Beat The GMAT

therealphil77 · Thu Oct 25, 2007 6:58 pm

I studied for the GMAT for approximately 3 months, which I believe is too long and extended. I am not like many of the posters on this website b/c I was not targeting a Top 10. I simply wanted to score above average for the only school that I wanted to go to (UH CT Bauer School of Business). I believe this school is perfect for my intentions. If you are like me and don't plan to apply to Harvard or Dartmouth or the like, you can still benefit from the vast amount of information on this website. I am a working 30 year old and going to school full time was definitely out of the question. UH has industry specific classes and certificates that will be beneficial for my career. I didn't apply to any other school. I was accepted to the MBA program for Spring 2008.

I started studying the Princeton Review 2004 Edition in 6/07. Read the entire book and worked out every question. The questions didn't seem too difficult and provided an understanding of the content. I took a few of the practice CAT's on the CD and scored between 550 and 660.

After completing the Princeton Review book, which I knew was a little outdated, I stumbled upon this website. I found that the Official Guide 11th edition was highly touted as the book to purchase. I purchased the Official Guide 11th Edition, plus the VR and QR. These books are a must.

I worked out every problem in all the books. If I was targeting a higher score, I would have definitely followed the advice of the rest on this mb: document your weaknesses and become proficient in all aspects of both the Quantitative and Verbal section. What I failed to do was develop a structured study strategy. I just worked out all the problems in the books and went over the problems I missed.

The quantitative section was very similar in content to the OG. I would suggest making sure you are proficient in innequalities and number properties. There were several questions relating to these.

I also went through the entire Kaplan Premier Program 2008 book and worked out some of the problems. I believe this book was better than the Princeton Review book and there are mini quizzes on the CD that are great practice, especially the geometry problems. I scored a 550 on the CAT 1 and a 590 on CAT 2.

I also downloaded the 2 free GMAt Prep tests from the makers. I scored a 590 on CAT 1 and scored a 600 on CAT 2. I retook the CAT 2 on the same day I took the CAT 2 and scored a 650 (only had a few repeats).

Overall, I was satisfied with my score considering my study habits ( A few hours here and there when I had time). I wrote probably 5 essays before the actual test, which would explain my 4.5 AWA score. I thought I did better than that, but oh well.

I would like to thank all of the people on this message board for the great advice and insight to this challenging test. I am not a good test taker and believe that I gained knowledge from reading the many posts. Ultimately it paid off b/c I am going to business school in the Spring to the only school I wanted to go to.

Philip

Back to top

therealphil77 · Thu Oct 25, 2007 7:03 pm

My Background:

30 year old male
2.7 Undergrad in Finance from Texas A&M
8 years work experience (Accounting and Logistics)
GMAT Score: 610 - Q44 V30 , AWA 4.5

Back to top

beatthegmat · Thu Oct 25, 2007 7:43 pm

Thanks for the thorough recap of your GMAT experiences! And congrats on getting into your top choice school!

Any general tips with regards to how you approached your apps?

Thanks again, and enjoy school next fall!

Back to top

smar83 · Mon Dec 31, 2007 6:08 pm

Howdy,

I am planning to apply for UH CT bauer college of Buisness for fall 2008. As You said, it is a great school with tailor made courses for working professionals according to your profession.

I work in College Station.. preparing to give my GMAT pretty soon. I was wondering, if its Ok with you ? if you could provide me some insight about the admission process ? ( recos or essays, GMAT score ?)

I am 24..got my UG in electrical engg from Michigan tech..
planning to take the energy electives from UH bauer college of business.

Thanks.

Back to top

Beat The GMAT

University of Houston

Free GMAT Prep Resources

GMAT Prep Discounts

Free Upcoming GMAT Events

Latest GMAT Articles

Latest GMAT Videos

Popular Resources