640 - to apply or not apply? Prep courses in London?

Question

Experts,

After 6 weeks of pretty rigorous studying, I ended up getting 640 (Q44, V34).

Extremely disappointed as I got 640 (Q43, V35) on my first GMAT prep after a week of skimming MGMAT books. After 3 weeks of studying, I did the Manhattan test and got 610 and then after another 2 weeks did the GMAT prep 2 and got 620. I've tried looking at my weaknesses but they seem to be everywhere - DS and all parts of verbal are fairly similar (or change depending on the test) so not sure what I should do. I studied pretty much everyday for at least an hour after work and several hours each Sat and Sunday so not sure if my brain is simply not for the GMAT.

I felt relatively relaxed during the test (I got a 5.5 in AWA and 8 in CR) and didnt think I had done so poorly in the maths but did run out of time in the verbal (I thought that getting the first 20 qs were pretty imp..though clearly I didnt get them right anyways).

I wanted to apply for Round 2 in Jan 2015, but even with a MBB background and an OK degree, I think the score is too low to get into Kellogg, let alone HBS and GSB.

Currently thinking on taking a GMAT course in London - any thoughts on which course to take? Veritas v Manhattan? And what's an optimum timeline to retake it?

Would appreciate any advice.

Thanks,

interviewbay22 · Answer

Hello

It appears to me that your main strategy in verbal is that of guessing. I would suggest you to leave the traditional prep for a while and go back to the basics of grammar. Also, read nytimes and novels such as to kill a mocking bird. Spend some time reading everyday, and read good article of good English so that your reading improves and you do better in RCs. Your quant score is pretty low for any good school so I would additionally suggest you to maximize practicing math problems. A 710 or 720 odd score with 51 on quant will also do.

All the best

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DmitryFarberMPrep · Answer

Not to diminish your effort, but I think the problem is that you haven't studied enough. Look around on here and you'll find that most people who improved significantly put in several months of study, often working at it 15-20 hours a week or more. I wouldn't say that your brain is "not for the GMAT." Pretty much anyone can improve on this material! You just need to get in some solid hours of organized practice.

We have several great instructors in London. My friend Ryan Starr has a class starting on Jan 13. He speaks many languages, scored 790 on the GMAT, and has a sense of humor that will force you to pay attention. Be careful--he may also be able to guess your bank password by staring at your fingertips!

Our course is 9 weeks long, and to get through the homework you'll need to put in about 2 hours a day.

https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/clas ... ion/london

Our course is 9 weeks long, and to get through the homework you'll need to put in about 2 hours a day. https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/clas ... ion/london

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi Addictedk89,

A 640/Q44 is a solid performance (it's just shy of the 80th percentile overall), so you've done pretty well. While this set of scores would be at the lower end of the "range" for your target schools, this score would not take you out of consideration at any of them (it just wouldn't be a "plus" in your application). You're looking at schools that are going to reject 90% of the applicants who apply; it's worth noting that almost all of those applicants are going to be great applicants too. This is all meant to say that your OVERALL application has to be strong. If you don't have that many amazing aspects to your application, then you might want to put in more time on your GMAT studies so that you can make your GMAT score a "plus" - this might also mean that you have to push back your application to a later Round.

Most Test Takers spend 3 months (or more) on their studies, so it sounds like you might not have done enough work yet to earn a higher score. Another issue seems to be that you self-taught your way through a series of books. You've come up with a fairly consistent way of doing things, which is why your scores stayed in the low-600s. To score at a higher level, you're likely going to need consistent, professional guidance over your next round of studies. To that end, there are plenty of options to choose from; there are Guided Self-Study Courses as well as Instructor-Led Courses. Most GMAT companies offer some type of free resources (Trial Accounts, practice problems, etc.) so that you can try out a product before you buy it. We offer a free Trial Account and I know that both MGMAT and Veritas offer free resources on their respective websites. You should take a look at the various options, then choose the one that best matches your personality, timeline and budget.

If you have any additional questions, then you can feel free to contact me directly.

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

addictedk89 · Answer

Hi all

I just retook my GMAT and got a 700 (Q45, V40). My schools remain the same - GSB, Kellogg, Columbia, HBS. Is this a decent enough score for R1 applications. Also concerned that IR went down to 6 (from 8) and Quant is still very low.

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi addictedk89,

This is a really nice improvement over your prior GMAT score and certainly makes your application stronger by comparison. With a 700, you can comfortably apply to any School that you choose; the Q45 isn't going to impress anyone, but it might not have to. As I mentioned in my prior post, you're interested in some remarkably competitive programs, so making sure that your overall application is strong AND that you're presenting yourself correctly is a must.

To that end, you might want to work with an Admissions Expert. These experts can help you to craft your application in the most effective way possible. There's a Forum full of them here:

ask-admission-consultants-124/

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

interviewbay22 · Answer

Hello again.

Congratulations on the significant improvement.

The schools that you are applying to are some of the most competitive ones out there. But a lot of people have made it in with a GMAT score of 700. And looking at the field you want to enter post MBA, your GMAT score may not be a deal breaker. In any case it is a great score for a few safe schools that you would have to consider.

Tell me about your job and your work with the NGO, were you able to manage both perfectly or are you working at the NGO full time? Such a background will make your application unique to some extent. What is left for you to do is to develop excellent essays and work on the rest of your application.

So do tell me more and let you know if you need help in finalizing business schools.

640 - to apply or not apply? Prep courses in London?

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