GMAT Strategy

Hello everyone. I just want to start off by saying that Beat the GMAT has really helped me, I'm very grateful for all the encouragement and advice that is given on this board. I'm a first time poster, but I have been reading the forums for months. I'm inspired by those who have Beat the GMAT after months and months of hard work... I want to be one of those people!!! I'm 29 years old and have been studying on and off to beat the GMAT for three years. My last GMAT attempt was earlier this year (February), and after a poor performance I basically gave up at that time. Now I'm trying to get back into the study mode because I don't want to give up on my dream of attending a top MBA program, but I feel like I need some help and direction. My GMAT history is disappointing and something I'm kind of ashamed of... but I want disclose everything tonight in hopes that I can finally beat this beast! I have a sleep disorder that I feel like has effected me somewhat up until this point...I'm now feeling like I have it figured out a bit and could maybe perform better.

My results:
I have spent lots of money and time trying to find the best approach for me. During my 2 years of on and off studying I have enrolled in a Kaplan course, I have purchased over 15-20 different books, and I have even tried a few online courses. The Kaplan course I felt was too basic. Probably my favorite books were the MGMAT set, but I often found myself sluggish trying to get through books. I thought about a tutor during the process, but I was turned off by the cost. I probably took 20 practice tests during my on and off prep. I averaged about 610 on practice tests throughout, pretty much what I ended up with on my final attempt this past February. My highest score ever on a practice test was 670 and my lowest was 510.

My actual results, yes I've had 4 attempts... embarrassing.
"¢1st GMAT attempt September 2009: 530 overall, 23 verbal, 40 quant. English is my native language so I am embarrassed by this verbal score BIG TIME!
"¢2nd GMAT attempt December 2009: Canceled my score, didn't feel good at all while testing.
"¢3rd GMAT attempt April 2010: 560 overall, 31 verbal, 35 quant
"¢4th GMAT attempt February 2011: 590 overall, 30 verbal, 42 quant

My plan as of now (would love some suggestions):
I'm thinking about going back to MGAMT books because I feel like I need a lot of instruction. Kaplan products seam a little vague to me. I like the detail MGMAT goes into. Both sections of the test are weaknesses for me, but verbal is flat out terrible. Are MGMAT books best for verbal? I have heard so many great things about the MGMAT SC, but when I went through that book all I could think about was... how am I'm going to remember all of these rules. The book was a bit overwhelming for me. I've been thinking about trying something different for SC like E-GMAT. But maybe I just need to buckle down and go over MGMAT SC again and again until I get it. It's the best for SC right? I'm terrible at RC as well, any advice for that section? CR is probably my strongest area, but there is definitely room for improvement there as well.

My Goal:
My target score range is 680-720. I'm tired of spending money on prep courses, books and GMAT attempts, but I'm determined to get this right. I'm willing to take a year to study if I need to, but would love to be done by December. Thanks for reading my LONG message. Any advice to help me gain 100 points on this test would be much appreciated.

From what I read, the Manhattan SC guide is the best out there for SC. I bought it, then returned it after reading a bit of it to buy the whole 8 pack (SC included). Great books, but I'm having motivation problems getting through them all. They take a very thorough approach and I feel like I'm repeating a ton of stuff I already know.

sieken wrote:I'm having motivation problems getting through them all. They take a very thorough approach and I feel like I'm repeating a ton of stuff I already know.

Pace and persistence (slow and steady) wins a race! I think the MGMAT 8-book set is pretty well-recognized as being a solid study course, so just stick with it and keep chugging away. Eventually you'll finish the course and be very well prepared for the exam!