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Need advice on third attempt

by saxena.tushar » Sat Mar 29, 2014 5:17 am
Hi Everyone,

I gave my GMAT today and scored a 610(Q43, V31). This was my second attempt. In my first attempt I scored a 550(Q31, V27). I took my first attempt in June'13 and second today.

I am clueless what to do. Should I try for a third attempt? I want to apply for next year fall. The first deadline is in October and I want to get done with the test before July. So I have 3 months to improve my score.

Please advice me what should I do? I have consumed the 13th edition official guide, what material should I use in case I decide to give a third attempt. Will three attempts reduce my chances of getting into my dream school?
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by [email protected] » Sat Mar 29, 2014 5:59 pm
Hi saxena.tushar,

You mentioned that you're planning to apply this coming October, but you didn't name the schools that you're planning to apply to. A 610 is an above average score and it might be enough to help you get into school. That having been said, you've made some nice strides since your first GMAT, so it's reasonable to assume that you could probably make some additional strides.

Business Schools don't care if you retake the GMAT, but they would likely prefer that you improve your score. Before you decide on this issue, can you tell me what schools you're planning to apply to?

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by ThomasLHall » Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:59 am
You mentioned that you worked through the OG 13, but what strategy guide(s) did you use? Did you work with the Verbal and Quant review books? How many CATs did you take? Without knowing more about your prep it is a bit challenging to give you advice on a retake.

All that said, retaking will not hurt your chances as Rich mentioned, and three months is plenty of time to really raise your score. As far as materials to use, a plan to follow, and guidance on getting the most out of each prep hour, I recommend GMAT Clarity.
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by saxena.tushar » Mon Mar 31, 2014 3:04 am
[email protected] wrote:Hi saxena.tushar,

You mentioned that you're planning to apply this coming October, but you didn't name the schools that you're planning to apply to. A 610 is an above average score and it might be enough to help you get into school. That having been said, you've made some nice strides since your first GMAT, so it's reasonable to assume that you could probably make some additional strides.

Business Schools don't care if you retake the GMAT, but they would likely prefer that you improve your score. Before you decide on this issue, can you tell me what schools you're planning to apply to?

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
I'm want to apply to top 20 B-Schools like Tuck, NYU, Columbia and others. I don't think my app stands a chance in those schools.
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by saxena.tushar » Mon Mar 31, 2014 3:11 am
ThomasLHall wrote:You mentioned that you worked through the OG 13, but what strategy guide(s) did you use? Did you work with the Verbal and Quant review books? How many CATs did you take? Without knowing more about your prep it is a bit challenging to give you advice on a retake.

All that said, retaking will not hurt your chances as Rich mentioned, and three months is plenty of time to really raise your score. As far as materials to use, a plan to follow, and guidance on getting the most out of each prep hour, I recommend GMAT Clarity.
I did the Quants and Verbal review. I did the last 50 questions. I took two gmat mocks and 3 MGMAT tests.

Gmat mock 1 - 530 (15/jan)
Gmat mock 2 - 630 (16/mar)
Gmat mock 1 - 710 (21/mar)2nd attempt
MGMAT test 2 - 540
MGMAT test 3 - 580
MGMAT test 4 - 600 (28/mar)
*don't remember the dates for other MGMAT tests.
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by [email protected] » Mon Mar 31, 2014 1:03 pm
HI saxena.tushar,

Applying to any of the Top-20 schools is a competitive process. While a 610 is at the low end of the spectrum, I have worked with people who have been admitted to Top-20 schools with scores in that range (and some even lower than that). You have to keep in mind that the application process has 6 or 7 pieces, depending on the program (some schools have an interview, some don't). A higher GMAT score will likely make you a more competitive applicant though, so planning to retake is probably a good idea.

You provided information on your overall scores for your practice CATs, but can you include the Quant and Verbal scores for each test. Other than the one re-take, your scores are in a general range that makes me think that you've hit a "ceiling" in your studies. You'll need to make some adjustments (and probably invest in a GMAT Course of some kind) to help you hit the high 600s or 700s.

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by saxena.tushar » Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:14 am
Hi Rich,

these are my scores in each section:

MGMAT Test 2 - Q38, V29
MGMAT Test 3 - Q28, V36
MGMAT Test 4 - Q38, V31
MGMAT Test 5 - Q38, V31
MGMAT Test 6 - Q40, V33
GMAT Mock 1 - Q39, V33
GMAT Mock 2 - Q46, V31
GMAT Mock 1 - Q48, V40(2nd attempt)

You mentioned that I hit a ceiling in my prep. How should I tackle that. What courses would you suggest which will help me achieve in the range 730-770.
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by ThomasLHall » Wed Apr 02, 2014 10:01 am
So you didn't use any strategy guides along with the OGs (for instance the MGMAT series or the Kaplan Premiere book). Strategy guides are crucial for scoring your highest. Using one of the two I mentioned with further practice should help you improve your score a great deal.

I very much doubt you have hit a ceiling with your prep; you haven't taken very many CATs.

As far as materials to use, a plan to follow, and guidance on getting the most out of each prep hour for your third attempt, I recommend GMAT Clarity.
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by [email protected] » Wed Apr 02, 2014 12:55 pm
Hi saxena.tushar,

Six of your eight CATs fall into a general pattern: a Quant Scaled Score in the high 30s and a Verbal score in the low 30s. That consistency in performance means that when working under timed conditions, you perform a certain way. GMAT Mock 2 shows some improvement, but you have to ignore your retake of GMAT Mock 1 (you clearly saw a bunch of repeat questions and it artificially elevated your score).

Courses vary in terms of philosophy, price and how quickly they can help you to improve. I'd suggest that you sample the various options (most GMAT Companies offer some free practice materials or trial periods) and pick the one that best fits your personality and budget.

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Rich
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