I just Beat The GMAT!

Before I begin, I must say thank you to canada_sms for his excellent 'The Art of War' themed debrief. His insights as well as his suggested study material were very helpful.
https://www.beatthegmat.com/waging-war-o ... 33880.html

For my fellow ADD friends, I will try to keep this succinct and well-outlined. Sidenote, ADD can actually be a strength, so don't let that discourage you if you or anyone you know struggles with it. Case in point, Richard Branson.

My Score:
Q: 49 --------- 86%
V: 45 --------- 98%
GMAT: 760 -- 99%

My target was 720+ so I am pleased with the result. Prior to the GMAT, I had not studied for a standardized test (PSAT/SAT) so I partly took the GMAT on as an opportunity to redeem myself. I also figured that since many people study for these tests I had better play the test game as well if I wanted to successfully compete at the top level.

Background: 28 year old Caucasian American. -1 on the application process? I have a finance degree so I am comfortable with math and even enjoy it most of the time, but I am definitely more passionate about understanding history, religion, psychology, science, etc. I spend a ridiculous amount of time reading so I decided to focus more on the math part of the test. I probably spent 70% of my time on the math section, but as I will explain in more detail below I could have been more productive with my time. I would definitely do several things differently.

The Debrief

Study Material:
--Math Magic for your Kids, Scott Flansburg
--Kaplan Premier, 2010-2011 Edition
--Official Guide, 12th Edition
--Official Guide, Math edition
--Official Guide, Verbal edition
--Manhattan GMAT, 8 book packet

Study Time:
3 Months
--1st and 2nd Months: About 45-60 min/day.
--3rd Month: 1-2 hrs/weekday. 5-6 hrs/day on weekends.

Practice Test Scores:
1st Test = 690 - Manhattan GMAT

For the next 4 Manhattan practice tests I just did the math section. I think the Manhattan practice tests are much harder than the real thing. I was much better prepared going into the real test than I thought. I was shocked to see 760 on the screen after the real test because it felt like a 650 level Manhattan test.

6th Test = 710 - Manhattan GMAT - And that was with an extra 20 minutes on the math section!

I only used the Manhattan GMAT practice tests because I ran out of time before getting to the official practice tests.

Study Guide Review:
As I said, my priority was to score 720+. I decided that in order to achieve this goal I would need to set my ego aside and do whatever was necessary. If you want to be an expert, the first step is to admit that you are not one...and never forget it.

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." -Socrates

Therefore, for my first study guide, I chose 'Math Magic for Your Kids' by Scott Flansburg, the Human Calculator. You laugh, but that guy is amazing. The mental math tricks that he teaches are very helpful for quickly evaluating GMAT problems. When time is running out, knowing how to quickly multiply, for example, 17x28 in your head can be quite helpful. His material is for 5-11 year olds, so you don't have to be a quant geek to learn the techniques. I spent about a week going through his book and doing practice problems. Well worth it for everyone, especially those who are intimidated by math.
https://scottflansburg.com/thc

Next up on the remedial road to 760 was Kaplan GMAT Premier, 2010-2011 Edition. I think it is a good study guide for anyone that wants to score in the 600-650 range. The techniques and 'tricks' are valuable, but this book alone will probably not get you to 700+. That said, I do think that it is a good stepping stone to the Manhattan GMAT course, which I HIGHLY recommend. I spent about 3 weeks, averaging 1-2 hrs/day, on this book. At this point I felt comfortable with the layout of the test and the question types.

After Kaplan I decided it was time for the Official Guide, the GMAT Review, 12th Edition. Honestly, I think that I was moving backwards while using this book. The math explanations are just brute force solving techniques. No strategy, no tips or insight, just 'Here is the math, do it like this.' In my opinion, the official guide books are a great source of practice problems, but they should not be used for anything else. The verbal section was ok, but I don't think it helped me much. In my opinion, both Kaplan and Manhattan did a better job of explaining the advanced concepts like combinations and permutations. The OG covers all the essential material, but at times I felt like I was reading an IRS guidebook.

Now, for my favorite study guide, I present the 8 book course by Manhattan GMAT. As I said above, I highly recommend it. I bought the complete pack from Amazon.com for about $120. So worth it. The authors created a book for each section of the test, and I found their techniques and practice problems to be excellent. Each book thoroughly explains the necessary strategies for scoring 700+, and also has advanced practice problems that are superior to those found in Kaplan and the Official Guide.

Study Strategy:
I primarily focused on the math section, but tried to the review the verbal (especially the idioms) fairly frequently. By cycling them I was able to mostly avoid brain fatigue.

Math:
I started with Math Magic in order to refresh my skills and learn some great mental math techniques. Then I went through Kaplan and the Official Guide. By this point I felt pretty good. Silly me. Manhattan GMAT was more than enough to keep me entertained for a while. First, I went through each book, reading the content and then doing every single practice problem in both the normal and advanced problem sets. After I finished all the math books, I went back to the first book and turned straight to the normal problem sets. My vague familiarity with the problems essentially acted as a cheat sheet. I also used the Official Guide problem sets in the same way. Again, this is the remedial road to 760. I'm not trying to prove that I'm the most amazing genius ever. After completing the second phase, I started over again, except this time I went straight to the advanced problems.

Sidenote: I think that in order to beat the GMAT, you must not only learn the formulas and techniques, but also learn to think differently. The GMAT is just as much a psychological test as it is an intellectual one. Therefore, don't just try to use brute memorization. Instead, grapple with the problems and seek to understand the concepts, etc.

Verbal:
I read all of the previously mentioned books and did every single practice problem in them. My scores were pretty good, but I found myself struggling more than I expected given how much time I spend reading. Part of my problem was/is that I'm a conceptual reader. I'm constantly skimming and looking for the keys that help me understand the big picture, so it is easy for me to overlook the details and keywords that, for example, are so important in critical reasoning problems. Once I forced myself to read every word, I started to do much better.

Also, I found that taking notes while reading did not work for me. It was entirely too disruptive. Better than taking notes is choosing to be genuinely interested in what you are reading. Yes, I think this is a choice. The opportunity to learn is a priceless gift. I think these two tips, reading intently and enthusiastically, are the most important in beating the Verbal section. The idioms are like free points, so make sure to get those, but invest your time in reading with genuine interest and grappling with the logic of the problems. Seek to understand them; don't just look for easy formulas.

Using ABCDE rows, as taught in most guides, to keep track of the answer selection process worked very well for me. Once I crossed off an option, I only came back to it if I eventually crossed off all the options, etc. When I did not use this tool, I often found myself reevaluating the entire list, and that was toxic to my time management strategy.

As for critical reasoning, pay close attention to key words. Learn the correct definition for words such as 'Most, many, and some.' Sometimes I didn't fully agree with the answer choices, but more often than not, I had to concede. I had missed a detail, chosen the exact wrong option, or one that the guide said was irrelevant. To improve, I just kept reviewing the ones I missed, and grappling with the explanations. I would cycle back to old questions, much like I did with the math section, in order to give myself a little 'cheat' advantage. Often I remembered just enough to catch the keywords and use the proper logic. After a while I began to think differently. One of my most common errors was choosing an option that was irrelevant. It pertained to the subject, and I thought it sounded great, but when I read the explanation I had to concede, my error was obvious. Eventually I started to recognize when I started to use the same faulty logic. I wish I could say it was instant, but it took time.

My last comment on the Verbal section is this: Read! Read the Economist, read Vanity Fair, I don't care, just read.

What worked for me:
1) The remedial road. By acknowledging reality and not trying to be Einstein on day one, I was able to progress rapidly toward my goal. Some people take it personally if they aren't solving 700 level problems on day one. More often than not I think those people spend a good bit of time banging their head against a wall. I used to be like those people; it's not worth it. Better to attain your goal than to try to be right about how you're going to do it...
2) Read the explanations for all the problems. Glean everything you can from the explanations. Ask yourself, why did I use that formula or that logic?
3) This is a wee bit philosophical, but important. You are not your score. This test does not define you. A wrong answer simply provides an opportunity to learn. This is where the psychological aspect of the GMAT comes into play. If you have a bad study day, have a drink, and start again the next day. Don't carry forward negative results. Again, do you want a high score, or do you want to be right about how you're going to get it?
4) During the tests, both practice and real, focus only on the question that is on the screen! The previous one no longer exists. Seriously. Your job is to solve the one that exists in the present. Don't think about whether it feels difficult, etc. All mind games will only hurt you.
5) Time Management! It is just as important as knowing how to solve the questions. A right answer at the beginning is not worth 4 skipped at the end!
6) Test scheduling. I am not a morning person so I scheduled the test for 4pm on a Friday. My brain seems to do best in the mid afternoon, so I relaxed for the morning, spent an hour reviewing some flash cards, and then headed to the test center. While driving to the center I listened to some classical music, found my happy place, and focused on the reality that I am not defined by my test score. I know this sounds silly, but you must respect the psychological aspect of this test.

What I would do differently!
1) Spend more than 10 minutes on the AWA. Ya, I probably deserve the 4 they gave me. I planned to spend the last week reviewing this section, but with 2 weeks to go I took my first Manhattan GMAT test and it was way harder than I expected so I spent the remaining time cramming like crazy. As the kids like to say these days...FAIL. If anyone in the know thinks I need to retake the test to get this to 6, let me know! It's downright lame to get 98% in Verbal and get a 4 on the AWA, lame...
2) Better flashcards. Especially for idioms and advanced math techniques/formulas. With one week to go, I felt that I hit a wall on the math section. I wasn't getting it; I was making the same stupid mistakes. Upper level inequalities and number properties were difficult for me. At the bitter end I finally started making proper flashcards, and that definitely helped. I should have started much sooner. It's amazing how much data can be gleaned from some of those damned DS problems!
3) Similar to 2...my practice time could have been more efficient. Better to practice perfectly and be slow at first than make the same damn mistakes over and over and over again. Careless things like switching the +/- signs, etc. Extraordinarily frustrating. I was actually expecting that I would need to take the test a second time because I wasn't quite comfortable with the math section, but with a 760 that may not be a smart move. But if I did, I would change how I prepare for math. I would create a bulletin board with all my flashcards, and I would start by looking at that board for every problem so that I would hard wire my brain to immediately consider all the options, both formulas and solving techniques such as guessing, plugging numbers, etc. You want your fighting skills to be hard wired reflexes

Summary:
At the end of the day, I enjoyed preparing for the GMAT. As a bonus, my math and verbal skills are much more refined now. Though I only read a few of the posts, I learned a lot from this forum, and I hope that ya'll find this to be a worthwhile contribution to the cause.

As for business school, I'm conflicted. To be perfectly honest, I'm perturbed, even angered by the iniquitous culture that exists in the finance and investment world. Any sense of ethics, much less morality, seems to have been smothered by an ever growing crowd of myopic men with insatiable self-interests. Profits are important, but to what end do we seek it them? Wisdom has been traded for upgraded HFT servers and fancy algorithms. This is not the culture I want to pay $150k to absorb. Where are the true leaders? I want to hang out with them.