statement 2: a is odd. We know that the cyclicity of every digit is either 1, 2 or 4. So to know the units digit of n^{4a+2} – n^{8a}, we need to know the units digit of n. This will tell us what the cyclicity of n is and what the units digit of each expression will be individually. Statement 1: n = 3 As we know from our patterns of cyclicity, the cyclicity of 3 is 3, 9, 7, 1 Plugging 3 into “n”, n^{4a+2} = 3^{4a+2} In the exponent, 4a accounts for “a” full cycles of 4, and then a new cycle begins to account for 2. 3, 9, 7, 1 3, 9, 7, 1 … 3, 9 The units digit here will be 9. Again, plugging 3 into “n”, n^{8a} = 3^{8a} 8a is a multiple of 4, so there will be full cycles of 4 only. This means the units digit of 3^{8a} will be 1. 3, 9, 7, 1 3, 9, 7, 1 3, 9, 7, 1 … 3, 9, 7, 1 Plugging these answers back into our equation: n^{4a+2} – n^{8a} = 9 – 1 The units digit of the combined expression will be 9 – 1 = 8. Therefore, this statement alone is sufficient. In Statement 2, we are given what the exponents are but not what the value of n, the base, is. Therefore, this statement alone is not sufficient, and our answer is A (Statement 1 alone is sufficient but Statement 2 alone is not sufficient). Getting ready to take the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+, and Twitter! Karishma, a Computer Engineer with a keen interest in alternative Mathematical approaches, has mentored students in the continents of Asia, Europe and North America. She teaches the GMAT for Veritas Prep and regularly participates in content development projects such as this blog! The post Quarter Wit, Quarter Wisdom: Cyclicity of Units Digits on the GMAT (Part 2) appeared first on Veritas Prep Blog. |
01 Dec 2015, 11:01
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: Trends in Executive MBAs |
 We don’t talk a lot about Executive MBA programs. Why is that? They seem to be an afterthought to most business school applicants, especially as the average applicant continues to skew younger and younger. Well what about those applicants who are in the middle of their career? Who have ten plus years of experience? If you fit into that description, you really should consider an executive program instead of just the default option of doing the full time program. So just who is a good fit for Executive MBA programs and what results are they seeing after the program? All of that and more was discussed in the Executive MBA Council’s (EMBAC) 2015 research report. The EMBAC is an association of more than 200 business schools that offer part-time and executive MBA study programs. The first big trend we see with the EMBAC’s research is that men continue to dominate the population of executive MBA programs, which is interesting because there has been increased investment to attract women to business schools. Apparently those efforts are largely focused on full time programs, rather than on executive ones. While men make up 72% of the total enrollment in executive programs, however, female enrollment is on the rise — from 25.4% last year to 27.6% this year, which represents a nearly 10% increase. The second trend this research shows is that the average age of attendees is now nearly 38 and the average years of work experience is 14, making the applicants fairly senior. Why should this matter to you if you are thinking about applying to a full time program instead of an executive program? A lot of what you get out of business school is based on the students around you and the network you create. So if you are nearly 40, which network do you think will help you more? One that is built of students who have between two and six years of work experience or one that is made up of other mid-level professionals who have over a dozen years of work experience? I would pick the latter. Finally, you might be worried that executive programs don’t receive the same level of respect from companies and recruiters. While it’s hard to prove that, one thing we can look at is salary improvement after graduation. According to the EMBAC’s research, the average executive MBA participant enters the program making around $160,000 and leaves the program earning $190,000 — a pay increase of over 20% in less than two years! Are executive programs starting to sound more interesting now? Well what if you could get your current company to help cover some of the costs of the program? According to the EMBAC, a quarter of all students received full tuition reimbursement from their employer! Another 16% received reimbursement for at least half the cost of the program and a final 20% received at least some coverage from their employer. Not too bad. In conclusion, if you fit into that mid-career range of the typical executive MBA participant, you should really consider applying to that program in addition to the full time program. Your career just might thank you! Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or click here to take our Free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation! As always, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter. |
01 Dec 2015, 12:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: What Will YOU Pay for School, and When? |
 Figuring out your financial aid package is often not a thrilling pre-college activity. While actual financial aid award letters may appear to be simple, it’s not always easy to figure out exactly what needs to be paid by you or your family, and when. Here, I’ll break down the typical elements of aid packages, and show how and when the costs impact you and your family. 1. Expected Family Contribution. Often times, a financial aid award letter begins with information about the overall cost to attend that school, and how much that school has determined that your family (or both you and your family) can pay. You’ll be given a total amount expected to be contributed by you and your family. Any money expected to be paid by you and your family is needed by the time of your first tuition payment (around the time when you start school); however, many schools allow you to pay in monthly installments (which involve an extra fee). If your school lists you separately from your family, your contribution will be expected to come from a summer job between your last year of high school and your first semester and/or from any savings or trust fund listed in your application. International students are usually not expected to work in the summer before attending college. 2. Your Financial Aid Award. Next will be information about your actual financial aid award, which will be based on that family contribution mentioned above. So, if your school has determined that your family can’t pay $27,000 of your tuition, room and board, and fees, your aid will cover that amount of need. In this section, a school may list some sources of funds that are not required to be paid back. These include scholarships and grants. Hopefully you’ll have a few of those! 3. Loans & Work Study. The rest of your aid award letter will be self-help. Here, you’ll see loans and possibly work study. You’re required to pay back loans, and the exact amount of repayment is determined by how much money you borrowed, the interest on the loan, and the repayment plan you choose. You’ll be expected to start paying most of them back after you’ve graduated and started working, although if you drop below half-time enrollment or leave school, you’ll be expected to pay them back then. Finally, work study may be offered to you to help cover your personal expenses during the school year. I didn’t understand this initially when I was in college, but you’re not required to pay this money to your school. You’ll simply have to get a part time job (usually one on campus) that participates in a federal work study program, and the government will help pay part of your salary. There are so many different combinations of financial aid awards, so these aren’t always hard-and-fast rules. But if you keep these general guidelines in mind, you’ll be much better able to plan your finances in college, and beyond! Dakotah Eddy is a Veritas Prep Head Consultant, and the Assistant Director of Admissions Consulting. She received both her bachelor’s degree and MBA from Cornell University (Go Big Red!), with the aid of several scholarships, grants, fellowships. She enjoys creating: from culinary masterpieces, to wearable art, to tech solutions. |
02 Dec 2015, 12:01
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: SAT Tip of the Week: How to Write a Good SAT Essay |
|
Even though you get a whole 25 minutes to piece together your SAT essay, the grader who reads it will only take around 1-2 minutes to evaluate it. You might think this is annoying or unfair – after all, you probably put a lot of thought into your essay and want the reader to appreciate your hard work. However, this is the reality of the situation, and it’s your (and our!) job to figure out how to take advantage of it. So how should you go about doing this? The answer is simple to understand, and not much harder to do: Clarity. In your high school essays, you might have been taught to write with nuance, to “show not tell.” This is good advice for other writing assignments, but not for the SAT essay. The rushed graders are unlikely to notice detailed intricacy in your essay, but they will recognize a clear, direct argument. The best way to make a clear argument (in my words) is to “hit the reader over the head” with the point you’re trying to make. Going over the top in restating and explaining your main argument – which will show up in your thesis statement – is a foolproof way to ensure the reader will know exactly what you are attempting to say. My advice is to start with a strong thesis in the intro paragraph, but also include a restated version of that thesis statement in all of your body paragraphs. The goal of the examples in your body paragraphs should be to relate them back to your thesis, so framing the thesis in each of those paragraphs leads the grader to make that connection naturally. It’s key to make sure that your examples are clearly related to your thesis, as well. The more it’s clear why you chose those examples, the better the argument the grader will think that you’re making. The best kind of example is an obvious one that is well explained, not a subtle one that requires a ton of confusing exegesis. Alright, so now you know you have to be clear, but you may be asking, “What exactly does being clear look like?” Don’t worry, I won’t leave you hanging. Here’s an example of a recent SAT essay prompt with a corresponding clear and unclear thesis: Prompt: Do good intentions matter, or should people be judged only according to the results of their actions? Clear Thesis: It is most fair to judge people based on the goodness of their intentions because humans cannot absolutely control the effects their actions have on the world. Unclear Thesis: Since the results of our actions are shaped by factors that may or may not be outside of human control, it is best in most cases to judge people based on what we perceive their intentions to be, although it is often difficult to accurately tell what people’s intentions really are. The clear thesis gets right to the point. It doesn’t beat around the bush, introduce ambiguous claims, or contradict itself. The unclear thesis wavers, and it’s difficult to even follow what argument it is trying to make. As is evident in these two examples, the clearer your thesis is (and the more clear your examples are) the better the grader’s understanding of your essay will be. And of course, the better the grader’s understanding, the better your score! Still need to take the SAT? We run a free online SAT prep seminarevery few weeks. And be sure to find us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter! By Aidan Calvelli. |
02 Dec 2015, 16:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: Is Your GMAT Score More Important Than Ever? |
 The dreaded GMAT has long been one of the most feared components of the MBA application process. For many years the importance of the GMAT has been a bit overvalued by applicants, with too much focus being placed on the score and not enough on other areas of the application process. Just as admissions committees’ consistent message of their reliance on holistic reviews of candidate profiles has begun to sink in, a shift has seemingly started back the other way. Although there has been a consistent upward trends over the last few decades in GMAT scores across the board, over the last year or two in particular the average GMAT scores at top MBA programs like Northwestern’s Kellogg School, Chicago’s Booth School and Pennsylvania’s Wharton School have risen by record percentage points. These record averages should signal to prospective applicant’s the increased importance of the GMAT. Now, GMAT scores have always been important aspects of the MBA admissions process, but should applicants be more concerned with the rising scores at these top MBA programs? The quick answer is no! But you do want to accept this answer with a bit of a caveat: with dramatically rising GMAT scores across the board, it is even more important for applicants to target programs that are a clear fit for their background and showcased aptitude (GPA/GMAT). More specifically, applying to programs where your GMAT score falls below the average score has become a riskier option. The typical candidate should make sure they hit or are very close to the listed averages. Now for candidates coming from a more competitive applicant pool like the Indian male, White male, and Asian male, it is important to target a score above schools’ listed averages to ensure you stand out from the pack. For non-traditional applicants, a strong GMAT score can be a way to stand out in the face of rising scores and increased competition. The main takeaway from this trend for all applicants should be to really focus up front on creating the right list of target schools. Mind you, this list should not simply be one of the top 10 programs. Instead, create a list where your academic aptitude, professional goals, and other data points all align with the programs you plan to apply to so that you are able to maximize your chances of gaining admission to your target schools. Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or click here to take our free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation for personalized advice for your unique application situation! As always, be sure to find us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter. Dozie A.is a Veritas Prep Head Consultant for theKellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. His specialties include consulting, marketing, and low GPA/GMAT applicants. You can read more of his articles here. |
03 Dec 2015, 12:01
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: Don’t Panic! What to Do if You Are Rejected from Business School |
 The MBA application process is a lengthy and time-intensive experience that, for some candidates, can span multiple years of preparation. From carefully crafted resumes to diligent GMAT prep, a lot of time and resources will be invested in the typical MBA application process. Of all the investments. however, optimism is probably the most taxing for prospective students, especially if things do not turn out in a positive manner. Part of applying to business school is anticipating rejection; in fact, for those pursuing a top MBA program, more will experience the pain of rejection than the joy of acceptance. The numbers bear this out every year, so it is less about whether you will receive a ding, but instead how you will deal with that ding. There is no tragedy in being denied admission from one of your target programs, but there is one if you are not prepared to handle it. Let’s explore the best steps to dealing with the ding: 1) Self-Evaluate Submission This is the first and probably most important step an applicant can take to kick-start the post-ding process. Really take a look back at your application and honestly assess the strengths and weaknesses of your profile. Look at where you stand on paper (GMAT, GPA, etc.) as well as how you fare in some of the softer areas like the essay – scrutinize your whole profile. The data side is easy; you can compare average and median scores to determine your competitiveness in these areas. The “softer” areas are a bit more complicated, but assessing whether or not you answered all questions as they were posed, and to the best of your abilities, is a good place to start. The information gleaned from this self-assessment should fuel your next steps as a potential re-applicant. 2) Re-Evaluate Timeline At this point, you’ve come to grips with your rejection and have a good understanding of some of your missteps, so now is the time to determine next steps. Applications are all about timing, so consider if you have the time or capacity to implement the changes necessary to reach admissions success. For some, the changes needed will be minimal, for others the changes needed will be far more expansive. 3) Prepare for the Future After re-evaluating your timeline, you’re ready to prepare for the future. The first question to ask yourself should be whether you plan to continue applying to business school at all. Creating a winning application is not easy, so making the necessary changes to a rejected application may not be seen as worth the effort for some. Now if you do plan to continue applying, it is important to address the issues outlined above and create an action plan. Whether that action plan is enacted in the current application cycle or in subsequent years, having an approach to correct the holes in your package is key. A ding is not the end of the world! Follow the tips above to bounce back and earn the letter of admission you deserve. Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or click here to take our free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation for personalized advice for your unique application situation! As always, be sure to find us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter. Dozie A.is a Veritas Prep Head Consultant for theKellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. His specialties include consulting, marketing, and low GPA/GMAT applicants. You can read more of his articles here. |
03 Dec 2015, 16:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: The Science Behind the ACT Science Test: Part 1 |
 If you’re like 90% of my students, then you find the ACT Science Test to be the either the first or second most difficult section on the ACT. Which makes total sense, given that you are dealing with questions such as this: Scientist 2 says that a protein may be trapped in a moderately high-energy shape. Which of the following findings, if true, could be used to counter this argument?
Which of the following equations correctly calculates R (in nm) for Objective Lens 2, using light with a wavelength of 425nm?
This brings us to the second reason as to why these questions are challenging. Because most students immediately assume that such questions will be difficult to answer, they don’t search for an easy way to solve them. For example, they waste time by reading the dense paragraphs that accompany the tables or by trying to understand the exact meanings of complicated words. In order to help my students get in the habit of finding more efficient and less-stressful approaches (which do exist!) to solving such problems, I teach them the following test strategy, which I call “change where you first look”. The most important habit you need to learn to tackle the ACT section: Let’s take a look at some real ACT Science questions chalk full of technical jargon.   The biggest mistake a student answering these questions could make would be to read the accompanying paragraphs to try to understand what the heck “elaisome” is, or why “ant-planted’ plants survive longer. The reason you don’t need to waste time doing this? Whenever you see questions that say “according to the results of the studies”, nine times out of ten you only have to look at the provided tables, graphs, or charts, to find the all information you need to answer the questions. And on the ACT Science Test, tables are your best friend. I’ll show you what I mean; take a look at the following tables that will give us the answers to the above questions:    The key to reading these tables is to look along their rows and columns to find the labels that match the terms (the technical jargon) in the questions. For example, notice that the answer choices in the first question match the row labels on Table 3 (seeds that germinated, plants alive after 1 year, plants alive after 2 years, seeds produced per plant after 2 years), and that the question (what can be said when comparing hand-planted and ant-planted seeds) corresponds to the column labels on Table 3. In other words, all you have to do to find the answer is find which answer choice correctly matches one of the rows. And that would be answer choice A; according to the table 39 ant-planted seeds germinated, whereas only hand-planted seeds germinated. Now that you’ve seen the power of using tables, go ahead and see if you can answer the second question on your own! All the information you need to answer is on Table 1. Explanation for second question: The correct answer is C. Both species have elaisome masses of 6.2, so their masses of such are the same. Stay tuned to next week for a second step to this strategy! See you next Monday! For more tips on acing the ACT and getting into the most competitive universities in the nation, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! By Rita Pearson |
04 Dec 2015, 14:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: GMAT Tip of the Week: The Detroit Lions Teach How NOT to Take the GMAT |
|
If you’re applying to business schools in Round 2, you’re looking for good news (acceptance!) or a chance to advance to the next round (you’ve been invited to interview!) or even just a lack of bad news (you’re on the waitlist…there’s still a chance!) in January or February. Well if those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat it, you’d be well served to avoid the pitfalls of the Detroit Lions, an NFL franchise that hasn’t had January/February good news or a chance to advance since 1991. Any Detroit native could write a Grishamesque (same thing year after year, but we keep coming back for more) series of books about the many losing-based lessons the Lions have taught over the years, but this particular season beautifully showcases one of the most important GMAT lessons of all: Finish the job. Six weeks ago, this lesson was learned as Calvin Johnson took the game-winning touchdown within inches of the goal line before having the ball popped out by Seattle Seahawks star Kam Chancellor. And last night this lesson was learned as Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers completed a 60+ yard Hail Mary pass on an untimed final down. On the GMAT, you have the same opportunities and challenges as the Detroit Lions do: stiff competition (there are Rodgerses and Chancellors hoping to get that spot at Harvard Business School, too) and a massive penalty for doing everything right until the last second. Lions fans and GMAT instructors share the same pain — our teams and our students are often guilty of doing absolutely everything right and then making one fatal mistake at the finish and not getting any credit for it. Consider the example: A bowl of fruit contains 14 apples and 23 oranges. How many oranges must be removed so that 70% of the pieces of fruit in the bowl will be apples? (A) 3 (B) 6 (C) 14 (D) 17 (E) 20 Here, most GMAT students get off to a great start, just like the Lions did going up 17-0. They know that the 14 apples (that number remains unchanged) need to represent 70% of the new total. If 14 = 0.7(x), then the algebra becomes quick. Multiply both sides by 10 to get rid of the decimal: 140 = 7x. Then divide both sides by 7 and you have x = 20. And you also have your first opportunity to “Lion up”: 20 is an answer choice! But 20 doesn’t represent the number of oranges; that’s the total for pieces of fruit after the orange removal. So 20 is a trap. You then need to recognize that 14 of that 20 is apples, so you have 14 apples and 6 oranges in the updated bowl. But Lions beware! 6 is an answer choice, but it’s not the right one: you have 6 oranges LEFT but the question asks for the number REMOVED. That means that you have to subtract the 6 you kept from the 23 you started with, and the correct answer is D, 17. What befalls many GMAT students is that ticking clock and the pressure to move on to the next problem. By succumbing to that time/pace pressure — or by being so relieved, and maybe even surprised, that their algebra is producing numbers that match the answer choices — they fail to play all the way to the final gun, and like the Lions, they tragically lose a “game” (or problem) that they should have won. Which, as any Lions fan will tell you, is tragic. When you get blown out in football or you simply can’t hack the math on the GMAT, it’s sad but not devastating: you’re just not good enough (sorry, Browns fans). But when you’ve proven that you’re good enough and lose out because you didn’t finish the job, that’s crushing. Now, like Lions fans talking about the phantom facemask call last night, you may be thinking, “That’s unfair! What a dirty question to ask about how many ‘left over’ instead of how many remaining. I hate the GMAT and I hate the refs!” And regardless of whether you have a fair point, you have to recognize that it’s part of the game. The GMAT won’t give you credit for being on the right track — you have to get the problem right and be ready for that misdirection in the question itself. So learn from the Lions and make sure you finish every problem by double-checking that you’ve answered exactly the question that they asked. Finish the job, and you won’t have to wait 24 years and counting to finally have good news in January. Getting ready to take the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter! By Brian Galvin. |
07 Dec 2015, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: The Science Behind the ACT Science Test: Part 2 |
 Welcome back ACT Preppies! If you recall from last weeks blog post, we started to deconstruct the ACT science section. We reviewed the first part of the strategy “changing where you first look.” Now, let’s go over the second step. As you may have noticed, some questions refer to information from the dense paragraphs that accompany tables. In these cases, language in the question will tip you off; for example, the question will read something like this:  Notice that the question asks you about the design of the study. Whenever you are asked about the design or set-up, rather than just the results, you should know to immediately look at the referenced study, because the tables will not give you enough information. Note, in addition to looking first at the referenced study, you should specifically look for words from the answer choices, since those are the relevant terms to pay attention to. Here are the related paragraphs in the section. Give them a read, and then see if you can answer the question on your own, before looking at the explanation:  Explanation: The correct answer is G. Given that a controlled variable is one that scientists keep constant in order to measure other variables, the line “two seed dishes were placed in each site” clearly communicates that the dishes are the controlled variable. In sum, the most important habit you can develop to master the ACT Science Test is always looking at the most relevant piece of information first. When you are asked about the results*, always look at the tables or other relevant visual information pieces. When you are asked about experiment design or underlying concepts in the experiments, use the terms in the answer choices to skim the dense paragraphs. Footnote *When you are asked about simple relationships between variables: Tables, graphs, and visual information pieces are often also often the best places to find your answer. The question will usually begin with a phrase like,” According to Figure, Graph, or Chart x…”, which will tip you off as to which graph you should look at. Consider:  Even without knowing anything about the study, you can answer this question if you just look at the axis of Figure 1:  Answer: C! For more tips on acing the ACT and getting into the most competitive universities in the nation, be sure to find us on Facebook and Google+, and follow us on Twitter! By Rita Pearson |
07 Dec 2015, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: Quarter Wit, Quarter Wisdom: Cyclicity in GMAT Remainder Questions |
|
Usually, cyclicity cannot help us when dealing with remainders, but in some cases it can. Today we will look at the cases in which it can, and we will see why it helps us in these cases. First let’s look at a pattern: 20/10 gives us a remainder of 0 (as 20 is exactly divisible by 10) 21/10 gives a remainder of 1 22/10 gives a remainder of 2 23/10 gives a remainder of 3 24/10 gives a remainder of 4 25/10 gives a remainder of 5 and so on… In the case of this pattern, 20 is the closest multiple of 10 that goes completely into all these numbers and you are left with the units digit as the remainder. Whenever you divide a number by 10, the units digit will be the remainder. Of course, if the units digit of a number is 0, the remainder will be 0 and that number will be divisible by 10 — but we already know that. So remainder when 467,639 is divided by 10 is 9. The remainder when 100,238 is divided by 10 is 8 and so on… Along the same lines, we also know that every number that ends in 0 or 5 is a multiple of 5 and every multiple of 5 must end in either 0 or 5. So if the units digit of a number is 1, it gives a remainder of 1 when divided by 5. If the units digit of a number is 2, it gives a remainder of 2 when divided by 5. If the units digit of a number is 6, it gives a remainder of 1 when divided by 5 (as it is 1 more than the previous multiple of 5). With this in mind: 20/5 gives a remainder of 0 (as 20 is exactly divisible by 5) 21/5 gives a remainder of 1 22/5 gives a remainder of 2 23/5 gives a remainder of 3 24/5 gives a remainder of 4 25/5 gives a remainder of 0 (as 25 is exactly divisible by 5) 26/5 gives a remainder of 1 27/5 gives a remainder of 2 28/5 gives a remainder of 3 29/5 gives a remainder of 4 30/5 gives a remainder of 0 (as 30 is exactly divisible by 5) and so on… So the units digit is all that matters when trying to get the remainder of a division by 5 or by 10. Let’s take a few questions now: What is the remainder when 86^(183) is divided by 10? Here, we need to find the last digit of 86^(183) to get the remainder. Whenever the units digit is 6, it remains 6 no matter what the positive integer exponent is (previously discussed in this post). So the units digit of 86^(183) will be 6. So when we divide this by 10, the remainder will also be 6. Next question: What is the remainder when 487^(191) is divided by 5? Again, when considering division by 5, the units digit can help us. The units digit of 487 is 7. 7 has a cyclicity of 7, 9, 3, 1. Divide 191 by 4 to get a quotient of 47 and a remainder of 3. This means that we will have 47 full cycles of “7, 9, 3, 1” and then a new cycle will start and continue until the third term. 7, 9, 3, 1 7, 9, 3, 1 7, 9, 3, 1 7, 9, 3, 1 … 7, 9, 3 So the units digit of 487^(191) is 3, and the number would look something like ……………..3 As discussed, the number ……………..0 would be divisible by 5 and ……………..3 would be 3 more, so it will also give a remainder of 3 when divided by 5. Therefore, the remainder of 487^(191) divided by 5 is 3. Last question: If x is a positive integer, what is the remainder when 488^(6x) is divided by 2? Take a minute to review the question first. If you start by analyzing the expression 488^(6x), you will waste a lot of time. This is a trick question! The divisor is 2, and we know that every even number is divisible by 2, and every odd number gives a remainder 1 when divided by 2. Therefore, we just need to determine whether 488^(6x) is odd or even. 488^(6x) will be even no matter what x is (as long as it is a positive integer), because 488 is even and we know even*even*even……(any number of terms) = even. So 488^(6x) is even and will give remainder 0 when it is divided by 2. That is all for today. We will look at some GMAT remainders-cyclicity questions next week! Getting ready to take the GMAT? We have free online GMAT seminars running all the time. And, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+, and Twitter! Karishma, a Computer Engineer with a keen interest in alternative Mathematical approaches, has mentored students in the continents of Asia, Europe and North America. She teaches the GMAT for Veritas Prep and regularly participates in content development projects such as this blog! |
07 Dec 2015, 17:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: Should You Write the Optional MBA Essay? |
 Many business schools have become super restrictive on how many essays they allow you to submit. The crushing numbers of applicants has forced schools to streamline the evaluation process, and they simply do not have the staff or time to read 1000 word essays from everyone. Harvard, as an extreme example, actually has no required essays as part of this year’s application! They allow you to submit one essay if you like, but it’s not technically a requirement for consideration as an MBA applicant. While we don’t recommend you submit your HBS application without leveraging the essay, this shift in the MBA admissions process highlights the fact that every word does indeed count. Fortunately, other schools are more lenient when it comes to making your case for admission, and the Optional Essay is a good example of how schools want you to have an opportunity to make the best case possible. But how should you use it? Many schools suggest it be used to discuss anything unusual in your history, such as an arrest record, an abnormal gap in your work history or why you did not get your current boss to write you a recommendation. Certainly the most common use of this essay is to apologize for past sins as an undergrad or a significantly lower GMAT score than average. From a GPA/GMAT perspective, I would suggest to only use the optional essay for this reason if your combo GPA/GMAT could be viewed as a significant weakness. Certainly if both are low, and if the circumstances that resulted in a low GMAT and a low GPA are interesting or valid, you can explain it via this essay in a very succinct fashion. But if you went to a tough or highly ranked undergraduate school and had a GPA or equivalent of 3.0 or more, and a GMAT score that is well into the school’s 80% range, you may consider making no apology. Instead, highlight things which address your ability to handle the b-school curriculum in other areas of your application. Beyond this, I would simply step back from your application and ask yourself if there is anything that jumps out as particularly disconcerting. Are you applying with only a year’s worth of professional experience, for example? Or did you change jobs five times in three years? Sometimes addressing such anomalies in a simple, straightforward way is the best use of the optional essay. Your mission here is to inoculate any obvious concerns the Admissions Committee might have based on your core qualifications. Whatever you do, just don’t use it as an additional effort to argue your case. If you simply build upon the arguments made in the rest of your application, you may be viewed as inept. Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or click here to take our Free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation! As always, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter. Bryant Michaels has over 25 years of professional post undergraduate experience in the entertainment industry as well as on Wall Street with Goldman Sachs. He served on the admissions committee at the Fuqua School of Business where he received his MBA and now works part time in retirement for a top tier business school. He has been consulting with Veritas Prep clients for the past six admissions seasons. See more of his articles here. |
08 Dec 2015, 11:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: Can a 650 GMAT Score Get You Into a Top 10 Business School? |
 It goes without saying that the GMAT is a challenging test. Weeks of preparation boils down to just a few hours sitting in front of a glowing screen, attempting to demonstrate your aptitude for business school, which is supposedly what the test is designed to measure. Despite your best efforts to get a seven-handle on your score, however, you end up in the mid-sixes. Will this be good enough to get into your dream school? The average GMAT score at the top ten business schools has been on the rise for some time now. Just ten years ago, the average at these elite schools was in the high sixes, but now, it’s difficult to find an average score below 720. What happened? Is everyone getting smarter? More likely, the reason for the meteoric rise in scores comes from the simple nature of competition. With a fixed number of seats in the top MBA programs, the increase in applications has raised the demand for those seats and therefore the level of competition and amount of preparation that goes into taking the GMAT. In short, more people are putting in more time to study and this has pushed up the scores. An increase in applicants from Asia, where average scores are higher, has also skewed the averages. The answer to whether or not you can get into a top business school with “only” a 650 (a great score to be sure) is yes….and no. Put differently, there are people who will get in with that score (or lower) and people who won’t. What’s the difference? Everything else in the application. The GMAT, of course, is but one factor in an avalanche of information the Admissions Committees consider. Perhaps the person who got in with the 650 score had a spectacular undergrad record from a top school. Maybe they have achieved something great in their career, something that is going to add real value in the MBA classroom. A 650 GMAT score says to the committee that you can handle the academic rigors of business school, but in order to take the hit on their score average, they need you to be bringing something unique to the table to make up for it. Again, they know from this score that you are likely sharp, smart, and able to be a successful student, but because there are far more people who score in the 650 range than the 720+ range, they simply have the “pick of the litter” at that point to fold in only whom they consider to be exceptionally prepared candidates. The same goes for the super-elite business schools. They don’t have rules that automatically toss out any application with a GMAT score under 700, for example, and every year they let in a handful of students with lower scores. The challenge for the applicant, however, is the same: the lower scoring applicant must demonstrate something truly unique in their application to stand out. Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or click here to take our Free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation! As always, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter. Bryant Michaels has over 25 years of professional post undergraduate experience in the entertainment industry as well as on Wall Street with Goldman Sachs. He served on the admissions committee at the Fuqua School of Business where he received his MBA and now works part time in retirement for a top tier business school. He has been consulting with Veritas Prep clients for the past six admissions seasons. See more of his articles here. |
08 Dec 2015, 13:01
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: 3 Ways to Be a Successful Writer in College |
 As you might expect, writing in college is very different from writing in high school. There are different types of assignments, different expectations, different grading, and different time structures. Yes, writing is still writing, but both the process and the end result are quite distinctive. In high school, writing assignments are usually clearly defined. There are set topics and set ways to format the essay. The expectation in high school is that you will be able to effectively regurgitate other people’s ideas and research, with your own opinion relegated to a background role. On the other hand, college assignments are often quite open ended. Gone are the days of uniform essay prompts and hand-holding guides to walk you through your paper! Professors will also expect their students to develop their own unique arguments and justifications for those arguments. Oh, and not to mention, college papers can be really long! If this sounds scary to you, don’t worry; it’s not so bad. Writing in college can actually be really fun. Just because college writing is different doesn’t mean you won’t be able to handle it. If you do need some help making the leap, here are some ways to make the transition from high school to college writing as smooth as can be: 1. Be confident in your own opinions. As 18-year olds talking about ideas that the big time academics have debated for years, there is a tendency to defer to the bigwigs’ thoughts and research. Describing instead of evaluating is a hallmark of a young, unconfident writer. In college, this won’t fly; instead, you need to stake out your own positions and defend them with your own crisp reasoning. You can use scholarly research to inform your opinions, but ultimately a good college paper hinges on proposing a unique, critically developed argument. 2. Make concrete plans – with incentives. The lack of structure on college writing assignments can be disconcerting. Sometimes professors will hand out essay topics one day and not mention the paper again until the day you hand it in. In order to avoid waiting around for help (that likely won’t come unless you seek it out…) and stressfully leaving it for the last day (trust me, it’s a bad idea…), it’s crucial that you make a writing plan and stick to it. Plan out when you’ll research. Plan out when you’ll take notes. Plan out when you’ll make an outline. Plan out when you’ll write the final essay. In short, plan! Writing your plan down, in a planner, scheduler, or your online calendar, is a good way to make it more concrete. Finally, take a hard look at yourself and realize what incentive you need to stick to your plan. Some people reward themselves with nice meals for accomplishing their goals. Other people force themselves to give away money if they fall behind. Find what works for you, and hold yourself to it! 3. Take advantage of all the writing resources at your disposal. It can often seem like you’re all on your own for papers in college. This lack of structure and aid is understandably scary. But never fear! There are always people to help you out, if you’re brave enough to seek them out. You can go to your professor’s office hours to bounce ideas off of her. You can meet with TA’s for more specific questions about content, style, and structure. If you’re lucky, your college will have a writing center that works with students on their writing assignments. If you did get this lucky (or were smart and chose a college that provided writing aid to students), definitely take advantage of this. The more smart people you have looking at your essay, the better the final product will be. Once you start searching around, you’ll find plenty of people willing and eager to help you out. As long as you’re confident, disciplined, and willing to seek out help, success in college writing is right within your grasp! Are you starting to work on your college applications? We can help! Visit our College Admissions website and fill out our FREE College profile evaluation! By Aidan Calvelli |
09 Dec 2015, 12:00
| FROM Veritas Prep Blog: Applying to Business School in Round 2 or Round 3 |
 With precious little time between the release of the applications from business schools and the application deadlines in the first round (or even earlier for early decision rounds) we often see clients vexing over whether or not to push off an application to subsequent rounds. Now that second round MBA deadlines are upon us, there are natural questions about whether this wait was a good strategy, a bad strategy, or a neutral decision. It’s widely considered by business school admissions teams and MBA admissions consultants that the first round is the best round in which to apply. The reasoning for this is that all the seats are open (save for early commitment admissions offers), and many schools are, in general, more liberal in offering admission since they don’t have any existing classmates to compare applicants against yet. Business schools have a strong need and desire to fill every seat each year, so they are reluctant to turn down qualified applicants for fear they will come up short in the end. Having said this, they will still certainly utilize the waitlist for marginal candidates. Additionally, the applicant in Round 1 is generally stronger overall, but there are fewer applicants in this round than in Round 2. There are even fewer applicants in Round 3, but also far fewer seats left. This brings up one of the conundrums of applying in Round 2. While there are still plenty of seats left (business schools know that while busy, type A achievers generally hit Round 1, they are not always ready to go in this round and so they set aside seats for Round 2), at this point, you are not only competing against other Round 2 applicants, but also against everyone on the waitlist from Round 1. Strong applicants find it just as seamless to get an MBA admissions offer in Round 2 vs. Round 1, but marginal candidates (meaning they have weaknesses in their application attributes) find it more difficult to apply and be accepted in Round 2. More waitlist offers are sent out for Round 2 as well. For the same reasons as above, the dreaded third round is certainly the most difficult to navigate successfully. If you get in Round 3 you are either a truly exceptional candidate, or you have something so unique about your story or background that you fill a niche or round out an almost full class. If you are a marginal candidate , it is an extreme long-shot to get into business school in Round 3. As always, however, there are caveats. Firstly, if you were not ready to submit your application in Round 1, by all means send it in by Round 2. It’s better to put your best foot forward than to jump in before the application is polished and good to go, but going past Round 2 could be very challenging. One more caveat – if you had some kind of impressive or career-impacting event that did not transpire until after the Round 1 or Round 2 deadlines, but you feel will it would help your candidacy, it can be a good idea to wait. That international assignment in the fall or that better score on the GMAT may be just the thing to push you into favor. Submitting a better application is always the trump card. Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or click here to take our Free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation! As always, be sure to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter. Bryant Michaels has over 25 years of professional post undergraduate experience in the entertainment industry as well as on Wall Street with Goldman Sachs. He served on the admissions committee at the Fuqua School of Business where he received his MBA and now works part time in retirement for a top tier business school. He has been consulting with Veritas Prep clients for the past six admissions seasons. See more of his articles here. |
|
|
||
Hi Generic [Bot],
Here are updates for you:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
 Wednesday, Apr 24, 2024 11:30am NY / 3:30pm London / 9pm Mumbai Watch earlier episodes of DI series below EP1: 6 Hardest Two-Part Analysis Questions EP2: 5 Hardest Graphical Interpretation Questions
Tuck at Dartmouth
AGSM at UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE
 Free Resources
|
