770 - in 1.5 months

prasant · Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 7:59 pm Post subject: 770 - in 1.5 months

Quant: 50
Verbal: 46

Needless to say, I am thrilled about my score. My prep was based entirely on material that I downloaded online from Beat the GMAT as well as few other places. I did a diagnostic test in the beginning of April and scored a 680 on it. I realized that the majority of the mistakes that I committed were in Sentence Correction and Data Sufficiency.

Verbal:
I used Sahil, Spidey SC notes which did wonders. I think the biggest single leap that I took towards a better score came when I read about the 2/3 split. It simplified things a lot for me. I used the Gmatter software to complete the SC bin from the OG. I rarely made mistakes in CR and RC, so I did not spend much time on those sections. Practice was the key to improving my accuracy in Sentence Correction.

Quantitative:
I have a background in engineering and I always considered math to be one of my strengths. However, I was not used to Data Sufficiency questions. The "AD or BCE" strategy helped minimize my errors in that section. Most of the time that I spent preparing was spent on verbal.

AWA:
I did not practice this one at all. I just hope to get something close to a 5 on it. I ran out of time while analyzing the issue. I felt good about my response to the argument section. In retrospect, I must have written atleast one timed essay prior to test day.

Test Day:
I scheduled my appointment for 12:30 and got to the center at 12. I began my test almost immediately. I have read a few posts in this forum complaining about the scratch pad, but I had no problems with it. I timed the AWA-Argument part perfectly. I ran out of time while analyzing the Issue and that led to a shaky conclusion paragraph. I cant wait to find out what I scored.
I took advantage of all the breaks available. I walked out of the test room, drank some water and relaxed for a few minutes before going back in.

My advice to test takers:
- Identify your weaknesses ASAP. It was not enough for me to realize that I had trouble with SC. I analyzed my mistakes and found the exact format of questions that were confounding me.
- Print out the flash cards available on this site and make sure you know them at the back of your head. I cant tell you how much they helped.
- Have fun while preparing.
- Stay relaxed during the test.
- Figure out what works for you and dont change a thing during the test. In the practice tests, I always finished the math section with 10+ minutes to spare. During the test, I had to fight the urge to change my ways and utilize the full 75 minutes.

Thanks a lot to this forum ... the material here is amazing. I did not buy a single GMAT book. All my preparation was based off of downloads from this place. Dont do what I did ... I got lucky Very Happy

My Scores during Prep:
Gmatprep 1: 740
Gmatprep 2: 740
Retired Test 1: 680
Retired Test 2: 710
Retired Test 3: 740
Retired Test 4: 730
Retired Test 5: 720

beatthegmat · Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 11:03 pm Post subject: Re: 770 - in 1.5 months

rajesh_ctm · Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 7:06 am Post subject:

Congrats! Getting 770 in so less time, and that too with only the downloaded materials, is absolutely great!!!

drhomler · Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 1:31 pm Post subject:

Nice work-and I woudl have to agree with you, this forum has a wealth of preparation materials, I have already improved my SC trmendously in less than 2 weeks.

GL with your apps. you should be in a good position with a 770

prasant · Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 4:42 pm Post subject:

Thanks guys. I was expecting something around 720. I was ecstatic when I saw the 770 on the screen.
Now I gotta build other areas of my application. How many years of work experience do you think I would need to apply? I am 22 years old and have been working as a consultant for a year.

drhomler · Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 8:04 pm Post subject:

Hey quick question in your 1.5 months of studying how many hours a week did you prepare?

In response to your question, I would say you might want at least another year of work experience but I think the average for most schools is closer to 5. But I would imagine it is dependent on the specific school and how well you present your application. I definitely cannot speak from experience, so I would take my opinions lightly.

Cybermusings · Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 3:38 am Post subject:

Brilliant performance...You did a terrific job keeping in mind that you just used downloaded material....And kudos for getting the phone number!!! Way to go! Laughing

prasant · Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 10:03 am Post subject:

prasant · Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 10:14 am Post subject:

aim-wsc · Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 12:10 am Post subject: without OG 11 WOW

You are natural!
BIG CONGRATS to you Prasant. You've set a mark that GMAT is beatable without even spending extra $$. Smile

So did you use 1000 series docs?
and 700's clubs success stories document?

prasant · Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 11:27 pm Post subject: Re: without OG 11 WOW

Cybermusings · Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 11:48 pm Post subject:

With a score like this you must try to woo ISB...I am sure you can charm many schools with a score like this....So where are you working? Dude it would all depend on a plethora of factors - Applications, LOR's, undergrad GPA...

So which are your target schools?

rajesh_ctm · Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 5:02 pm Post subject:

prasant · Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 1:39 pm Post subject:

prasant · Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 1:42 pm Post subject: