I asked for help and GOT IT! 750 (Q50, V41)!

I want to start off by saying I like to do things my way. I've never needed help and I've never asked for it. I self-studied on the SAT and scored 2270, I also self-studied on the ACT and scored 34, and I was convinced that I could self-study to a high score on the GMAT. Totally wrong. I had to paint myself into a corner (which was really embarrassing at the time) and eventually suck it up and ask for help to hit my goals.

I took the test yesterday and got a 750 (Q50, V41)

Here's how it all went down.

Back at the end of February, I decided that this was the year to apply to Business School and take my career up a notch. With Round 1 in the fall, I figured I could knock out the GMAT in a few months and have some time off during the summer before working on my applications. I started off with Official downloadable material, the Manhattan books, the Kaplan Premiere book (and the CATs that came with those books) and the 2015 Official Guide.

After a month of light study and two months of consistent study, I was scoring okay - low 600s on all my CATs, but I had a pacing problem in every section (except for the essay) and I just couldn't get past 640. My sectional scores would fluctuate. I was getting really mad. I couldn't seem to figure out how to lock this test down and score above 700. There was no way I was going to take the GMAT until I got my scores up. That meant changing my schedule, which also didn't make me happy, but I knew I wasn't ready and I know how much the GMAT score matters to the application.

My first change was to start visiting forums online. I figured that there were probably some fine-points that I was missing, so I spent some time reading what the experts had to say. Some of the more established experts are amazing and provided some real insights into the material and how to make it manageable (and not to call out anyone specifically, but to be honest some of the 'experts' posts are WORTHLESS, so you really have to get a sense about who's worth following. After putting some of the broader advice to work and trying some different approaches, I still I only hit 660. That's when I knew the GMAT was more layered than any test I'd ever taken.

After looking through all the major company offerings and trying out the freebies, I chose Empowergmat. I like the way their guys teach everything - they make it all seem really easy and they exposed me to a lot subtle strategies and insider tips that I hadn't realized on my own.

I chose the Total Score Booster Plan but gave myself 2 months to work on it since I knew I wanted to do some extra work on Sentence Corrections and Reading Comp to raise my verbal score. I picked up 50 points in the first 3 weeks and consistently scored above 700, including on both the Exam Pack CATs.

After following the course plan, the Official GMAT felt like a formality - I knew what to expect, so when I took the test I just did what I was trained to do. The whole test felt 'good' and none of the problems that had plagued me in my earlier CATs happened. When the score came up, I wanted to start dancing but I kept my cool, said goodbye to the lady, and quietly walked out with the best GMAT score I'd ever earned but it was the real thing!

My advice for anyone who feels like they're just not improving:
- Books can be great to get exposure to the GMAT and practice questions, but they are limited in what they can offer. So you'll need more than just books (you can decide what those other things will be - for me it was the Empower course).
- Lots of GMAT materials include CATs when you purchase something else, so other than the Exam Pack, you don't have to buy CATs separately.
- Save the Exam Pack CATs to the end of your studies; they'll help to convince you about how ready you are to take the GMAT.
- Don't let your own opinions about studying keep you from making the right moves to improve. If I didn't admit that I was stuck and sought out help, then I'd probably still be scoring in the low 600s.

Now I'm working on my applications to the M7 schools for round 1. I learned my lesson about doing things on my own - I'm working with an admissions consultant and I think the changes I've made to my application strategy because of it are pretty big. Specifically, the consultant helped unify the presentation between my work experience and my goals after I get my MBA in such a seamless and compelling way. I'm actually excited to submit my apps now. That's a big shift from how I felt before.

Good luck to everyone! I'm convinced that anyone can beat this test with the right approach.

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