Every 6-10 weeks someone asks me how I studied for the GMAT and any advice I have. Well, here’s my story!
Unfortunately, in college I was friends with a bunch of over achievers who thought it’d be a good idea to take the GMAT during senior year after they’d secured full time jobs. So, due to peer pressure and insecurity, I too signed up to take the test.
I took the ManhattanGMAT class which was ~7 weeks long. Each week consisted of 2 hours in a classroom, and 2 hours or so of homework. I’d say I did around 1/2 of the recommended homework each week. After taking the prep course, I immediately signed up for a date to take the actual exam which was about 2 weeks out. The date was during my finals week at NYU, but I wanted to take it before I headed out for a post-graduation trip to Asia with friends (the same ones who’d peer pressured me into taking this exam!!).
Before the prep course, I took a practice test and scored ~610 (my memory is slightly hazy, but it was in that ballpark). My goal was to get to a 700 by the time I took the test, and I was around a 680 by the time I finished the prep course.
The number one piece of advice for anyone taking this test is to create and use flashcards to internalize the information you need to answer the most difficult questions. This was a strategy I stole directly from my Dad who used it to become a doctor (much harder than getting into bschool – so it seemed battle tested).
With that in mind, I went through the 7-8 books that the test prep course had provided, and made a flashcard for any piece of info that I thought would help me answer questions. I made them for the types of triangles, grammar rules, and for the toughest types of questions (two trains going towards each other, the ones that require factorials, etc).
I had 200-300 flashcards, and would look at them when I had 5 mins on the subway, or while waiting for a friend. When I’d correctly answered a given card in three consecutive cycles (I put the card on the bottom of the deck after I’d tried to answer it), I discarded it.
The week before the test, I studied for 3-4 hours/day (mostly the flashcards plus some practice problems). The day before, I didn’t do anything but workout, eat some good food, and watch a movie. It’s important to rest your brain and de-stress! Now, I’d probably also do an extra long mediation session but I wasn’t into that back then.
I don’t remember exactly the slope of the curve, but there was a huge increase in my scores in the week before the test. I started off maybe at the 700 mark for a practice test, and then got a 720, and a 750 before my studying ended (don’t take too many practice tests. They are good to gauge where you’re at, but take a lot of time and aren’t very instructive in helping you improve). I’m pretty confident if I’d pushed the test back another week I could have continued to improve…but the commonly accepted rule says increasing your score above a 700 doesn’t help too much in getting you into school. Btw, I share these numbers only so you can see my progress from the original 610 to when I took the exam and what I did to get there – not to brag!!!
The day of the test of course I was a bit nervous. The worst part of the GMAT is that they ask you “do you want to accept this score” after you take the test. Basically, you can say “no” – and it’s like it never happened. But, if you “accept the score” it goes on your record. My advice: just accept the score unless you had a monumental meltdown for some reason. Because of the way the test works, you get harder questions if you answer questions correctly. So, if you’re getting hard questions, even if you can’t answer them, you’re doing well!
In the end, I scored a 740. I remember not being completely happy with the score when I got it, and the person working the front desk who’d given me the score basically said “I don’t get it – if I got that score, I’d be jumping up and down!”
My advice is to not put that much pressure on yourself. And, if you score above the range you need to get into your dream school, go celebrate! Luckily, I came to my senses about 10 mins after leaving the test center and couldn’t wipe the smile off my face for a few days.
Good luck, don’t stress, and look forward to two of the best years of your life 🙂
This piece of writing is actually a fastidious one it assists new web viewers, who are wishing in favor of
blogging.
I do consider all of the ideas you’ve offered to your post.
They’re really convincing and can definitely work.
Still, the posts are too quick for starters. Could you please lengthen them a little
from subsequent time? Thank you for the post.
Amazing things here. I’m very satisfied to peer your article.
Thank you a lot and I’m taking a look forward to touch you.
Will you please drop me a mail?
It’s very trouble-free to find out any matter on net as compared to textbooks, as I found this article at this web
page.
hey there and thank you for your info – I’ve definitely picked
up anything new from right here. I did however expertise several technical issues using this site, since
I experienced to reload the web site lots of times previous to I could get it to load correctly.
I had been wondering if your web hosting is OK?
Not that I am complaining, but slow loading instances times
will often affect your placement in google and can damage your high quality score if advertising
and marketing with Adwords. Well I am adding this RSS to
my email and can look out for much more of your respective exciting content.
Ensure that you update this again soon.
Excellent post. I was checking constantly this weblog and I am
inspired! Extremely useful information specifically the final phase 🙂 I
take care of such info a lot. I used to be seeking this certain information for a very lengthy time.
Thank you and best of luck.
Terrific work! This is the kind of info that are meant to be shared around the web.
Disgrace on Google for now not positioning this post upper!
Come on over and discuss with my site . Thanks =)
I visited multiple web pages but the audio
quality for audio songs present at this web page is genuinely excellent.
Hello there! Quick question that’s completely off topic.
Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly?
My website looks weird when browsing from my iphone 4.
I’m trying to find a template or plugin that might be able
to resolve this issue. If you have any recommendations,
please share. Appreciate it!
Quality content is the key to be a focus for the users to pay a visit the website, that’s what this web page is providing.
Genuinely no matter if someone doesn’t be aware of afterward
its up to other visitors that they will help, so here it happens.
Peculiar article, totally what I was looking for.
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and
wished to say that I’ve truly enjoyed surfing around your blog posts.
In any case I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!
Hey There. I found your blog the usage of msn. This
is a really well written article. I’ll make sure to
bookmark it and return to learn extra of your useful info.
Thanks for the post. I’ll certainly return.
Thanks for the marvelous posting! I seriously enjoyed
reading it, you could be a great author.I will always bookmark your blog and
definitely will come back down the road. I want to encourage that you continue your great work,
have a nice afternoon!
Hi! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any trouble with hackers?
My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing a few months of hard work due to no back up.
Do you have any solutions to prevent hackers?
Thanks , I’ve just been searching for information approximately this topic
for a while and yours is the greatest I have found out so far.
But, what about the conclusion? Are you positive
in regards to the source?
Wonderful blog! I found it while browsing on Yahoo News.
Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but
I never seem to get there! Thanks
Every weekend i used to pay a visit this site, as i
wish for enjoyment, since this this web page conations actually pleasant funny data too.
Hi there, all the time i used to check webpage posts here early in the morning, for the
reason that i enjoy to learn more and more.
I’m pretty pleased to discover this page.
I need to to thank you for ones time due to this wonderful read!!
I definitely really liked every bit of it and i also have you
bookmarked to look at new information on your web site.
Hi there! I know this is kinda off topic nevertheless I’d figured
I’d ask. Would you be interested in exchanging links or
maybe guest authoring a blog post or vice-versa? My blog covers a lot of the same topics as yours and I believe we could greatly benefit from each other.
If you might be interested feel free to send me an email.
I look forward to hearing from you! Awesome blog by the way!
If some one wants to be updated with most up-to-date technologies therefore he must be go to see
this web page and be up to date everyday.
Keep on working, great job!
Hmm it looks like your blog ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what
I had written and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog.
I as well am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to
the whole thing. Do you have any recommendations for novice blog writers?
I’d genuinely appreciate it.
Hello there! This article could not be written any
better! Going through this post reminds me of my previous
roommate! He always kept preaching about this.
I’ll send this article to him. Pretty sure he’ll have a very good read.
Many thanks for sharing!
Hmm is anyone else encountering problems with the pictures on this
blog loading? I’m trying to figure out if its a problem on my end or if it’s
the blog. Any feed-back would be greatly appreciated.
With havin so much content do you ever run into any issues
of plagorism or copyright infringement? My blog has a lot of completely unique content I’ve either authored myself or outsourced but it looks like a lot of it is popping it up all over the internet without my agreement.
Do you know any techniques to help stop content from being ripped
off? I’d really appreciate it.
We’re a group of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community.
Your web site offered us with valuable information to
work on. You’ve done an impressive job and our whole community will be thankful to
you.
Howdy! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with us so I came to give
it a look. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m bookmarking and will
be tweeting this to my followers! Wonderful blog
and fantastic style and design.
Superb post however I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this subject?
I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate
a little bit more. Appreciate it!
Asking questions are in fact good thing if you are
not understanding something totally, but this post presents nice understanding even.
Excellent way of describing, and pleasant
piece of writing to take information about my presentation subject
matter, which i am going to present in college.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I truly appreciate your efforts and I will
be waiting for your further post thanks once again.
wonderful put up, very informative. I wonder why the opposite experts of this sector don’t understand this.
You must proceed your writing. I am confident, you have a great readers’ base already!
Link exchange is nothing else but it is only placing the other person’s webpage link on your page at appropriate place and
other person will also do similar in favor of you.
You ought to take part in a contest for one of
the highest quality websites on the internet. I most certainly will highly recommend this website!
This article is genuinely a pleasant one it helps new web visitors, who are wishing for blogging.
It’s appropriate time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy.
I have read this post and if I could I wish to
suggest you few interesting things or advice.
Perhaps you could write next articles referring to this article.
I wish to read even more things about it!
Hi there colleagues, how is the whole thing, and what you desire to say concerning this
post, in my view its actually awesome designed for me.
Right here is the right webpage for everyone
who wishes to understand this topic. You know a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not
that I really will need to…HaHa). You certainly put a brand new spin on a topic which has been written about for years.
Great stuff, just wonderful!
As the admin of this web site is working,
no uncertainty very quickly it will be famous, due to its
quality contents.
Now I am going away to do my breakfast, later than having my breakfast coming
yet again to read additional news.
I just could not depart your site before suggesting that I actually
enjoyed the usual info a person supply on your visitors?
Is going to be again incessantly to check out new posts
You actually make it appear so easy along with your presentation however I in finding this
matter to be actually something which I believe I might never
understand. It kind of feels too complicated and very huge for me.
I am taking a look ahead for your next put up, I’ll try to get the cling of
it!
At this time I am ready to do my breakfast, later than having my breakfast
coming over again to read other news.
Generally I don’t read article on blogs, but I would like to
say that this write-up very forced me to try and do it!
Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thank you, very nice article.
I am regular visitor, how are you everybody? This paragraph
posted at this web page is actually good.
An interesting discussion is worth comment. There’s no doubt that that you
ought to write more about this issue, it might not be a
taboo subject but generally folks don’t speak about these
subjects. To the next! All the best!!
Hello colleagues, its great piece of writing on the topic of cultureand fully
defined, keep it up all the time.