NOTE: I am only focusing on the verbal preparation in this post, as this is the area I struggle with.
Hi Everyone,
As I am writing this post, I still have a big smile on my face. It's such a relief.
I've gained so much help on this website so now is my turn to give back and share my two cents.
(Apologize ahead of time, this is my first post, so it may appear incoherent or unorganized....)
I started to study for the beast back in late 2007. I took the on-line course and finished questions in the Official Guide for about 6 weeks. Then work became extremely busy so I had to postpone my tests several times. At this time, I've lost the momentum and decided to put my MBA dreams on hold. (It seems like everyone went through this phase >_<) This has been the unhappiest period in my life time since I always had the GMAT in the back of my mind.
I finally decided to pick up the books again in late 2009 and eager to get over with this nightmare. This time I enrolled in Manhattan GMAT. Verbal has always been my weakest areas, so I probably spent 60-70% of my time on the verbal and 40-30% on math. I do gain great foundation by reading their materials however; it's hard for me to apply these rules on the real test. I spent so much time memorizing these rules, at the end, I got these rules mixed up and all tangled in my head. On the real test, I was not able to read in any questions and had to rush and guessed a lot of questions. On my first try, I got a 670.
I went ahead and used this score for my application. But I know deep in my mind that this might be the breaking point for my overall application. And I was right! One of the school got back to me saying that they felt that my score didn't reflect the overall quality of my application; and they've asked me to retake the test and try to improve my score. As a result, I was forced to battle with this beast once again.
From my previous test experience, I clearly know that SC is my weakest area. So I need someone to direct me onto the right path. I decided to try the private tutoring, called up Charles Biblios (www.gmatninja.com) and started to prepare for my test in a month.
Highlights of my tutoring experience:
- Materials used: Official Guide, Blue verbal guide and LSAT materials (for CR and RC)
- Teaching methods:
(SC) Charles highlighted few basic and the most fundamental grammar rules for me. Most importantly, he helped me to spot the SC traps that I missed before. After few sessions, I've seen significant improvement when doing the SC questions.
(CR & RC) As I've exhausted most of the questions in the OG and the blue verbal guide, LSAT material is my only option left. I was reluctant to try these materials at first, since people always feel these questions are more challenging. Surprisingly, I did not do as bad as I anticipated and this has indirectly boosted my confidence.
What I gained the most from Charles is learn to apply the rules I learned previously and applied them in answering questions. I developed the great sense of what GMAT is testing and developed the instinct to spot the traps.
Hopefully some of you find this post helpful. Good luck everyone!
Hi Everyone,
As I am writing this post, I still have a big smile on my face. It's such a relief.
I've gained so much help on this website so now is my turn to give back and share my two cents.
(Apologize ahead of time, this is my first post, so it may appear incoherent or unorganized....)
I started to study for the beast back in late 2007. I took the on-line course and finished questions in the Official Guide for about 6 weeks. Then work became extremely busy so I had to postpone my tests several times. At this time, I've lost the momentum and decided to put my MBA dreams on hold. (It seems like everyone went through this phase >_<) This has been the unhappiest period in my life time since I always had the GMAT in the back of my mind.
I finally decided to pick up the books again in late 2009 and eager to get over with this nightmare. This time I enrolled in Manhattan GMAT. Verbal has always been my weakest areas, so I probably spent 60-70% of my time on the verbal and 40-30% on math. I do gain great foundation by reading their materials however; it's hard for me to apply these rules on the real test. I spent so much time memorizing these rules, at the end, I got these rules mixed up and all tangled in my head. On the real test, I was not able to read in any questions and had to rush and guessed a lot of questions. On my first try, I got a 670.
I went ahead and used this score for my application. But I know deep in my mind that this might be the breaking point for my overall application. And I was right! One of the school got back to me saying that they felt that my score didn't reflect the overall quality of my application; and they've asked me to retake the test and try to improve my score. As a result, I was forced to battle with this beast once again.
From my previous test experience, I clearly know that SC is my weakest area. So I need someone to direct me onto the right path. I decided to try the private tutoring, called up Charles Biblios (www.gmatninja.com) and started to prepare for my test in a month.
Highlights of my tutoring experience:
- Materials used: Official Guide, Blue verbal guide and LSAT materials (for CR and RC)
- Teaching methods:
(SC) Charles highlighted few basic and the most fundamental grammar rules for me. Most importantly, he helped me to spot the SC traps that I missed before. After few sessions, I've seen significant improvement when doing the SC questions.
(CR & RC) As I've exhausted most of the questions in the OG and the blue verbal guide, LSAT material is my only option left. I was reluctant to try these materials at first, since people always feel these questions are more challenging. Surprisingly, I did not do as bad as I anticipated and this has indirectly boosted my confidence.
What I gained the most from Charles is learn to apply the rules I learned previously and applied them in answering questions. I developed the great sense of what GMAT is testing and developed the instinct to spot the traps.
Hopefully some of you find this post helpful. Good luck everyone!
