As many in the GMAT community are aware, recently, TTP user Dalal scored 780 on the GMAT. While her achieving that score is remarkable, scoring 780 on the GMAT is, of course, not unheard of. So, what's interesting is that her first score on the GMAT was 250 - yes, 250 - and her second GMAT score was 350. That type of score increase, 530 points, does not happen with regularity at all. In fact, it may be one of a kind. So, I've been thinking about what it took for her to go all the way from 250 to 780.

Can you imagine scoring 250 and then 350 on the GMAT and hearing about score ceilings and the fact that most people do not achieve score increases greater than 200 points and yet continuing on until 780?

What kept her from stopping at 350? or 500? or in the 600s? She prepared for years, and she could easily have stopped at any time. I mean, we all hear from people "stuck" at, say, 660, who wonder whether they've hit their "peak scores."

There's only one possible answer. She had a super solid growth mindset. It just didn't occur to her, or at least not for long, that she may not be able to just keep increasing her score until she hit her goal. In her opinion, as she has said elsewhere, "All anyone ever needs to succeed on the GMAT (or any test) is determination, discipline, consistency and the right resources and tools."

It's so cool what effect a growth mindset can have.