My GMAT story is a long one. Considering how hard it was to get my dream score, there were times where I did not think there ever would be a “GMAT story” with a positive outcome for me. Finding the balance between knowing when to stop and pushing through when necessary is tough but I am very happy that my score turned around eventually. That said, I would have – literally – never been able to achieve my score without GmatWhiz. Having tried the Manhattan books, The Economist Prep and parts of E-Gmat, there is honestly no course like GmatWhiz. Now, since this sounds like an advertisement, let me explain why.
For me, it made a huge difference to not only have the online setup where you can study by yourself, but also an expert looking on what you are doing. A huge issue for me was to figure out what it exactly is that I need to do in order to achieve my target. I went through a lot of material before and even though I was able to improve my score, the fact that I just went through it without expert knowledge made my score fluctuate by sometimes even up to 100 (!) points. Additionally, I was not able to perform the same on the real test as I did in mocks. After achieving a 580 on the real test even though I had a 640 on my mock just before, I was flirting with the idea of giving up. In my mind, my last chance was to find a private tutor, pay a huge load of money and start from scratch. This is when I got into contact with Piyush and he set up a meeting with Saquib to find out what was going on. Saquib knew the test and material so well that he immediately understood what we needed to focus on. He tested questions and topics on me and we (for example) found out that my performance on easier questions needed to be way better while the accuracy on harder questions was quite good already. Finding this out and also finding an ally that assured me that, contrary to my belief at that stage, I am able to get my dream score made me sign up for the course. I found the price very fair and before giving up I though I would give it one last chance.
The questions on the course are - at least in my opinion - better than in the other courses I did because they are a good balance in terms of difficulty. Since I found the real test harder in Quant, I was super happy that the level felt very similar on the course but also not unnecessarily more difficult or confusing. Every time you have a session with an expert, you can walk through the questions and find errors, blind spots or also show how you got to your solution (or mistake) to make sure that during the exam your approach is solid. Talking to an expert, he or she will even be able to tell you what kind of mistakes you can never do again or which ones you can at least have lesser accuracy on (depending on your target of course). You really have somebody you can walk through your thought process while you are reading or calculating something and get feedback on how to become more efficient.
For me, all these steps were key for finally going to the test center and getting out there with not only my target score of 680 but an even higher one of 710 and never (let that sink in) do this ever again. For that achievement, all their effort and faith in me, the team definitely deserves this long review and a big thank you from my side :-)

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I reached out to Fortuna because I had heard how successful they were coaching you through your MBA application. I liked the fact that one would work with a coach that really knows the school and the application process. In my opinion there is no better way to apply for an MBA than with a team of people that includes former admissions committee members.

I got matched with Melissa Joelson and knew from our first meeting that she was the perfect coach for me. Melissa is amazing in getting your story across and seeing things in your profile that you did not even realize were valuable assets to your application. She will also not hold back from looking at your weaknesses and suggesting ways for you to improve.

The main factor that made Melissa an amazing coach for me is the passion that she brings to your application. I went through a busy time during my application process and Melissa did not lose her motivation one bit. Applying to such prestigious business schools can be intimidating and stressful. Having someone on your side that wants you to succeed nearly as much as you - that’s what really made the difference for me and my application. I was admitted to and can’t wait to go to my dream school. I really appreciate all the efforts that Melissa made to help me achieve my dream.

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