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19 Oct 2009, 22:35
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I realized that I needed to apply to business school in mid-September 2009. Specifically, my hopes were for Stanford. Looking at the application materials, I was shocked. October 7th?!?! How would I have time to prepare? I decided to shoot for the moon and go for R1.
I had heard of the GMAT before, but I'm not a normal b-school applicant. So I signed up for a GMAT slot on October 2nd and checked out a few books from the library - OG11 and, I think, the Princeton Review book and another smaller book on just the verbal portion. They were just what was on the shelf that day. My plan was to simply read the books cover to cover, take a practice test, then go from there. I spent about three hours a day for the next three days just reading the books. I was a bit frustrated that the OG didn't have a lot of readable information, but the Princeton book seemed really useful - especially in understanding the unique nuances of the GMAT as they pertain to grammar (GMAT grammar vs. English grammar). I only did the practice problems that were in-line - the ones that were used as examples in the chapter - and left the end-of-the-book problems for later study.
After about 8 hours, I had finished reading each of the books and took my first GMATPrep test. I had a blast, but the CAT experience shocked me. I had never taken a test that actually got harder as time went on. I ended up guessing at the end of the math section but did well anyway - a 760. I wanted to improve my score, so I spent another hour studying standard deviation, idiomatic phrases, and probability, then re-took the test for a 790.
At this point I still didn't really know what a good GMAT score was. So I looked online for information, wondering if I should strive for a perfect score or spend my time on essays. I read a couple of adcom posts and was struck by the tone. They said that, above a certain threshold (between 720 and 760, depending on the post), GMAT scores aren't as compelling as essays or other application materials. Since I have a few jobs and very little time, I stopped studying, completely.
I spent an hour the night before the test simply skimming the sections in each of the books to refresh my memory. I had a great time at the test. Even though I made a few verbal mistakes in the beginning (because the middle and end were way too easy) I left the center with a Q51/V45/770/AWA6.0
Ultimately, I think that my best preparation for the GMAT, aside from the specifics on GMAT grammar, was my everyday life. I'm a published author and I teach physics - both of which were more than adequate for the skills tested. And I think that my attitude probably helped, as well. My suggestions for those of you preparing to take the GMAT:
1: (If you are preparing to take it very soon and won't have a lot of time to study)
Learn about "GMAT grammar" for the verbal section. It really is different from standard American or English usage, which can throw a wrench into the works for anyone who feels they have competent language skills. Some questions have you choose from a list of prepositions, each of which could plausibly be correct. The idioms (between vs among, different from vs different than) are also very important. In the test, identify grammatical errors instead of looking for the right answer. It is easier if you go backwards. For the quantitative section, study the basics in an OG book or other resource, then take a GMATPrep test and keep track of the questions that take a while or on which you struggle. Then go back and study those principles.
2: (If you are preparing to take the GMAT in a while and wonder how to approach your study)
Definitely take the time to learn about some aspects of the GMAT - like GMAT grammar (see the above section). But don't spend your life studying for the GMAT - spend your life living for the GMAT. I'm an educator by profession, and one of the biggest things in the world of education is called situated learning - learning that takes place in real situations. If you study for the GMAT at home and can do certain problems, you may be able to reproduce that on the test, but your actual skills (let alone your life) will suffer. On the other hand, if you find ways to incorporate GMAT skills into your life, then you will find it easier and more enjoyable to study, and you will retain the information much better. For example, I was on my way to teach physics and hit 17 out of 20 stoplights. When I arrived to class late, I asked my students to create a problem that would determine the probability of that happening... assuming that each stoplight is like flipping a coin. They didn't know how to solve it. I didn't know how to solve it. So, that night, I diagrammed the probability tree and found the formula for binary probabilities - and that actually helped me when I took the GMAT. You can do the same thing in your own life. Pick up writing and become a grammar nazi. Have friends and family create difficult math problems for you to solve. Have fun with it.
3: (For everyone)
Have faith in yourself, find ways to teach the information you learn, and create emotional connections with everything. The best students are those who believe in themselves, share their knowledge freely with others, and fall in love with the subjects at hand.
And yes. You can fall in love with the GMAT. Even in 10 hours.
I had heard of the GMAT before, but I'm not a normal b-school applicant. So I signed up for a GMAT slot on October 2nd and checked out a few books from the library - OG11 and, I think, the Princeton Review book and another smaller book on just the verbal portion. They were just what was on the shelf that day. My plan was to simply read the books cover to cover, take a practice test, then go from there. I spent about three hours a day for the next three days just reading the books. I was a bit frustrated that the OG didn't have a lot of readable information, but the Princeton book seemed really useful - especially in understanding the unique nuances of the GMAT as they pertain to grammar (GMAT grammar vs. English grammar). I only did the practice problems that were in-line - the ones that were used as examples in the chapter - and left the end-of-the-book problems for later study.
After about 8 hours, I had finished reading each of the books and took my first GMATPrep test. I had a blast, but the CAT experience shocked me. I had never taken a test that actually got harder as time went on. I ended up guessing at the end of the math section but did well anyway - a 760. I wanted to improve my score, so I spent another hour studying standard deviation, idiomatic phrases, and probability, then re-took the test for a 790.
At this point I still didn't really know what a good GMAT score was. So I looked online for information, wondering if I should strive for a perfect score or spend my time on essays. I read a couple of adcom posts and was struck by the tone. They said that, above a certain threshold (between 720 and 760, depending on the post), GMAT scores aren't as compelling as essays or other application materials. Since I have a few jobs and very little time, I stopped studying, completely.
I spent an hour the night before the test simply skimming the sections in each of the books to refresh my memory. I had a great time at the test. Even though I made a few verbal mistakes in the beginning (because the middle and end were way too easy) I left the center with a Q51/V45/770/AWA6.0
Ultimately, I think that my best preparation for the GMAT, aside from the specifics on GMAT grammar, was my everyday life. I'm a published author and I teach physics - both of which were more than adequate for the skills tested. And I think that my attitude probably helped, as well. My suggestions for those of you preparing to take the GMAT:
1: (If you are preparing to take it very soon and won't have a lot of time to study)
Learn about "GMAT grammar" for the verbal section. It really is different from standard American or English usage, which can throw a wrench into the works for anyone who feels they have competent language skills. Some questions have you choose from a list of prepositions, each of which could plausibly be correct. The idioms (between vs among, different from vs different than) are also very important. In the test, identify grammatical errors instead of looking for the right answer. It is easier if you go backwards. For the quantitative section, study the basics in an OG book or other resource, then take a GMATPrep test and keep track of the questions that take a while or on which you struggle. Then go back and study those principles.
2: (If you are preparing to take the GMAT in a while and wonder how to approach your study)
Definitely take the time to learn about some aspects of the GMAT - like GMAT grammar (see the above section). But don't spend your life studying for the GMAT - spend your life living for the GMAT. I'm an educator by profession, and one of the biggest things in the world of education is called situated learning - learning that takes place in real situations. If you study for the GMAT at home and can do certain problems, you may be able to reproduce that on the test, but your actual skills (let alone your life) will suffer. On the other hand, if you find ways to incorporate GMAT skills into your life, then you will find it easier and more enjoyable to study, and you will retain the information much better. For example, I was on my way to teach physics and hit 17 out of 20 stoplights. When I arrived to class late, I asked my students to create a problem that would determine the probability of that happening... assuming that each stoplight is like flipping a coin. They didn't know how to solve it. I didn't know how to solve it. So, that night, I diagrammed the probability tree and found the formula for binary probabilities - and that actually helped me when I took the GMAT. You can do the same thing in your own life. Pick up writing and become a grammar nazi. Have friends and family create difficult math problems for you to solve. Have fun with it.
3: (For everyone)
Have faith in yourself, find ways to teach the information you learn, and create emotional connections with everything. The best students are those who believe in themselves, share their knowledge freely with others, and fall in love with the subjects at hand.
And yes. You can fall in love with the GMAT. Even in 10 hours.
19 Oct 2009, 23:29
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Bookmarks
Hi
Great job on the score, although I'm sure most people won't be able to get a score like that in just a few days time, so I wouldn't recommend this to anyone looking to achieve a high score. Still, you should feel good for having done well - good luck on your apps.
Great job on the score, although I'm sure most people won't be able to get a score like that in just a few days time, so I wouldn't recommend this to anyone looking to achieve a high score. Still, you should feel good for having done well - good luck on your apps.
gurpreetsingh
Joined: 12 Oct 2009
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19 Oct 2009, 23:58
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Congrats and nice explanation.
I would recommend all to watch a documentary 'The Secret' and get some motivation.
I would recommend all to watch a documentary 'The Secret' and get some motivation.
You can become a GMAT tutor and earn a lot 
