I just Beat The GMAT!

miteshvaidya wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 30, 2023 10:46 am

I am one year into my MBA program at Michigan-Ross, and wanted to take some time to reflect on my journey and how instrumental the Target Test Prep program and team were in helping me achieve this goal.

Some background information:

I knew I would need to do very well on the GMAT to make up for having a 3.0 GPA in undergrad. Though my undergrad was from a well-regarded institution (NYU), I was targeting top 10 or top 15 MBA programs and realized that I would need to demonstrate my academic capabilities through the standardized test in order to give myself the best possible chance to gain admission to one of these top programs.

Aside from GPA, I did have around 10 years of work experience for a successful tech start-up, 5 years of which were spent managing a team of ~10 direct reports. I was confident in my work experience, but not in my grades or extracurriculars – I knew I needed to absolutely crush the GMAT to make this journey worthwhile.

It is also worth mentioning that I am an American-born Indian male, which is a very competitive category of demographics when it comes to MBA acceptance, there’s no point in acting like this doesn’t play a factor, because it absolutely does. In short, my research and background led to one conclusion – to improve my chances at gaining admission to a top school, it is imperative for me to do exceptionally well on the GMAT.

Choosing a Program

There are many programs out there that offer promises on performance, it can be very stressful to choose the right one. I leveraged sites like Beat the GMAT and Reddit and ultimately decided on TTP. Not only did the program promise a score improvement that put me in range to target my dream schools, but the program and it’s testimonials had individuals from all walks of life succeed.
Another major consideration for me was cost – TTP was significantly more affordable than other preparation courses, while offering the same level of guarantee and legitimacy.
Given that I’d be applying for schools and spending a lot of money on application fees, taking the GMAT itself as well as taking time off from work to prepare, the affordable nature of TTP was a big selling point as well.
I ultimately signed up for TTP and embarked on my journey. My research led me to picking a target score of 720 on the GMAT – this was based on research of the programs that I would like to target and what their scores looked like.

The TTP Program Itself

I started studying with TTP when I was 32 years old, and very rusty on my arithmetic, general concepts, and overall study habits/test taking ability. In the beginning, I took the TTP diagnostic exam and II received an "Initial level of preparedness" of "very low". I knew I had a long road ahead of me of studying.

After about ~400 hours of studying TTP, going over some of the sections (geometry, critical reasoning, etc) several times, I began taking the official GMAT practice tests. I scored between 680-710 on the OG practice tests.

TTP really helped drill in the concepts for both Quant and Verbal. Throughout the process, Scott and his team would check-in, respond to any of my questions, emails, etc. That was helpful to know I wasn’t alone in my journey, as studying through an online course can get a little isolating at times.

The key things that stick out to me from the TTP program:

-Thorough text and video explanations of common trick questions/traps that test takers fall into
-Huge practice question bank with thousands of questions – this allows you to drill down your weak topics until they become your strengths.
-The end of chapter tests – they were difficult and challenging but tests your understanding of the topic. It also provided guidance on what topics I should brush up on again.
-Full length practice tests were a bit harder than the official test in my opinion – better to be overprepared than underprepared!
-Aside from the material itself, there were some helpful tips about controlling test-day anxiety, best practices for use of materials like whiteboards, etc how to stick to your plan, and how to approach the actual test itself.


Closing Thoughts

I achieved my goal score on the first try thanks to TTP. I took the GMAT online, so I received my score as soon as I submitted my official test. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw my score – 720 overall, 46 quant, 42 verbal, 8 IR, 6 AWA. My score put me at the 94th percentile of all test takers, and I am very proud and thankful of this. While I understand that many people score over 720, and even 750+, I am extremely satisfied with my 720.

I can say with 100% certainty that I couldn’t have done this without the rigor and deep understanding of the material I gained from TTP. There were no shortcuts – it required discipline and sacrifice to achieve. I am now at Michigan Ross and can say with pride that I am at the #8 school in the country, I didn’t have to sacrifice and go to a top 25 school or worse, which many people told me I would need to do because of my lackluster undergrad GPA. By securing a solid GMAT score with TTP, I was able to achieve my dreams. Considering I only spent $400 on this course, this was the best investment I have ever made in myself. Thank you TTP for giving me the tools to pursue a better future for myself.