GMAT Strategy

Hi,

I took the gmat about 6 months ago and did very poorly. However I did do well on the essays, receiving a 5.5 (88%? i believe.) I am going to take the test again on the 4th and am wondering if it would be a plausible idea to just skip the essays to save energy for the multiple choice part of the test. I have read that schools usually put more weight on your application essays then the GMAT section. I'm not sure if they might look at that as some kind of cheat because I would be shortening the test. Has anyone run in to this conundrum?

I think my focus and stamina would be much better used on the computer adaptive part of the test but I don't want to leave it blank if it could significantly hurt my application process.

please help!

-Nick

I agree that it's wise to conserve your energy for the nasty multiple-choice questions, but skipping the essays is a little bit risky. AWA isn't a hugely important component of your MBA profile, but a score of zero really wouldn't be too flattering. At worst, the adcom could look at your (flawlessly polished?) admissions essays and wonder whether you really have the skill to write them yourself.

Ideally, you want to get a decent score on AWA without expending too much energy. Don't be too ambitious with your essays--just make sure that your structure (introduction with a clear thesis, two or three supporting paragraphs with solid topic sentences, conclusion) is nice and clear, and don't worry about making the essays worthy of a Pulitzer. If you have time, practice your AWA just so that you get comfortable cutting corners and writing lazily. Train yourself to produce a tolerable essay while exerting minimal energy.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

gmatninja wrote:I agree that it's wise to conserve your energy for the nasty multiple-choice questions, but skipping the essays is a little bit risky. AWA isn't a hugely important component of your MBA profile, but a score of zero really wouldn't be too flattering. At worst, the adcom could look at your (flawlessly polished?) admissions essays and wonder whether you really have the skill to write them yourself.

Ideally, you want to get a decent score on AWA without expending too much energy. Don't be too ambitious with your essays--just make sure that your structure (introduction with a clear thesis, two or three supporting paragraphs with solid topic sentences, conclusion) is nice and clear, and don't worry about making the essays worthy of a Pulitzer. If you have time, practice your AWA just so that you get comfortable cutting corners and writing lazily. Train yourself to produce a tolerable essay while exerting minimal energy.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

thank you! That's what I'm going to do.