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First attempt 550, not giving up whatsoever but need advice

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First attempt 550, not giving up whatsoever but need advice

by maximus1285 » Tue Apr 14, 2009 7:34 am
Hey guys,

I'm looking for some advice, I spent the past 2 months studying on my own with study guides (Princeton Review and Official Guide to GMAT 11th ed) and thought I was pretty well prepared.

I took the test this weekend and was devastated by my score, 550. I thought I had at least broken 600. I want to break 700 and I know I can do it and am willing to work hard for it.

I'm thinking of getting some professional help by means of Manhattan GMAT prep course, the 9week one. I was wondering if anyone had any advice about the course, Manhattan GMAT (is is worth the 1500 bucks?), and most importantly some helpful tips about going at this test on the second time around? Thanks for your help
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by canada_sms » Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:01 am
I think the first thing you need to do is a bit of reflection on what you did to prepare the first time and develop a new game plan.

How much time (hrs/week) did you devote to study? Did you do questions under timed conditions? Did you review explanations and seek help on every question you got wrong in the OG? How many practice CATs did you take? Did you carefully review your practice CATs? How rigorous were you in attacking your weaknesses?

A prep course can definitely help you out but in my opinion it should be part of a greater strategy.
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by maximus1285 » Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:12 am
In retrospect, I didn't approach my prep as diligently as I should have, and after reading other posts I've picked up some strategies that I realized I didn't follow through on such as tracking each question, going through every answer on every question and taking as many practice tests as possible. But I want to learn from my past mistakes right and stay positive about all this.

I'm set on taking the Manhattan GMAT prep course but I think I should organize my studying outside the class into a strategy similar to what Twinsplitter has suggested on this site.

I have 11-12 full weeks from the time I begin the prep class (first week of May)to when I would like to take the GMAT (last or second to last week in July). I plan on studying 17 hours/wk (including class time, 14hrs outside the prep class) amounting to about 200hrs.

From the posts I've read, this seems to be a suffcient amount of time to study, but what I'd like to do is incorporate the MGMAT into a prep plan similar to Twinsplitter's. Breaking weeks into specific question types based on my strengths and weaknesses. Any ideas on this???

Also when should I take the GMATPrep and Power Prep CATs in relation to my test date???

Any help would be great. Thanks
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