I just Beat The GMAT!

Greetings team,

Just finished my date with the beast... 740 (Q: 50, V: 40). 97th %tile.

I really like the community we have going here. I wanted thanking you all, including the founder(s) of BeatTheGmat, to be my first order of business... Hope to give more back soon.

Stay tuned for debrief...
Kayser.

p.s. Any chance this is a Harvard worthy score?

Good job man congrats. I think u r busy partying

Thanks a lot you guys!

I write in full modesty, acknowledging that I don't think of my score as a major feat, or even an impressive result - just decent.

Here's my story:

Never did it well without doing it badly first…
True of life… My first GMAT attempt was not acceptable. But I accepted it... Every step in life is a preparation step - all forward motion counts... Just don't give up.

Nothing teaches like teaching.
Everything that I ever had a chance to teach, made orders of magnitude more sense after teaching it! I had the opportunity to teach some GMAT - not because I was an expert, but because I really enjoyed teaching and I felt I could help people with some of the basic math and verbal stuff... Take away suggestion: Be honest about what you can offer others, but go teach it to learn it.

PREP.
I’d never tell you what NOT to use – because what didn’t seem too effective for me might be great for you – but if I were to do it again, I’d make sure to incorporate the following resources and strategies:

- Spend time on questions you got wrong AND the ones you got right. Review answers for both. It will be a very insightful experience.
- Review OG books (All 3)
- Review Manhattan SC (Bible)
- Download BeatTheGMAT Flashcards

Above should prepare you for the basics. Then start looking for tough questions:

- Most importantly: go through all the questions on BeatTheGMAT! Not kidding. I discovered this site a little too late, but in retrospect its value proposition is solid. High caliber people roam these pages… You can stand on the shoulders of giants!
- Also, if I were to do it again, I’d study intensely for a while, but then take a break – week, month, … - to let it all simmer in my grey matter before restarting for a final push.


Freedom is best understood by the prisoner.
The point is enjoy your prep time guys! Don’t yearn getting rid of this phase of your life. I already miss the intensity and excitement of it… Freedom without bondage is only as sweet as apple after chocolate!
So, enjoy your time working towards a decent and honorable goal. Many people envy our sense of direction and dedication…

No pressure, no diamond.



Take care and see you around.

kayser wrote: p.s. Any chance this is a Harvard worthy score?

Eric, you said "I'd say it is"? I say yes, OF COURSE it is. If you look at the Economist's "Which MBA" book, you'll see that the average GMAT score at Harvard is 713 (so that's the guys who actually made it in, not the applicants!). Stanford, which has the highest of all GMAT averages, is at 721. In those, you'll have a few guys who scored 740, 750, 760. But remember that for each one of them, there is a guy who scored 670, 680 or 690. Basically, if you hit 720 at the GMAT, that's as high as you need to go for ANY school. The rest of the application will determine whether you'll get into the school you want, not an extra 20 points at the GMAT. If your profile is very weak, a 760 will not get you into Harvard. If your profile is very strong, a 670 will not close doors either.

Good luck with everything!