One of our top community members, Richard (also known as money9111), has a written a comprehensive debriefing on his experiences visiting the Yale School of Management–a top MBA program. Check out his notes below from his day on campus:

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When students begin preparing for the GMAT, I always recommend that they take a GMATPrep practice test early in their studies. I do this for several reasons:

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It’s common to take the GMAT twice; some have gone as far as retaking the test three or four times! At the end of the day, we all have the same reason for retaking this test: to get a higher score. Perhaps you need a higher GMAT score to compensate for a weak area on your business school application. Or maybe you wish to strengthen your performance on one section of the GMAT to indicate competency to MBA adcoms.

So what is the best strategy for retaking the GMAT? Before answering this question, it is important to assess your options.

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The GMAT is an unhealthy obsession for many people. As the founder of one of the largest GMAT discussion communities on earth, I have encountered thousands of test takers who have allowed the GMAT to take over their lives (myself included). Somehow this test strikes at the core of our own insecurities, and we become worried about the minutiae of GMAT test performance.

The truth has to be stated—the GMAT is not that important.  Here’s why:

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The Knewton team recently invited me to attend a few of their online sessions and to share my opinion about their course. In case you’re new to the GMAT and haven’t had the chance to do any research regarding preparation tools, Knewton is a prep company that offers exclusively web-based courses for the GMAT, LSAT and SAT. There are a few things that set it apart from other test prep companies in the industry.

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Today, Dave Mateer interviews Ivy Yang, the Marketing Manager for the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). CEIBS is the top-ranked MBA program in China.

It is definitely a program to watch for prospective business school applicants because its MBA program is carving out an impressive reputation as a top global training center for managers. As China rapidly rises as the global economic powerhouse this century, no doubt the demand for MBAs in China will also rise as well.

Here’s Dave and Ivy:

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Beat The GMAT is pleased to announce the winners of The Giant GMAT Giveaway winners – money9111, harsh.champ, ajith, shashank.ism and osirus0830.

Each of the Top 5 Giant GMAT Giveaway members has helped many other community members by posting more than 800 messages between Jan 21, 2009 and Feb 21, 2009. As a result, they will get to choose one of the six test prep/admissions prizes.

Each of these members will be posting on Beat The GMAT updates of their experiences with the test prep courses so that the entire community can benefit by getting a first-hand account of these experiences. Please keep an eye out for the updates from the winners!

We are also announcing a surprise prize for the Top 6 – 10 most active members – bhumika.k.shah, thephoenix, komal, gmatmachoman and sanju09. In order to thank these members for their great contributions, Beat The GMAT will be buying each of them one GMAT test voucher, which is valued at $250.

A big thanks to Grockit, Kaplan, Knewton, Manhattan GMAT, The Princeton Review, and Veritas Prep for donating generous prize packages!  And a thanks to everyone for making our community so great!

The GMAT should be an easy test. After all, it addresses concepts that most people learned during their early high school years (examples: algebra, geometry, grammar). In my experience I’ve found that most test takers have no problems learning the material tested on the GMAT. But they do have lots of problems finishing the test.

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In general, test takers tend to do better in the math section of the GMAT than in the verbal. But what if you’re one of the exceptions to this rule?

Don’t worry, GMAT math is not rocket science, even though it might seem like it at times (especially if you do not have a quantitative background).

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GMAC has released this detailed video tour of a GMAT testing center. Definitely spend some time to watch this video to set expectations for your test day. Take notes on what the center looks and feels like, and during your practice tests try to simulate this environment the best you can.

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Recently I was invited by Kaplan to preview their new GMAT course, which is scheduled to go live on January 21^st.

Here is some quick info about Kaplan’s new GMAT course, which is offered both at Kaplan centers and Live Online (including a live teacher and TA):

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Beat The GMAT and its GMAT test prep partners are pleased to announce The Giant GMAT Giveaway program!  On February 22, five Beat The GMAT members will get over $9,000 in GMAT prizes.

The purpose of this program is to thank our active community members for simply being awesome. Some of you have devoted many hours on this website to help others prepare for the GMAT or apply to business school and have asked for very little in return. We think that our most active members deserve a lot for their contributions.

We will track the most active community members based on the number of posts that they make in Beat The GMAT’s community between January 21 and February 21.  On February 22, we will invite the five most active contributors to select one of six test prep or admissions prizes.  Over $9,000 in prizes are up for grabs.

You should click here to learn more about the Giant GMAT Giveaway program.

All the best and thanks for making our community so great!  Happy posting!

Business schools love to boast about student diversity in their programs. One way that MBA programs have built “diversity” is by attracting a highly international student body. Over the years this climate of internationalism has stirred many non-US students to seek admissions at top US business schools. And more recently, a movement has begun for non-US MBA programs to require the GMAT for admission. These phenomena coupled together have led to an increase in the number of foreign prospective MBAs that take the GMAT test. Applicants who are non-native English speakers face significant hurdles when preparing for the GMAT, since their lack of English fluency is something that must be overcome to succeed on the test.

Before I go into details with the following GMAT verbal focus study plan, there is an important observation I must make: for non-native English speakers, one of the best ways to improve your English is by being constantly exposed to well-written English material. While grammar books are certainly important, it’s only by seeing the language “in action” that you can truly get a firm grasp of its use. As such, try to make a habit out of reading in English for a few minutes every day.

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The GMAT is not an easy test, as evidenced by the immense variety of educational products devoted to GMAT preparation. Most business school applicants require two or three months of diligent study to hit their target GMAT scores. Investment in your GMAT prep usually pays off in your MBA candidacy, since a good GMAT score can mitigate other less-than-perfect elements of a business school application.

This article describes a two-week study plan for business school applicants who are under severe time pressure to take the GMAT. With a two-week prep plan there is little time to focus on anything else except the test essentials and your weak spots. As a result, you might not perform to your full potential on test day. This usually translates into a lower score–how much lower depends on your study habits and your natural test taking abilities. However, in some cases it may be worth cramming, for example meeting the deadline for a scholarship you’ve just stumbled upon. There is an obvious tradeoff you have to face, so unless it’s an absolute necessity, try to allot more time to preparation.

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