I just Beat The GMAT!

After typing this all out, I realize how long it is, so I apologize for the length - Matt

Life has always seemed to get in my way when it comes to the big things, and studying for the GMAT has been no exception. This whole experience has been difficult in spots, exciting in spots, highs & lows and that horrible middle ground where nothing seems to improve...but I made it! It just took a little longer than I wanted.

I originally started studying late last April (figuring 5 months would give me enough time to study, work on my apps and hit Round 1 at Wharton and Booth), but I had no idea how tough it was going to be to fit everything in.

To start, I had:
-The MGMAT books
-Kaplan 800
-3 OGs (2015, Q-book and V-book)
-GMAC questions and CATs x2
-MGMAT CATs

First Exam-
My first CAT was a 510, but that didn't bother me - there are plenty of stories of people here who started off with low scores and finished with huge scores, so I figured I would figure it out along the way. From there, I hit the books hard and slowly started to improve. The MGMAT books are great, and the Kaplan 800 is okay (although it never felt like there was enough of everything I wanted to practice). Over the next 2 months, my scores creeped upwards - I hit 610 over Memorial Day weekend (which was the first time I scored above 600), then everything hit a wall.

Part of it was my brother's wedding, part of it was summer (it's tough to study when everyone's inviting you to the beach) and part of it was the sense that I wasn't making enough progress. By the end of August, I felt out of energy - and my scores topped out at 630. I got a promotion at work, which was great, but the extra hours I was putting in ate into my study time. It literally felt like I stumbled into my Official exam. I scored 600, but it might as well have been 400. I wasn't shocked, I was angry. I had completely screwed everything up by thinking I could just figure it all out on my own. Round 1 was a wash and I kind of went into a hole for a month.

Rematch-
In mid-October, I got myself back into the study flow (as Round 2 was less than 2 months away and I didn't like the idea of giving up when life got "tough"). After a few weeks of rereading all the books and getting some reps in, I started looking at GMAT courses. I read some posts in the rooms here about all the free materials that GMAT companies let users try, so I used all of the ones that I could find and eventually chose Empower's score booster and a new set of Veritas CATs. I cracked 700 for the first time in December and it felt amazing, but I was only able to do it the one time (my other scores were all in the high 600s).

Bold Move-
My next Official exam was supposed to be on December 22, but as I got closer to it, I started thinking about how competitive Wharton and Booth are. I hadn't used all of the new materials I had purchased and I really wanted to NAIL the GMAT this time. So I made a tough choice and said 'no' to the Round 2 deadlines - and I pushed my test back to allow me to work through all of the new practice materials.

That choice was the toughest part of all of this - tougher than any insane probability question in quant or horrible inference question in RC. I realized that the work that I was doing right then was what would have the biggest impact on my applications. If I could practice a bit more, hone my skills and use of tactics, and nail down all of the little things, then I could improve my score and my chances at getting accepted.

So I kept studying and worked through all of the materials that I had picked up in November (I also used the Veritas Question Bank for some extra practice). I scored above 700 on three of my last four CATs (including a 750) and then I truly felt ready.

Game day-
My GMAT was today and even now the whole test feels like a blur. Through the entire thing, I felt like an ace detective - everything I read was a clue that needed to be noted and organized and at the end of a minute or two (or three), I had solved the mystery and I was on to the next one. I dumped a few questions along the way, but everything else felt doable. Compared to my first GMAT (when I hit the middle of the verbal section and just wanted the test to be done), this one felt more like I was there to do a job - I used just about all of the 75 minutes in each section as I was supposed to. When the 770 came up on the screen, I just sort of nodded to myself. Everything hit me in the elevator though and I actually started dancing in the elevator (so whatever security company has the feed from the camera - I hope it doesn't end on the internet).

Going forward-Round 3 or Round 1?
Now I have an interesting choice - should I go for Round 3 (which is end of March and early April) or wait until Round 1 in the fall (when I might look better to a fresh set of adcomm eyes)? If anyone has any opinions to offer, then I would appreciate it.

For anyone who's looking to take their scores to the next level, here's the best advice that I can muster (it's all based on the harsh truths that helped me to improve):

"¢ If you can't raise your score, then either you're doing something wrong, you're using the wrong prep materials or both. Admit to the problem and change what you're doing. It's not a big mystery. If you need help, then go get it.
"¢ Every sentence in a GMAT question matters, so you should be thinking about what each sentence tells you while you're reading it. Write things down so you don't have to read everything twice. (thanks for this Rich, but hearing you say it again and again drove me a little crazy). The exception is RC - many RC sentences are just description or are there to give you context for the main ideas.
"¢ Learn ways to double-check your answers. For quant, make sure that you can do the math and know how to use the tactics (testing values and the answers, number properties and so on).
"¢ For verbal, make sure you really know why the wrong answers are wrong, learn the flavor of each RC and CR question type. The better you really know each type, the easier it is to know what you're looking for. That's took a lot of work, but it paid off.
"¢ Specifically, train to know what kind of information you're looking for before you read the 5 answers on a CR or RC question.
"¢ Also, don't get caught up with technical grammar rules. You're not taking a grammar test, you need to know how to get GMAT SC questions right, and do so rapidly. There are only 8 major error types to get down.
"¢ DS is worth a lot of points so spending lots of time practicing is worth it in this category. Make sure you have all of the different tactics for DS questions down cold. You can get to a certain point where you can almost see through what the test-writers are trying to test you on.
"¢ Take the full practice CAT every time. Doing one in any other way is pointless if you want to be ready for the real GMAT.
"¢ Rushing in to take the GMAT when you're not ready is a painful mistake. Things won't magically get better on the Official exam. I thought I could do it on my own, and that mistake ended up costing me more than had I just done it right the first time.
"¢ All of the little things matter - sleep, breakfast, snacks, how you sit in your chair, all of it, so pay attention to these details when you practice and when you take the GMAT.
"¢ There's a difference between being a genius and making smart choices. I am not a genius, but that doesn't matter because I didn't have to be one on test day.

PS-Thank you all for what you do for this site. Rich, Brent and Mitch - you guys are amazing. The devotion you've all shown to teaching us the secrets of the GMAT seems almost super-human. To everyone who is still studying (or just starting their studies), you too can improve. Just be ready to make the hard choices and work to make good decisions, or better yet, learn from my mistakes.

Matt

Hello Matt.

Heartiest Congratulations

That was quite a bold decision, and now that you have succeeded, it is was quite a wise one. Just to be clear, is it a 750 or a 770? Both scores are amazing but if Wharton is your destination, a 770 will make things easier for you.

While a lot depends on your profile, I would advise you to apply to two schools for R3. Only two not more, because it is doable. This way, if near the deadline, you are not happy with your essays, you will have a head start for R1 in the next application cycle.
R3 is extremely competitive but you can take the risk when you have hit a 770 (if that is the case) because it is exceptional enough.
If fate favours you and you do get an interview call, you would have the chance of saving yourself a year. If not, like I said before, you would have a head start and also things to troubleshoot so you will know exactly what not to do when you apply for R1 next cycle.

What schools are you targeting? If you choose to take my advice and go for round 3, apply to schools that welcome re-applicants. Both Booth and Wharton are unbiased whereas MIT-Sloan is favourable https://www.interviewbay.com/blog/how-do ... plications

Hope this helps

Matt Congrats!

You mention that you studied for 5 months... Can you be a bit more specific about hours per day and per week?

Matt,firstly Congrats!!! on your fabulous achievement.
I just wanted to clarify something I read in your post. You said that your first CAT score was 510,was this the diagnostic score or was it your first
Official GMAT score ?
I got a 430 in my first official attempt as I got too nervous on the test day and started guessing all answers. Is the 700+ score possible to achieve for someone like me.
According to me there is a threshold one can reach which depends totally on IQ and the rest only complements it. Hardwork alone can't get you the 700+ score.

Please share your opinion as I was beaten by the GMAT and I have developed a negative frame of mind towards it.

mattCFA2 wrote:After typing this all out, I realize how long it is, so I apologize for the length - Matt

Life has always seemed to get in my way when it comes to the big things, and studying for the GMAT has been no exception. This whole experience has been difficult in spots, exciting in spots, highs & lows and that horrible middle ground where nothing seems to improve...but I made it! It just took a little longer than I wanted.

I originally started studying late last April (figuring 5 months would give me enough time to study, work on my apps and hit Round 1 at Wharton and Booth), but I had no idea how tough it was going to be to fit everything in.

To start, I had:
-The MGMAT books
-Kaplan 800
-3 OGs (2015, Q-book and V-book)
-GMAC questions and CATs x2
-MGMAT CATs

First Exam-
My first CAT was a 510, but that didn't bother me - there are plenty of stories of people here who started off with low scores and finished with huge scores, so I figured I would figure it out along the way. From there, I hit the books hard and slowly started to improve. The MGMAT books are great, and the Kaplan 800 is okay (although it never felt like there was enough of everything I wanted to practice). Over the next 2 months, my scores creeped upwards - I hit 610 over Memorial Day weekend (which was the first time I scored above 600), then everything hit a wall.

Part of it was my brother's wedding, part of it was summer (it's tough to study when everyone's inviting you to the beach) and part of it was the sense that I wasn't making enough progress. By the end of August, I felt out of energy - and my scores topped out at 630. I got a promotion at work, which was great, but the extra hours I was putting in ate into my study time. It literally felt like I stumbled into my Official exam. I scored 600, but it might as well have been 400. I wasn't shocked, I was angry. I had completely screwed everything up by thinking I could just figure it all out on my own. Round 1 was a wash and I kind of went into a hole for a month.

Rematch-
In mid-October, I got myself back into the study flow (as Round 2 was less than 2 months away and I didn't like the idea of giving up when life got "tough"). After a few weeks of rereading all the books and getting some reps in, I started looking at GMAT courses. I read some posts in the rooms here about all the free materials that GMAT companies let users try, so I used all of the ones that I could find and eventually chose Empower's score booster and a new set of Veritas CATs. I cracked 700 for the first time in December and it felt amazing, but I was only able to do it the one time (my other scores were all in the high 600s).

Bold Move-
My next Official exam was supposed to be on December 22, but as I got closer to it, I started thinking about how competitive Wharton and Booth are. I hadn't used all of the new materials I had purchased and I really wanted to NAIL the GMAT this time. So I made a tough choice and said 'no' to the Round 2 deadlines - and I pushed my test back to allow me to work through all of the new practice materials.

That choice was the toughest part of all of this - tougher than any insane probability question in quant or horrible inference question in RC. I realized that the work that I was doing right then was what would have the biggest impact on my applications. If I could practice a bit more, hone my skills and use of tactics, and nail down all of the little things, then I could improve my score and my chances at getting accepted.

So I kept studying and worked through all of the materials that I had picked up in November (I also used the Veritas Question Bank for some extra practice). I scored above 700 on three of my last four CATs (including a 750) and then I truly felt ready.

Game day-
My GMAT was today and even now the whole test feels like a blur. Through the entire thing, I felt like an ace detective - everything I read was a clue that needed to be noted and organized and at the end of a minute or two (or three), I had solved the mystery and I was on to the next one. I dumped a few questions along the way, but everything else felt doable. Compared to my first GMAT (when I hit the middle of the verbal section and just wanted the test to be done), this one felt more like I was there to do a job - I used just about all of the 75 minutes in each section as I was supposed to. When the 750 came up on the screen, I just sort of nodded to myself. Everything hit me in the elevator though and I actually started dancing in the elevator (so whatever security company has the feed from the camera - I hope it doesn't end on the internet).

Going forward-Round 3 or Round 1?
Now I have an interesting choice - should I go for Round 3 (which is end of March and early April) or wait until Round 1 in the fall (when I might look better to a fresh set of adcomm eyes)? If anyone has any opinions to offer, then I would appreciate it.

For anyone who's looking to take their scores to the next level, here's the best advice that I can muster (it's all based on the harsh truths that helped me to improve):

"¢ If you can't raise your score, then either you're doing something wrong, you're using the wrong prep materials or both. Admit to the problem and change what you're doing. It's not a big mystery. If you need help, then go get it.
"¢ Every sentence in a GMAT question matters, so you should be thinking about what each sentence tells you while you're reading it. Write things down so you don't have to read everything twice. (thanks for this Rich, but hearing you say it again and again drove me a little crazy). The exception is RC - many RC sentences are just description or are there to give you context for the main ideas.
"¢ Learn ways to double-check your answers. For quant, make sure that you can do the math and know how to use the tactics (testing values and the answers, number properties and so on).
"¢ For verbal, make sure you really know why the wrong answers are wrong, learn the flavor of each RC and CR question type. The better you really know each type, the easier it is to know what you're looking for. That's took a lot of work, but it paid off.
"¢ Specifically, train to know what kind of information you're looking for before you read the 5 answers on a CR or RC question.
"¢ Also, don't get caught up with technical grammar rules. You're not taking a grammar test, you need to know how to get GMAT SC questions right, and do so rapidly. There are only 8 major error types to get down.
"¢ DS is worth a lot of points so spending lots of time practicing is worth it in this category. Make sure you have all of the different tactics for DS questions down cold. You can get to a certain point where you can almost see through what the test-writers are trying to test you on.
"¢ Take the full practice CAT every time. Doing one in any other way is pointless if you want to be ready for the real GMAT.
"¢ Rushing in to take the GMAT when you're not ready is a painful mistake. Things won't magically get better on the Official exam. I thought I could do it on my own, and that mistake ended up costing me more than had I just done it right the first time.
"¢ All of the little things matter - sleep, breakfast, snacks, how you sit in your chair, all of it, so pay attention to these details when you practice and when you take the GMAT.
"¢ There's a difference between being a genius and making smart choices. I am not a genius, but that doesn't matter because I didn't have to be one on test day.

PS-Thank you all for what you do for this site. Rich, Brent and Mitch - you guys are amazing. The devotion you've all shown to teaching us the secrets of the GMAT seems almost super-human. To everyone who is still studying (or just starting their studies), you too can improve. Just be ready to make the hard choices and work to make good decisions, or better yet, learn from my mistakes.

Matt

Congratulations Matt!

That is a wonderful score. Good Luck with your applications. I hope you convert the school of your choice.

So your journey was from a 510 -> 600 -> 770. Right ?

That is true inspiration for many of us.

Fantastic achievement, Matt! 770 is an outstanding performance!!
Thanks for sharing your story and all the best in your applications!!

Hey Matt,

Thanks for the great advice.

All the best. Applying in R3 won't hurt.

Hi Rich,
I just want to say thanks. You guys are really good at what you do.
I'll check out these links. I plan on reaching out to Stacy Blackman and Admissionado.
You guys made all the difference.

Hi Interviewbay,
That's right. My exact plan is to press round 3 for everything it has, and as a plan B, I can go in to round 1 with an even stronger campaign.
Besides what's in US News, do you have any insight into other top finance programs other than Wharton and Booth?

Hey itsmedavidv,
Sure. On a typical weekday I'd do some light review during breakfast (idioms/formulas/watch some videos), then depending how late I came home from work, I'd watch a module, or fill out the Mistake Tracker. Where I could find a solid window on the weekends, I'd do most of the heavy lifting then.

To be clear though, when I started out, call it cockiness, I don't think I gave the GMAT enough respect. I realized I needed to start turning a lot of plans down to commit the time to crack this test.

Hey dddanny2006,
The 510 was my diagnostic. Maybe a preexisting skill with formal logic helps, but I think so much of this process is defined by how much you get in to it and are willing to thrive on yesterday's failures as an opportunity to improve.

The other aspect of your post involves nerves. Empower really hit home for me there in one of the Tactics modules. Don't fight your nerves. Be thankful you have them. If you welcome your nerves, they will help you focus. Sounds like you were really fighting them. If you fight them they'll ruin you.

Hi a_new_start,
Thank you! Yes, that's exactly right.

Matt

Woah Matt.

That's truly inspiring.

Hello again.

Wharton and Booth are definitely the best for finance. But you should certainly consider NYU-Stern as it is often the top preference for students aspiring for a career in finance. Columbia is another excellent option. These business schools benefit immensely from their location in NYC. Other schools that you should consider are - HBS, Stanford, MIT - Sloan and UCB - Haas. Outside of US, London Business School stands out for an MBA in finance. INSEAD is also in the top 10.

For a more comprehensive ranking of top 20 schools for finance, you can take a look at this https://www.interviewbay.com/blog/top-mb ... in-finance

Hi interviewbay22,

I appreciate the guidance. I was also thinking about Stern. Any general advice about how a finance oriented applicant could stand out among the many others? Things that you've seen work in general?

Matt

Matt,

Your story is truly captivating. Whenever I get a notification that someone has posted, I re read your de brief and quite relate it to myself.

Thank You again for such a wonderful note. It keeps me going whenever I feel low.

And the best part: ' The dancing in the elevator' I always imagine how it must have felt the moment you have seen that score.


Regards

Matt,

Congrats on the great score! Just wanted to see what you thought of the Vertas CATs? Did you find the material/scoring to be representative of the actual GMAT?

Thanks!

Hi Lakers25, There really aren't many CATs for those who have to retake. It's actually really frustrating that they're aren't more official CATs. The Veritas CATs were fine. Maybe the scores run a little high, but they work.