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 🙂
Thanks for your posting on the traveling industry. I’d personally also like contribute that if you are one senior taking into account traveling, it is absolutely important to buy travel cover for elderly people. When traveling, retirees are at biggest risk being in need of a health care emergency. Obtaining right insurance policy package to your age group can look after your health and provide you with peace of mind.
Hello there, I found your blog via Google while searching for a related topic, your website came up, it looks good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
If the jackpot is worth much less than $150 million, a 10x multiplier will be added to the mix.
Review my blog :: 파워볼픽
Its not my first time to visit this web site, i am visiting this site dailly and take fastidious
information from here everyday.
Magnificent goods from you, man. I have understand your stuff previous to and you’re just extremely excellent.I actually like what you’ve acquired here, really like what you are stating and the way in which you sayit. You make it enjoyable and you still care for to keep it sensible.I can’t wait to read far more from you. This is actually a terrific site.
I’ll right away grab your rss as I can not find
your email subscription link or newsletter service.
Do you’ve any? Please let me understand in order that I may subscribe.
Thanks.
There’s certainly a lot to learn about this topic. I really like all of the points you’ve made.
I for all time emailed this webpage post page to all my contacts, since if like
to read it then my friends will too.
Thanks in support of sharing such a fastidious thought, paragraph is pleasant, thats why i have read it fully
I’ve been browsing on-line greater than three hours as of
late, yet I by no means discovered any attention-grabbing article like yours.
It’s pretty value enough for me. In my view, if all web owners and bloggers made good content material as you did, the internet will probably be much more useful than ever before.
I blog often and I seriously thank you for your information. This great article has truly peaked my interest.
I’m going to take a note of your site and keep checking for new
information about once per week. I opted in for your RSS feed
too.
Hi there! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new iphone!Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all your posts!Keep up the great work!
For these that don’t, the spend isn’t constantly excellent.
my website: nose job Recovery Blog
Good day! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of
my old room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this post to him.
Fairly certain he will have a good read. Thanks for sharing!
Your means of explaining the whole thing in this paragraph is reallynice, every one be able to without difficulty understand it,Thanks a lot.
Hello, its pleasant post on the topic of media print, we all be familiar with media is a impressive source of data.
Great post. I was checking continuously this blog and I’m impressed!
Very helpful info specifically the last part 🙂 I care for such
information much. I was looking for this certain information for a very long time.
Thank you and best of luck.
Feel free to visit my web-site: slot367
Informally, a sparse, trainable subset of the original network emerges early in education .
My website; 파워볼 게임
The greater the number of ticket-holders, the significantly less likely you are to
walk away with a chunk of modify.
Also visit my page … 파워볼게임
I抣l immediately grab your rss feed as I can’t in finding your e-mail subscription hyperlink or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Please permit me recognise so that I may subscribe. Thanks.
fantastic publish, very informative. I wonder why the other specialists of this sector don’t understand this.
You should continue your writing. I am sure, you’ve a
great readers’ base already!
Hello there, I discovered your site by way of Google whilst looking for a related topic, your website came up,it seems to be good. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.Hello there, just turned into alert to your weblog thru Google, and locatedthat it’s truly informative. I’m gonna watch out for brussels.I’ll be grateful in the event you proceed thisin future. Many other people might be benefited from your writing.Cheers!
Hi there, I found your web site via Google even as looking
for a comparable matter, your website came
up, it seems to be great. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Hello there, just became alert to your blog thru Google, and located that it is truly informative.
I am gonna be careful for brussels. I’ll be grateful in case you continue this in future.
A lot of people shall be benefited from your writing.
Cheers!
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to your site?
My website is in the exact same niche as yours and my users would really benefit from a lot of the information you present here.
Please let me know if this alright with you. Many thanks!
These are genuinely impressive ideas in on the topic of blogging.
You have touched some pleasant things here. Any way keep up wrinting.
Hello it’s me, I am also visiting this web page daily, this site is really pleasant and
the people are really sharing nice thoughts.
Definitely consider that which you stated. Your favorite reason seemed to be at the net the
easiest thing to take into accout of. I say to you, I certainly get irked even as people consider concerns that they just don’t realize about.
You managed to hit the nail upon the top and outlined out the whole thing with no need
side effect , people could take a signal. Will probably be again to get more.
Thanks
Have you ever considered about including a little bit more than just your
articles? I mean, what you say is important and all.
However imagine if you added some great photos or
video clips to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content
is excellent but with images and clips, this site could certainly be one of the most beneficial
in its niche. Awesome blog!
Hello, its pleasant paragraph concerning media print, we all know media is a impressive source
of data.
For most up-to-date information you have to visit world wide web and on web I found this website as a best web site for most up-to-date updates.
I like what you guys are up too. This sort of clever work and reporting!
Keep up the excellent works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to my own blogroll.
Awesome article.
I always used to study article in news papers but now as I am a user of web so from now I am
using net for articles, thanks to web.
Hi! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new
iphone 4! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward
to all your posts! Keep up the excellent work!
What’s up, just wanted to mention, I liked this post.
It was inspiring. Keep on posting!
If you are going for best contents like I do, just pay a
quick visit this web page every day as it presents quality contents,
thanks
You could definitely see your enthusiasm in the work you write.
The arena hopes for more passionate writers like you who aren’t afraid to mention how they
believe. At all times follow your heart.
Magnificent goods from you, man. I’ve be aware your
stuff prior to and you’re simply too wonderful. I really like what you’ve got right here, certainly like what you are
saying and the way in which by which you say it.
You are making it enjoyable and you continue to care for to stay it wise.
I can’t wait to learn far more from you. That is really a
terrific web site.
Hey there, You’ve done an excellent job. I will certainly digg
it and personally recommend to my friends.
I am confident they’ll be benefited from this site.
After I originally left a comment I appear to have clicked the
-Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get four
emails with the exact same comment. Is there an easy method you are able to remove me from that service?
Thanks!
What i don’t understood is if truth be told how you are not really much more well-appreciated than you might be now.
You are very intelligent. You realize therefore significantly on the subject of this matter, produced me
individually believe it from a lot of numerous angles. Its
like men and women don’t seem to be interested unless it’s one thing to accomplish with Woman gaga!
Your own stuffs nice. At all times deal with it up!
I’m impressed, I must say. Seldom do I encounter
a blog that’s both educative and engaging, and
let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head.
The problem is something which too few folks are speaking intelligently
about. I am very happy that I came across
this during my search for something relating to this.
The other day, while I was at work, my cousin stole my iphone and tested to see if it can survive a 30 foot drop, just so she can be a
youtube sensation. My iPad is now destroyed and she
has 83 views. I know this is entirely off topic but I had to share it with someone!
I’m amazed, I have to admit. Rarely do I encounter a blog that’s both equally educative and interesting,
and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The issue is something not enough
men and women are speaking intelligently about. Now i’m very
happy that I came across this in my search for something concerning this.
Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thanks, However I am having issues with your RSS.
I don’t understand why I cannot subscribe to it. Is there anybody getting identical RSS issues?
Anyone that knows the answer can you kindly respond? Thanx!!
Thanks for another informative web site. The place
else may just I am getting that kind of info written in such a perfect way?
I’ve a project that I am simply now working
on, and I have been on the look out for such info.
I do not even know how I finished up here, but I believed
this put up was once good. I don’t recognise who you’re but certainly you
are going to a well-known blogger for those who aren’t already.
Cheers!
hello there and thank you for your info – I’ve definitely picked
up anything new from right here. I did however expertise a few technical
points using this web site, since I experienced to reload the website 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 sluggish loading instances times will very frequently affect your
placement in google and can damage your quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords.
Anyway I am adding this RSS to my e-mail and can look out for much more of your respective
fascinating content. Make sure you update this again soon.
My partner and I stumbled over here different web address
and thought I may as well check things out. I like what I see so now i’m following you.
Look forward to going over your web page for a second
time.
This is very interesting, You’re a very skilled blogger.
I have joined your rss feed and look forward to seeking more of your
wonderful post. Also, I have shared your website in my social networks!